Corkscrew Rural Community

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Corkscrew Rural Community

• Preserving and protecting our rural neighborhood

Kevin Hill
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Qualities / characteristics of Corkscrew to be
preserved Issues / Concerns facing
Corkscrew to be addressed Services /
Amenities that wed like to see in Corkscrew

• Peace and quiet
• Low housing density
• Wildlife
• Horses
• Trees / Green space
• Natural resources
• Agriculture
• Good neighbors
• Low crime rate
• Area history
• Stars
• Vistas

• Impacts of Mining
• Dangerous roads
• Drainage issues
• Truck traffic
• Litter
• Loss of Agriculture
• Noise
• Increasing traffic
• Road quality
• Light pollution
• Abandoned vehicles
• Dust
• Blasting
• Massive berms

• Closer emergency services Fire Medical
• High Speed Internet
• Better trash service
• Mosquito control
• Phone service
• Road improvement
• Community Center
• Park / playground
• Drainage maintenance
• Closed mailboxes

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Where do we live?
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Why do we live out here?
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Why do we live out here?
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Why do we live out here?
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Why do we live out here?
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Why did we choose to live in a mining area?

• We didnt! We were here first
• There were no mines on Corkscrew Road.
• Westwind / Estero Group was a lime / avocado
  grove.
• Corkscrew Road was 9 miles of dirt road.
• The County specifically identified Alico Rd/Green
  Meadows corridor as mining area on Map 14.
• We had no reason to suspect that they wouldnt
  continue to observe this.
• Mining came after us and harmed us with their
  impacts, and continues to harm us with their
  impacts.
• The mine chose to operate in an established rural
  residential area. And they misrepresented this
  fact to secure their permit.

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Why is there a mine here now?

• The single operating mine on East Corkscrew Road
  Westwind - established itself by means of a
  calculated, systematic intensification of use
  from small, benign special exception dirt mine,
  to larger dirt mine, to a deeper rock mine.
• It is a technique which allows them to escape the
  scrutiny of the public who will bear the impact.
• It is a technique which represents a gross misuse
  of Lee Countys regulatory and zoning process.
• It is a technique which fails the citizenry that
  these regulations are supposed to protect.

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Mines attract mines.

• We have evidence that shows that Westwind secured
  their zoning permits based on misrepresentations
  of fact.
• We have evidence that they operate their mine
  without regard to many of the conditions set
  forth by the County in their 2001 permit.
• But despite these facts, the very existence of
  this operating mine provides justification to the
  County Staff to recommend approval of another
  mine next door.
• County staff makes that admission in their staff
  report in reference to the abutting Westwind
  mine.
• Mines attract mines.

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Cumulative impacts.

• I believe it is an oversight that neither the
  applicant nor the county staff is required to
  consider the cumulative impacts of two adjacent
  mines.
• What are the cumulative hydrological impacts of
  these two mines together?
• What are the impacts to the community when yet
  another half-mile of road frontage is changed
  from cow pasture to pits, dirt piles, draglines
  and berms?
• What message do we send to the eco-tourists who
  travel Corkscrew daily to enjoy the CREW trails
  and Audubon Sanctuary?

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What are the impacts to wildlife?

• What are the long term impacts to listed species,
• like the pair of Caracara I often see feeding in
  front of the Estero Group property.
• Like the sandhill cranes I see feeding in the
  pastures.
• Like the two panthers killed on Corkscrew Road
  in the last 18 months.
• Like the woodstorks I see feeding in the
  disturbed wetlands.
• The applicants expert says that they will fare
  well.
• My expert says they wont.
• You can guess what my common sense tells me.

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What is a predominantly residential area?

• The Lee Plan Policy 7.1.9 states that Industrial
  development will not be permitted if it allows
  industrial traffic to travel through
  predominantly residential areas.
• We do not believe that the intent of Lee Plan
  Policy 7.1.9 is to discount the welfare, safety,
  or quality of life for rural residents by
  allowing industrial development to route
  industrial traffic through our neighborhood.
• Lee Plan Policy 5.5.5 states that Lee County will
  "protect existing and future residential areas
  from any encroachment of uses that are
  potentially destructive to the character and
  integrity of the residential environment."
• We do not believe that by virtue of our rural
  lifestyle, the county intends for us to accept
  the encroachment of uses that are potentially
  destructive to the character and integrity of our
  residential environment.
• We will not be discounted.

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Bad neighbor evidence

• It is well established that one of the basic
  legally protected property rights of any
  landowner is the right to quiet enjoyment of
  their property. This is particularly true with
  regard to a persons home. I used to enjoy the
  peaceful quiet of my home. I used to like to have
  a cup of coffee on the back porch and watch the
  sun come up, and listen to the birds.
• I cant enjoy that anymore. If I try, what I hear
  is backup beepers, diesel dragline engines,
  popping steel cables, clanking drag link chains,
  squealing excavator tracks. I hear roaring dump
  truck engines, whining tires, squeaking brakes,
  and bellowing jake-brakes.
• Id much rather hear the birds.

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Permit Conditions

• Permit conditions are not observed, are not
  enforced, and indeed, are not enforceable.
• This mine operator and others have a legacy of
  this. Here are some examples

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Operating Hours
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Days of Operation
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Noise mitigations
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Environmental protections
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8/10/2007 Reinspection Westwind Mine Fueling
vehicle mentioned in Pollution Prevention Plan
that was required for the renewal permit reveals
leaks to soils. Plan required no leaks and
prevention of discharge while fueling.
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These tanks were previously in the containment
system mentioned in part A of this report and
documented in the previous report dated 12- -05 .
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Most of containment system has evidence of
petroleum discharges. A damaged barrel of unknown
contents sits within containment system on the
unsealed floor. System is not protected from the
weather.
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Mechanical repair/maintenance building which was
permitted for bona fide agriculture use only is
now the main mechanical repair/maintenance
facility for Westwind Mines.
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Dead trees Hill property

• 1988

• 2003

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Traffic safety
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Truck traffic
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Community aesthetics

• Our mine wont impact the aesthetics of your
  rural lifestyle
• photos of green spaces vs
• photos of mining moonscape
• photos of trucks lined up at mega-mine

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Traffic study data

• Westwinds 2001 IPD Permit.
• App stated 284 trucks per day
• Mine reported 700 trucks per day
• In 2003, resident Mike Bray (retired police
  officer) counted 1236 trucks per day.
• Estero Group says we'll only add 414 trucks per
  day.
• The math suggests 1800 additional trucks per
  day!!!!

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Depth condition enforcement

• How are conditions related to depth of excavation
  enforced? Who does it? How often?
• Bathymetric surveys conducted by engineering firm
  hired by the mine. They certify its accuracy and
  place their seal on the report. Who verifies this
  report? Whats at risk if its wrong?

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General condition enforcement

• How to reconcile two adjacent mining operations??
• same owners
• same operator
• different rules
• When we feel a blast which Westwind is permitted
  to do, how do we know it isn't Estero Group's?
• When Estero Group fills its truck quota, what
  prevents them from sending out Westwind's gate?