November 29, 2006

Honorable K.S. “Butch” Jones, Chairman, District 1
Glades County Board of County Commissioners
PO Box 1018
Moore Haven, FL  33474

Reference:  Glades Power Park

Dear Commissioner Jones:

As you may be aware, in November of last year, the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 to deny the application of Florida Power and Light to site a coal-fired power plant in western St. Lucie County.   The denial was based on the fact that the proposed plant was in direct conflict with several Comprehensive Plan Policies, would have a negative effect on the air quality in St. Lucie County and surrounding counties, and would have a negative effect on traffic within our community due to the delivery of coal to the site and the transport of by-products from the site.

The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners believes that the siting of a coal-fired power plant in Glades County will have the same negative effects on your community as well as ours and others in the area.  At least one-half of the train traffic will still come through our community and could potentially block four major intersections at one time.  The negative air quality effects of a plant of this type will be felt by communities far outside your municipal boundaries.

The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners urges the Glades County Board of County Commissioners to reconsider its support of the siting of a coal-fired power plant in Glades County. 

The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners further urges the Glades County Board of County Commissioners to encourage Florida Power and Light to continue to site power plants that use only clean technology such as gas and/or renewable energy sources.

If we as local governments continue to approve 18th Century technology, we will never be able to clean up and preserve our environment.

If you would like to discuss our concerns in more detail, please feel free to contact me at (772) 462-1408. 

Sincerely,

Chris Craft, Chairman

St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners

c:       Honorable Alvin Ward, Commissioner District 2
          Honorable Paul Beck, Commissioner District 3
          Honorable Russell Echols, Commissioner District 4
          Honorable Robert L. Geisler, Commissioner District 5
          Mr. Wendell Taylor, County Manager
          St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners
          Douglas M. Anderson, County Administrator
          Dan McIntyre, County Attorney
          Vanessa Bessey, Environmental Resources Director