MUSE, Fla — You don’t have to look far to see how people feel about a sand mine possible coming to Muse - “no Muse mine” signs dot CR-731 where the mine would go. People living there worry that if there’s a mine, the dump trucks rolling through will bring a whole lot of problems.
As Hendry County’s Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski is often in the area covering these rural communities - that’s why a Glades County woman knew to call him when she was concerned for her neighborhood.
Click to hear what Austin and Yvonne Doll talked about:
A new mine could send heavy dumps trucks down CR-731 for the next five years. Yvonne Doll has lived on the road for more than a decade and says she knows what this area can handle - and what it can’t.
“So Yvonne, tell me what led you to reaching out to me,” Schargorodski asked.
“I know that you have experience with other sand mines going into the area, and voicing the concerns of the citizens of those communities,” Doll replied.
Doll said those concerns range from property value impacts, noise pollution, to road damage. But one stands above the rest - safety, for drivers and for students at West Glades School, where the trucks would pass by daily.
“Our roadways weren’t built for the heavy truck traffic that is expected. There are not shoulders on the road,” said Doll.
Doll said she and her community have been speaking out at recent Glades County Commissioners Meetings and have a petition against the mine that has received more than 200 signatures.
However, if the mine does get approved, Doll says there’s one change that could make a big difference. “Keep the mines off our county roads,” said Doll. “Keep them to the state roads where they belong.”
I took Doll’s concerns to the mining property owner and their land-use planner, who say they understand why residents are speaking out. They say they actually withdrew their application after the county passed stricter mining rules - and now they’re trying to figure out if this project can even move forward.
They say hearing these concerns early on gives them a chance to address issues before submitting a new plan. Right now, they say they’re assessing the roads, looking into potential improvements, and planning community meetings to make sure resident’s continue to have a say.
Schargorodski took this info back to Doll. Over Zoom, she said while she’s relieved to hear their voices are being heard, she still questions whether anything could truly ease the impacts a mine would have.
“I’m not sure it’s something the community of Muse is interested in. Because of our quiet country living, I’m not sure where a sand mine fits into that,” said Doll.
