Environmental Engineering and the Mining Industry in Florida

Environmental Engineering and the Mining Industry in Florida It’s a little known fact that Florida’s share of mineral commodities ranks fourth among the states. In fact, Florida is the nation’s top phosphate rock mining state with an output that’s about six times higher than the next most productive state and constitutes about 75% of the U.S. and 25% of the world’s supply of the valuable. What to Look for in an Environmental Engineering Firm When a mining company seeks consultation from an environmental engineering firm, it must choose a company with a depth of knowledge about the surrounding geology as well as the local mining industry itself. In Florida and the Southeastern United States, mining companies have relied upon the expertise of HSA Golden since 1989 to obtain environmental, health and safety compliance for all exploration, construction and mining production. Following are just a few of the qualifications that environmental engineering firms such as HSA Golden should offer a mining company:

1. A staff of engineers and geologists with many years of experience with local geological and hydro-geological projects.
2. A history of forging strong relationships with local regulators along with a great deal of permitting and monitoring experience.
3. The environmental engineering firm must be able to provide a full range of mining development services including site selection and feasibility studies, geological/mineral resource studies, design and permitting expertise, water use permitting, and construction management. These services are particularly critical during site selection and reclamation planning stages.

The list of services an environmental engineering firm might provide on a particular mining project can be exhaustive. For example, when asked to design and permit a sand mine and a 30-acre construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfill for Lake Environmental Resources, HSA Golden conducted community meetings, installed shallow and deep monitoring wells, prepared annual sand mine reports, obtained County and State stormwater and solid waste permits, and testified at an administrative hearing as an expert witness in support of a permit application. And this is just a snapshot of all the services HSA Golden has performed for the client.  Its ongoing work includes groundwater and gas sampling and reporting under Rule 62-701, Florida Administrative Code. For more information about HSA Golden and its breadth of expertise and experience in mining operations and other aspects of environmental engineering, please visit HSAGolden.com.