A phosphate mine in central Florida has seen production shut down by order of a federal judge. At Mosaic Co. there are plans to appeal the decision. The Plymouth based fertilizer company is amongst the world’s top fertilizer producers.
Environmentalists, notably the Sierra Club, have been fighting against the company’s extension of its mining operations in Fort Meade in Florida. The mine situated in Hardee County produces phosphate which is a crucial ingredient for making fertilizers. It represents one third of the company’s annual phosphate production.
In April Mosaic had announced that it planned to mine an extra 700 acre region of the uplands or non wetlands in the South Fort Meade. Following this action three environmental groups including the Sierra Club moved the courts for a preliminary injunction in July.
Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. of federal district court in Jacksonville on Friday issued a temporary injunction preventing all mining activity on the Hardee County extension of Mosaic's South Fort Meade mine. He added in his statement that any harm to Mosaic was largely self inflicted.
In response to the injunction the company sent out a new release saying that the ruling might bring significant hardship to their employees and local communities.