Phosphate Mining 

i th n

e

Bone Valley

Mark Peterson

Tampa Permits Office

January 14, 2011

US Army Corps of EngineersBUILDING STRONG

®

JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT
Phosphate Histor

y

•River Pebble Phosphate was discovered along the Peace River in 1881.•Early mining was by hand using wheelbarrows, picks and shovels.•Mechanized excavation began between 1900 and 1905 with steam shovels.•Draglines first utilized in the1920s and 1930s. •Technological advancements allowed miners to move from the river-pebble to the land-pebble and hard-rock phosphates, and then to mining the finer-grained grained “phosphate matrix phosphate matrix”

•Phosphate matrix occurs over a wide area of west-central Florida known as the “Bone Valley”.•In 1900 it took 3-4 years to mine 15 acres with 

pi k d h l I th l d f th ll ic

ks an

d s

hovels. In the early 

days of the small

draglines, about 5 acres were mined in a year. •As draglines grew in size, companies were able to mine 500-600 acres a year. Currently, dra

glines are able to mine 15 acres a month. 

Source: http://www.lakelandgov.net/library/oldos1a.htm

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g
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Source: www.baysoundings.com
Central Florida Phosphate Reg

“Bone Valley” 

• Geologist named the Florida phosphate reserve “Bon• The Central Florida Phosphate Region consists of Hil

Polk Hardee DeSoto and Manatee Counties Polk, Hardee, DeSoto and Manatee Counties .

• Watersheds include the Alafia River Watershed, the P

River Watershed, the Manatee River Watershed, the 

Manatee River Watershed and the Myakka River WatManatee River Watershed and the Myakka River Wat

• Current Phosphate mining companies: Mosaic and CF 

Industries.

• O i h d id f B V ll i H 

One mine 

has operate

d outside o

f

Bone 

V

alley in 

Ham

County in North Florida. 

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Central Florida Phosphate Region

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“Bone Valley”
Alafia

Little Manatee

Manatee

Peace

Myakka

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Major Rivers & Watersheds
Existing Phosphate Mines

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Existing Phosphate Mines

Source: FDEP Bureau of Mining and Minerals Regulation
2005 SFWMD Existing Phosphate Mine Data

A

B C

D

E

F

G

H I J

L

K

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

O

T

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U
2005 SFWMD Existing Phosphate Min

Spreadsheet

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Current Pending Phosphate Applications as of Augu

Current Pending Mine 

Applications

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Pending Phosphate Applications with 2005 SFWMD Mine 

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Phosphate 101

•Phosphate is a natural, non-renewable resource that is obtained by phosphate-containing minerals. •Florida's phosphate rock deposits are believed to have originated wconditions in the seawater caused dissolved phosphorus to solidify the sediment that is mined today. Sea life also played a big part in fsediment de

posits. 

•Approximately 90 percent of the phosphate that is mined is used to phosphate fertilizers. There are no substitutes for phosphorus in agr•The United States produces the most phosphate in the world while 

The United States produces the most phosphate in the world, while 

and China rank second and third, respectively. Active mining is also in Morocco, China, Russia, Tunisia, Jordan, Brazil, Israel, South Afrand Togo.

•U S Phosphate reserves found in Central Florida North Carolina 

U.S. Phosphate reserves found in Central Florida, North Carolina, 

Idaho. •Florida is presently providing approximately 75 percent of the natioof phosphate fertilizer and about 25 percent of the world supply.

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Phosphate 102

•Florida's typical phosphate ore (matrix) is found about 15-50 feet below the earth's surface and is about 10-20 feet thick. •Phosphate rock is mined and then manufactured through the fertilizer manufactured through the fertilizer

manufacturing process.•A typical Florida phosphate mine 

gets about 9,000 tons of phosphate rock per acre of land. •By 1999 approximately 300 000 acres of

Source: http://www.baysounding

By 1999, approximately 300,000 acres of

land, or more than 460 square miles, (out of Florida’s total land area of 54,000 square miles) had been mined in Florida . 

