HomeMy WebLinkAbout9.14.06 Handout(~~.lnt. ~~ c}1
4-9'-~
Pruitt slams
expansion
of port cargo
By JIM REEDER
Palm Beach Post StaljWiites
State Sen. Ken Pruitt, R Port St.
Lucie, has added his political muscle
against cargo expansion at the port of
Fort Pierce.
He urged Gov Jeb Bush and
Cabinet members to reject an appli-
cation by Lloyd Bell and Michael
Ravelo to use state-owned river bot
tom for increased cazgo operations at
the port '
`The debate to expand or not to
expand cazgo operations at the port
has polarized this community far too
long," Pruitt wrote in Wednesday's
letter. "It is time to move on with ini-
tiativesthat unite our committee, not
continue to divide it"
He said local officials and resi-
dents have a vision for the area to be
a major player in biotechnology, re-
search and education and to incor=
porate protection of natural resourc-
es in creating a strong economic de-
velopmentenvironment '
"Frankly, this vision does not in-
clude expanded cazgo operations. at
the port," Pruitt wrote: "In fact, any
cargo expansion would negate the
work being done to realize that vi-
See PORT. 5B -~
State DEP urges study of land lease
- PORT from 1B
sion."
Bell and Ravelo want to
moor barges over state-
owned river bottom to land
and unload cazgo that could
include construction materi-
als and grain.
Bell was surprised Friday
when told about the letter.
"That's news to me," he
said. "I don't know a thing
about it" '
Pruitt is scheduled to be-
come Senate president in
November.
Opponents said in-
creased cargo operations
could damage the environ-
ment and create another
eyesore in an area they hope
will be developed for megay-
acht services, hotels and
other businesses.
The state
Department
of Environ-
~.~ ~ mental Pro-
tection rec-
`'" ommended
that the land
lease be ap-
proved at a
Prult~ Expand- Cabinet meet
ed cargo oper- ing ~ eazly
ations not in vi- August, . but
Sion for area. withdrew the
application
from the agenda after a large
contingent of St. Lucie
County officials and residents
opposed the lease at a Cabi-
net aides meeting.
The agency asked for
more study and has resched-
uled it for the November
Cabinet meeting.
Opponents have -prom-
ised they'll travel to Talla-
hassee again.
They told Cabinet mem-
bers' aides that cargo opera-
tions are not included in the
port master plan app>oved by
the county -and Fort Pierce
commissions.
Opponents also said the
lease should not be approved
until Bell and ]Zavelo submit
plans for use of the upland
property.
Pruitt recently joined en-
vironmentalists inopposing a
plan to take sand from the
ocean along the Treasure
Coast to renourish beaches
in the Miami area.
He said he would try to
block the use of any state
money for the sand transfer.
The Army Corps of Engi-
neers quickly dropped that
proposal because of opposi-
tion from Pruitt and area
residents.
®jim_reedei@ptipost.com