A project seven years in the making, is coming down to its final stages of approval. The Tarmac King Road Mine is a major mining operation requesting permission to dig limestone in Levy County. Levy County's regulations don't allow mining, unless given specific permission. The Tarmac has been working for that permission for years. They need a final stamp of approval from county commissioners, and residents have been fighting if from the very beginning.
A 50 year resident of Inglis, Sally Price, says the environmental impact the mine will have on the county will be huge. She says Tarmac will bring 35 jobs, but that is not an even trade.
Plant Manager for King Road Mine, Jeff Harris, says they've been through every outlet required for moving forward with the mining. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, water use and air permits. They only have a couple more outlets to go before they can start mining.
The Levy County Planning Commission gave it's approval for Tarmac at the beginning of this month in a 4 to 1 vote. Levy County Commissioners will decide on the special exception approval may 3rd at 6:30pm. If approved the mine would operate for 100 years, growing by 25 acres per year.