Miners Dig In for a Fight
News Stories - November 30, 2010
Questions
a) Percent of phosphate rock used for fertilizer in the U.S. that is mined in Florida
b) Percent of the world's phosphate fertilizer produced by the state of Florida
c) Amount of land owned by phosphate companies in Hardee County, Florida
d) Number of people employed in phosphate mining across the four counties in Florida where it is done
e) Number of employees Mosaic Mining Co. has in Hardee County, and the number it would have to lay off if the state does not permit the company's mine extension
2. Why have the Sierra Club and other environmental groups worked to block a planned mine extension of the Mosaic Company's phosphate mine?
3. How has the Mosaic mining company responded to environmentalists' accusations that they are destroying the environment?
4. In response to mining company ads, saying it will have to lay off many workers without permission for a mine extension, environmental groups argue that more jobs would be generated if the land was used for agriculture (see para. 14-6). Is this a persuasive argument? Explain your answer.
5. How have phosphate mining companies complied with Florida regulations since 1975?
6. What has Mosaic done with the land it has reclaimed in the past decade?
7. The following comments about the article were made by WSJ readers. With which do you agree? Explain your answers.
- "Time to put a break on the environmentalists. We need the phosphate. The jobs are needed and the impact is probably much less than that which is claimed. Groups such as the Sierra Club have proven to be nothing more than economic terrorists."
- "The Sierra club is way off base and is only focused on destroying business and the economic benefits mining provides for FL and the world."
- "By going overboard with regulations we make it prohibitive to mine or drill in the US and the minerals are shipped in from the third world. The jobs are exported to nations with little or no controls, where the land is devastated and the ships bringing it to the US cause further pollution."
- "We have other sources of water, desalination for one, We have been mining the stuff for ONE HUNDRED YEARS and there is still plenty of it. I drive thru this area each week. The business is vital to have any type of well paying jobs. Otherwise you can work in a restaurant..."
- "I have mentioned before, and am probably beginning to get some naysayers, but there have been recent discoveries about how previous civilizations (if that is what we are) ended - they had technological innovations that enabled them to exceed the carrying capacity of the land - for a while. Then came the crop failures, as you describe. No food, no life."