MONTURA RANCH, Fla. — People living in Montura Ranch are pushing back against a mining project that would reshape more than 1,300-acres of land off County Road 833 for the next 100 years.
As Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski works in this area every day, so he talked to residents about why they’re fighting this.
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The 1,330-acre sand mine would run from Orange Gate Road to Java Avenue, extracting sand for construction for the next century. But for Chris Self, it’s about more than just land - it’s about protecting the community he’s called home for decades.
“I was born and raised here in Montura. We own a local business that’s been here since ’76. We always look out for the best interests for the community,” he said.
Self is worried about what this project would mean for local roads and safety. If approved, it could add up to 240 dump truck trips a day.
“It’s going to be a guarantee that someone is going to end up dying at the hands of a driver. We hate to say it like that but we know that,” Self said.
Self also worries about chemicals and pesticides getting stirred up and seeping into wells. Then, there’s the endangered panthers he sees around Montura. The Florida Wildlife Commission says 90% of panther deaths are caused by vehicles.
“There’s always the potential for a lot of panthers to start traveling across 833,” said Self. “With the amount of traffic there’s a lot higher chance of them getting hit.”
Schargorodski reached out to the mining company, E.R Jahna Industries, to ask about these concerns, but declined to comment. However, the county commission’s agenda says an independent review found the project isn’t likely to impact wells or groundwater.
Self says Montura Ranch residents started a petition against the project, which received more than 100 signatures. Back in October, Schargorodski reported how people in Fort Denaud successfully fought back against a similar project, and the county voted it down.
Self said he hopes for the same outcome in Montura.
“I hope they hear our concerns and take them as seriously as they did in Alva, you know,” said Self.
