The existing commercial sand mine facility sits on 979 acres in Keystone Heights, Florida. Due to state regulatory changes, the facility was required to renew and transfer its permit to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for regulatory approval and oversight. Kleinfelder assisted the client by providing a series of technical evaluations and assessments to support acquisition of the new permit.

Permit Expiration and Changing Conditions

The FDEP Mining and Mitigation Program is the lead state agency that regulates mining within the state of Florida. The client’s existing sand mining operation was permitted under a historical state water management district permit. Over time, the applicable evaluations, data, site characteristics, and regulations had changed, resulting in the need for a new, thorough environmental evaluation in preparation of the new permit.

Renewing, Updating, and Transferring the Permit

In updating the permit, Kleinfelder performed an environmental and habitat assessment that included a review of jurisdictional wetlands and surface waters. As a result of the updated land use mapping, the client was able to recover additional upland areas for mining that had been previously deemed unsuitable for mining.

Updating the permit also required civil and geotechnical engineering services. To reflect current and proposed conditions, modifications were required for the site plan, reclamation plan, and stormwater management design. During the regulatory oversight phase, it was requested that a geotechnical analysis be performed on proposed earthen berm slopes to be created utilizing native material during future mining operations. Kleinfelder performed a slope stability analysis and provided recommendations for berm construction to meet regulatory and functionality requirements.

Kleinfelder is continuing to perform hydrologic, water quality sampling, and state protected wildlife species monitoring on the site.

Project Results

A portion of the scope of services for this project was completed in 2023, and Kleinfelder continues to perform ongoing environmental monitoring work at the facility. The permit was issued in April of 2024, achieving the requisite regulatory updates and increasing mine acreage and mine life by 20 years.

Project Details

Location:
Keystone Heights, FL
Owner:
Vulcan Materials Company