BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


more than 25 percent ash. Other estimates are much greater (1.75 billion
tons and 6.9 billion tons). These estimates include organic soils whose
ash content exceeds ASTM standards for material defined as peat and
U.S. Department of Energy standards for fuel grade peat.
 The Everglades Agricultural Area was delineated based on scientific
 analysis of soils to determine their suitability as a growth medium. The
 drainage necessary for successful agriculture has been accompanied by
 subsidence primarily because soils are no longer protected from decom-
 posing organisms which require oxygen for their metabolism. Soil loss
 continues to occur at about one inch each year. It is predicted that by the
 year 2000 approximately 250,000 acres in the Agricultural Area will
 have subsided to thicknesses of less than one foot. The fate of soils less
 than one foot thick is uncertain. They may be used for pasture land or
 abandoned for agricultural purposes.
 Peat currently is used in Florida for a variety of horticultural and agricul-
tural purposes. The United States Bureau of Mines reports that in 1982,
120 thousand short tons was produced at a value estimated at 1.575
million dollars. These data reflect voluntary information supplied to the
Bureau of Mines and do not include responses from all of Florida's peat
producers. Most peat sales in Florida are currently wholesale and for
agricultural purposes and are thus exempt from sales tax. Records are
not maintained which detail sales tax on retail sale of peat products
specifically, and thus there is no way of estimating the current tax
income derived from the exploitation of peat resources in the State of
Florida.
 The peat permitting process as it applies to peat mining is complex.
County level permits may be required, although in many cases zoning
regulations are the only regulations which apply to opening a peat mine.
At the state level, the Department of Environmental Regulation and
Water Management Districts containing peat may require permits. The
Department of Community Affairs has jurisdiction over Developments of
Regional Impact (DRI). Certain peat mining operations could come under
federal jurisdiction. The agencies concerned would include the Environ-
mental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.
 The environmental impacts associated with peat mining for energy
purposes depend strongly on the size of the prospective operation. Envi-
ronmental impacts are also site specific. Small operations could consume
approximately 26 acres of peat mined to a depth of 6 feet, over 4 years;
moderate operations could take approximately 3500 acres mined to a
depth of 6 feet, over a 20 year period; and a large operation could require
approximately 125,000 acres of peat, mined to a depth of 6 feet to
operate for 20 years. Peat mining will occur largely in wetlands and the
values of each individual wetland must be weighed against the value of
peat to be removed. The wetland habitat will be severely affected. Fauna
will be displaced and possibly destroyed and flora will be destroyed when
the peatland is cleared for mining. Water quality impacts may be major,
even for small operations, and are related to chemical characteristics of