Manatee County officials extend Mosaic’s controversial phosphate mining permit
Mosaic, one of the world’s largest phosphate mining companies, will be allowed to continue its mining operation in Manatee County for another 14 years.
On Wednesday, county commissioners voted 5-2 to approve the extension, with Commissioners Bob McCann and Carol Ann Felts opposed. With the extension, Mosaic can continue mining through 2044 and will need to complete land reclamation by the end of 2055.
The Mosaic Company operates the Four Corners Mine in northeast Manatee, which is the largest phosphate mine in Florida at around 13,000 acres. The mine extends throughout three adjacent counties: Hillsborough, Polk and Hardee.
The company has mined in the area since the 1970s and was previously granted extensions and additional mining tracts. In the extension approved on Wednesday, the Four Corners Mine boundary was also expanded to include the East Duette Tract — an additional 1,162 acres.
Phosphate, a key ingredient in plant fertilizer, is central to Mosaic’s business. The Four Corners Mine, one of the largest phosphate mines in the country, employs about 440 people and generates about 8 million tons per year, the company says.
Public opinions were split on the extension. Some community members praised Mosaic’s contributions to the community, while others spoke broadly about the environmental impacts of mining.
Though the Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny the extension, most county commissioners said they would continue letting a private business continue its operations.
Mosaic seeks more mining in Manatee
Shelley Thornton, Mosaic’s director of land use permitting, told commissioners that the amendment to the company’s mining plan would not include any new disturbances, since the East Duette tract was already approved for mining in 2018.
“The amendment aligns with the operational timeline with already-permitted reserves, and does not include any new mine areas. We are not requesting any new disturbance,” Thornton said. “We are not requesting any areas to be mined that are not currently permitted in Manatee County.”
With the existing plan, Mosaic would have had until 2030 to operate the Four Corners Mine, and then have until 2041 to complete the reclamation.
“This 14-year extension allows us to finish processing the permitted reserves that are immediately accessible to the facility,” Thornton said.
Citizens share mixed opinions about Mosaic
A handful of community members spoke during the meeting, some of whom were in favor of Mosaic.
Carlyn O’Reilly, a Manatee County resident whose husband is an engineer for Mosaic, spoke about the value Mosaic brings in job opportunities for the region.
“The approval of the amendment to the Four Corners master mine permit, and the continuation of the mine’s operation directly impacts the livelihood of not only the Mosaic employees, but also those of local contractors and subcontractors working for Mosaic,” she said.
A Myakka resident of 35 years and the former fire chief of the Myakka City Fire Control District, Dan Cacchiotti, spoke about the community impact that Mosaic has had, like when the company purchased a new fire engine for the district.
“Mosaic has been a long-standing and reliable partner to the Myakka City community, and Manatee County as a whole,” he said. “Beyond providing stable, well-paying jobs and contributing significantly to the county’s tax base, the company has consistently stepped up when our community needed help.”
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There were also some in opposition to Mosaic and the extension. Glenn Compton, chairman of the environmental nonprofit group ManaSota-88, said he worries about the potential environmental risks associated with continuing mining operations for another 14 years.
“The best way to summarize it is, whatever can go wrong, probably will go wrong. Giving a 14-year extension for those probably-will-go-wrong opportunities is just not a good idea for Manatee County,” he said.
Commissioners debate phosphate mining extension
During deliberations, some commissioners said Mosaic should be allowed to continue doing business, especially since the county is not developing that area.
Commissioner George Kruse said the furthest western point of Mosaic’s property is 10 miles away from the Future Development Area Boundary, and 12 miles from the nearest active development.
“At some point in time, we are going to stop (the mining),” Kruse said. “Because at some point in time — and if people in Manatee County have a way, it would be 100 years from now — but, at some point, growth is going to head that way, and we’re going to need you to stop. But that day is not today.”
Commissioner Siddique, who seconded Kruse’s motion to approve the extension, said the matter wasn’t about stopping mining immediately, but rather about letting a business continue to operate.
“It’s really a policy decision of whether we want to allow you to continue mining. I do not see why we should not let you do that,” Siddique said.
For Commissioner Amanda Ballard, the decision was more far-reaching than Manatee County. She said the phosphate mining at the Four Corners Mine has national agriculture implications.
“It’s a big decision, and there is, I think, significant public benefit to literally our entire country to having this mining in our community,” Ballard said. “I do understand that it’s a heavy industry, and there are environmental concerns.”
But those against the extension — McCann and Felts — said they saw no reason why Mosaic could not finish its operations within the original deadline.
“I don’t see anything that you can’t do in this without that 14-year extension,” Felts said. “If you can get it all done without a 14-year extension, why are we asking for a 14-year extension? Because there will be more. And we have to start weaning ourselves from an industry that has consequences.”
Despite opposition from McCann and Felts, the extension passed 5-2, allowing Mosaic to continue mining in Manatee County through 2044.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 5:50 AM.
