DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
The Mosaic Co. (MOS) said Saturday it will appeal a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida granting an injunction against the company expanding its South Fort Meade phosphate mine, the company announced. The company will hold a conference call on Monday to discuss its plan.
The ruling Friday evening by a federal district court judge in Jacksonville, Fla., found that the Sierra Club and local environmental groups had demonstrated a "substantial likelihood of success" in their case against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The groups are arguing that the Corps issued a permit for the 10,856-acre expansion into wetlands in violation of the Clear Water Act.
The lawsuit was filed in late June, and a temporary restraining order was issued July 1. Mosaic has warned that if the judge extended the restraining order until the case went to trial, that it could have to lay off the mine's 221 employees and close the mine. The mine represents a third of the fertilizer company's phosphate mining capacity and provides the raw material for three Mosaic factories in Florida.
According to the company's statement on Saturday, "This ruling may impact Mosaic's workforce, including the layoff of up to 221 employees, as previously announced, after the expiration of the 60-day notice period provided under the federal Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) Act."
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