Mosaic wants more mining in East Manatee County

The Manatee County Planning Commission will meet Thursday to consider the proposed rezoning of 3,595.99 acres of Mosaic’s Wingate East property to allow more phosphate mining near the company’s 11,000-acre Wingate Creek Mine.

The Manatee County Building and Development Services Department and Parks and Natural Resources will make their recommendations for the county commissioners during the meeting.

The request from Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC asks to change the general agriculture zoning to extraction zoning and to approve its Master Mining Plan. The proposal would also add on to the east side of the 645.9-acre Wingate Extension mining property and allow mining until Sept. 15, 2037.

The property borders the Winding Creek subdivision to the south and Duette Preserve to the north.

About 1,041 acres of wetlands are on the property. Under the Master Mining Plan, which reviewed environmental impacts, 12 percent of the wetlands are deemed high quality. Mosaic is proposing to offset the impact by enhancing 193 acres in the Myakka River watershed and donating $2.5 million to the Manatee Community Foundation to buy more land in the upper Myakka River watershed and grant it to Manatee County as a conservation easement.

Another negative aspect listed on the proposal is the noise and odor pollution from mining activities, but it is within compliance with noise regulations on all levels, according to the Master Mining Plan.