By Ryan Thomas Family

This rebuttal was written to clear up rumors, innuendos, and false information circulating about the 3RT Sand Mine operation. For those of you who are not farmers, it is common practice to cut down hills to increase farm productivity. We level the land by pushing topsoil to the side, in this case, we work in a 20-acre block to remove excess sand, then recover with the overburden. As stated in the special exception request, we work in 20-acre blocks, one at a time.  After the sand is dug, we return the topsoil that was pushed to the side to fill in the gap before proceeding to the next 20-acre block; hence why the permit is for so many years. Upon completion, the land will be planted in grass for grazing and/or hay production.

Fact vs Fiction – Points of Interest

Sabal Trail Lawsuit:

• Sabal Trail initially sued The Thomas family, hence why the filing is named “Sabal Trail v. Ryan Thomas & Thomas Trust.” Ryan Thomas was listed as the defendant in this case.
• We fought to keep intruders off our personal property.
• Sabal Trail removed trees that we kept to preserve the pond, and the natural landscape and provide a natural buffer.
• There were other long-lasting damages to cropped areas immediate and long term with irrigation, etc., some of which cannot be discussed publicly.
• Per Sabal Trail Engineering, they are in the process of ensuring that all requirements and safety precautions are met to meet the requirements of heavy farm equipment and trucks

Permit Name vs Project Name:

• Permits were filed under the landowner Ryan Thomas.
• “3RT Sand Mine” is only the project name, which voids speculation that any “permits should be killed because it’s filed under a fictitious name.”
• SWFWMD & DEP approved permits in 2022 which would have allowed the digging of sand to commence without county approval.  3RT Sand Mine meets all the rules and regulations as well as all the legal requirements placed on it.

Rosemary Hill Observatory – No Effect:

• 3RT is following recommendations of the county: there will be NO sand pit night operations (excluding regular agricultural operations with pivots, tractors, etc.) The operation would be M-F, during daylight hours, meaning no light pollution from the mine. The housing surrounding the observatory would cause more light pollution than the sand pit.
• “Dust Pollution” If that was such a devastating issue as the nay-sayers suggest, they would have already had damages due to farming/disking fields regularly and peanut harvesting practices.
• The sand pit would only be dug 20 acres at a time, preventing mass dust. Additionally, there will be NO silica dust extracts. There are several differences between silica sand and regular sand.

Additional Information:

• The sand pit encompasses 404 acres out of 1200 acres, which provides buffers from surrounding neighbors.
• Ryan Thomas applied for an exception and met ALL requirements listed by the Levy County Planning Commission and MORE.
• Thomas was misled regarding access to county roads. Initially, he was under the impression that CR 103 or his easement to SR 27 was sufficient.
• The sand pit would be following any & all restrictions/requirements set by the DEP, SWFWMD, with county oversight.
• Under state statutes, could legally mine sand under agriculture and use CR 103 for access with no permit (under agriculture exemption).
• Noise pollution will not be any more of an issue than it presently is when farm equipment is being used.  There will be NO blasting and no night operations.

Sand Mines Within 2 Miles of Proposed Site

• Four mines have been in operation for over ten years before the 3RT mine began its permitting process. All those mines have access to CR 102 and CR 337.
• If the existing mines are allowed to use CR 337, 102, and SR 27, but Ryan Thomas cannot because it was deemed “too dangerous” it would be a case of blatant discrimination.
• There is one rock mine, and five sand mines closer to Rainbow Springs watershed than 3RT mine. 

Environmental Accomplishments and Accreditations

• Award for Outstanding Cooperator 2004 from Levy County Soil and Water Conservation District
• United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service participant since 2006
• Awarded This Farm CARES designation (County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship) by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation June 2013
• Active participant in Levy County Soil and Water Conservation District BMP (Best Management Practices) for Water Quality/Quantity since April 2013
• Utilizes precision agriculture techniques to minimize the use and increase the efficacy of fertilizer application
• Ryan Thomas – Bachelor of Science Degree from University of Florida College of Agriculture in May 1998 with a major in Food Resource Economics and a minor in Environmental Science

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Posted February 1, 2024