Use facts, not fiction, to gauge phosphate industry

The Feb. 28 guest column by organic farmer John Rehill disparaging Florida's phosphate industry misled Tribune readers. Unfortunately, phosphate mining opponents like Rehill, who neglected to mention that he is a plaintiff in litigation against Mosaic, often use false information or misconceptions about the industry to advance their agenda with an uninformed public.

In our modern society, freedom of speech allows anyone to say virtually anything ... but that doesn't mean it's true. When opponents of today's phosphate industry are held accountable to verifiable facts - as opposed to anecdotal claims and outdated perceptions based on events of a half-century or more ago - they face a much higher hurdle.

Some facts Rehill overlooked or misrepresented:

• There are no gypsum stacks at phosphate mines.

• Through extensive water conservation programs, the industry has reduced water usage by 75 percent since the early 1970s and continues to find new ways to conserve.

Mining operations recycle more than 95 percent of the water they use, and fertilizer manufacturing facilities recycle more than 90 percent.

• Mosaic's proposed water use permit before the Southwest Florida Water Management District includes a voluntary 25 percent reduction of permitted quantities, achieved by improving the ways we manage our water.

•Mosaic reclaims land at the same rate we mine it, last year alone investing more than $53 million in our land reclamation activities.

•Every acre we mine is reclaimed, and any disturbed wetlands are reclaimed on an acre-for-acre, type-for-type basis as required by environmental regulations.

•Our reclamation practices have received national recognition for their innovation and effectiveness.

•We've placed thousands of acres of sensitive lands and floodplains within our mine areas under permanent conservation easements.

These lands will be protected from development activity for all future generations.

•Our operations are open and transparent, hosting educational tours for more than 1,000 Florida citizens each year.

• Mosaic sees beyond the mining of the land and works to identify post-reclamation land uses that provide benefits to local communities as well as protection of vital habitats.

•The phosphate industry operates under some of the most stringent regulations of any industry in our state, with oversight at the local, state and federal levels.

•Our company alone invests more than $5 million every year back into our local communities, providing needed funding as well as employee volunteers for charitable organizations.

•Our major contribution to the local and state economy includes more than $75 million in taxes paid in 2009 alone.

•According to a Port of Tampa study, the phosphate industry is responsible for more than 67,000 jobs in the greater Tampa Bay region.

Early this month, the quality of our reclamation, water conservation efforts and corporate citizenship earned international recognition.

Mosaic was ranked 45th in Corporate Responsibility Magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for 2010.

The magazine evaluates more than 300 data points on the companies composing the Russell 1000 Index, ranking them based upon several categories including environment, climate change, philanthropy and transparency.

Despite what opponents like Rehill might claim, this ranking is no mistake. It is based upon an objective review of our business and conduct.