Where are the phosphorus mines in Florida?

Today phosphate mining occurs primarily in the central Florida area (Polk, Hillsborough, Manatee and Hardee counties). The central Florida phosphate mining region covers approximately 1.3 million acres of land known as the “Bone Valley.” There is one phosphate mine operating in North Florida (Hamilton County).

Where are phosphate mines located?

As of 2015, there are 10 active phosphate mines in four states: Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, and Utah. The eastern phosphate deposits are mined from open pits. The western deposits are mined from both surface and underground mines.

Where are the major mining operations for phosphate extraction?

Florida
Florida is home to the majority of phosphate-mining operations in the United States — and the United States is the world’s third-leading producer of phosphate rock.

How much phosphate is left Florida?

The Hawthorne Formation is being mined in North Florida. It is also the Hawthorne Formation that is being mined in the southern extension of the central Florida phosphate district. Florida phosphate reserves alone contain about 10 billion tons of soluble phosphate rock.

Who owns phosphate mines in Florida?

Mosaic
Today, after decades of consolidation and market changes in Florida’s industry, two phosphate companies maintain mining operations: Mosaic (a company formed when IMC Phosphates Company and Cargill Crop Nutrition merged in 2004) and PCS Phosphate – White Springs.

How deep are phosphate mines in Florida?

15-30 feet deep
Florida’s Phosphate Deposits The matrix is buried beneath a soil “overburden” that is typically 15-30 feet deep. By the end of 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.

Where are all the gypsum stacks in Florida?

Where are all the phosphogypsum stacks in Florida? Phosphogypsum stacks are located in four counties in Florida including Polk, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Hamilton counties, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Where are gypsum stacks in Florida?

Who owns phosphate plant in Florida?

HRK Holdings
Piney Point phosphate plant

What are two of the largest phosphate mining companies in Florida?

Today, there are just three phosphate mining companies left in Florida out of about 20 operating in the state two decades ago: Mosaic, largest by far with $4.7 billion in annual sales, created in 2004 with the merger of IMC Phosphates and Cargill Crop Nutrition; CF Industries; and PCS Phosphate in Northern Florida.

Are there any underground mines in Florida?

There are two active and two inactive heavy minerals mines in Florida. For mining activities that involve dredging or filling in state-assumed waters, a state of Florida 404 (dredge and fill) permit would also be required. The state of Florida 404 program is a federally-delegated program under the Clean Water Act.

Where are the 70 gypsum stacks in the US?

There are over 70 identified stacks in the U.S. The stacks are located in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Where are phosphate mines located in Central Florida?

This hard-rock phosphate was mined in a region extending from Alachua to Citrus counties. The mining of pebble phosphate began in 1888 in central Florida and in the 1960s in Hamilton County. Today phosphate mining occurs primarily in the central Florida area (Polk, Hillsborough, Manatee and Hardee counties).

How big is the phosphate industry in Florida?

Thus began Florida’s phosphate mining industry. Florida’s phosphate mining today accounts for about 80% of the phosphate used in the United States, as well as about 25% of the phosphate used around the world.

What are the rules for phosphate mining in Florida?

Reclamation standards for phosphate mining are detailed in Part II of Chapter 211, Part II of Chapter 378, Florida Statutes (F.S.) and Chapter 62C-16, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).

How is phosphate used in the United States?

Florida’s phosphate mining today accounts for about 80% of the phosphate used in the United States, as well as about 25% of the phosphate used around the world. The Florida that we know today and the phosphate buried in its earth is a relatively recent product of geologic processes that have been at work for a long time.