S Fl id I i f Ph h

hosphate4.html

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Source: Florida Institute of Phosp

hate 

Research (FIPR)
Mining Process

•After land clearing activities, the dragline bucket scoops the top 15-30 feet of earth “overburden”.•The dragline then digs out the matrix, which consists of equal parts of phosphate roand sand

g

and sand.

•Matrix is then dumped in a pit where high-pressure water guns create a slurry that be pumped to the beneficiation plant, which can be up to 10 miles away. At the ben

plant the phosphate is separated from the sand and clay. •The Clay by product is stored in clay settling areas and the Sand is reused for recla

Source: http://www.fipr.state.fl.us/ar99/miningpop3.jpg BU
Clay Settling Areas

• Clay is part of the matrix that phosphate companies mine. 

matrix contains roughly equal parts of clay sand and fluora

y g

matrix contains roughly equal parts of clay, sand and fluora

phosphate mineral.

• A typical Florida phosphate mining operation pumps more 

typical Florida phosphate mining operation pumps more 

100,000 gallons of water carrying tiny particles of clay evein the mining process.

• The phosphate industry leaves about 40% of the land it mi

behind in clay settling areas. 

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Phosphogypsum

• Phosphogypsum is a by-product of the chemical reacalled the "wet process " whereby sulfuric acid is reaccalled the "wet process," whereby sulfuric acid is reac

phosphate rock to produce the phosphoric acid needefertilizer production. 

•Phosphate rock becomes associated with the phosphogypsum after the rock is reacted with sulfuric •There are currently about 1 billion tons of phosphogystacked in 25 stacks in Florida (22 are in central Floridabout 30 million new tons are generated each year. 

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“Gypsum Stack”

Source: http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/images/tenorm/stack-side.jpg

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Reclamation

•Th St t f Fl id d t d th t ll l d i d ft J 

The St

a

te o

f Florida man

d

a

t

e

d th

a

t all lan

d mine

d after 

J

1975 must be reclaimed. 

•Phosphate permitting and reclamation is reviewed by th

Phosphate permitting and reclamation is reviewed by th

Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of MininReclamation.

•Reclamation consists of both upland and wetland restor•Accordin

g p

 to the Florida Institute of Phos

phate Researc

Phosphate Industry has indicated that 41% (28,248 acre1975 mined land have been reclaimed. 

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Corps Regulation

•Th U S A C f E i b l ti th The 

U.S. Army 

Corps o

f

Engineers 

began regulating the 

discharge of dredged or fill material in waters of the U.S. (inwetlands) on July 1, 1977, the effective date of Phase III of 

Clean Water Act (Section 404 Clean Water Act of 1977) Clean Water Act. (Section 404, Clean Water Act of 1977)•A wetland is an area that is inundated or saturated at a dusufficient to support and that under normal circumstances ssufficient to support and that under normal circumstances s

a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in satursoil conditions.

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Permit Decision Making

•404(b)(1) Guidelines

Permit Decision Making

•Public Interest Review•N ti l E i t l P li A t (NEPA N

ational Environmen

t

al P

olicy 

A

c

t (NEPA

•Other Applicable Federal Laws (E.G. ESA, NHPA, EF•State & Territorial Certifications (CZM, WQC)

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Permit Decision Making (con

•Project Purpose

Permit Decision Making (con

Project Purpose

Sequential Process:

AvoidanceMinimization

C ti ompensation 

– Miti ti Mitigation

•Corps Determines Least Environmentally 

Damaging Practicable Alternative Damaging Practicable Alternative•Corps Reviews Mitigation Proposal (No Net Loss of Wetland acreage and function) Loss of Wetland acreage and function)

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Wetland Mitigation Sites Wetland Mitigation Sites

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Mitigation Wetlands Mitigation Wetlands

Wetland H

Wetland D-

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Additional Information Additional Information

 Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR) 

http://fipr1.state.fl.us/PhosphatePrimer/0/C0E6FF420

5256F77005D2847

 Florida DEP Mining and Minerals Regulation 

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/mines/

 Watershed Data 

http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/map/sa

y p_

peace m_

y p akka/

peace/

 Peace River Cumulative Impact Study 

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/mines/pr_cis-final.htm

 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Jacksonville District

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Regulatory/in

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