Box 300, 15843 Southeast 78th Street, White Springs, Florida 32096 | (386) 397-8101
Keith Thornton, General Manager | E-mail Keith

Operations

White Springs mines phosphate ore and refines it into phosphate rock. It has a capacity of 3,968 thousand tons of phosphate rock, 1,065 thousand tons of phosphoric acid and 410 thousand tons of phosphate feed. The chemical operations produce 10 products.

Significant Events

White Springs personnel successfully completed Suwannee River Prayon plant conversion.

White Springs achieved one million hours without a lost-time incident on August 6, 2006.

Community Relations

White Springs holds a variety of meetings each year with municipal and county officials. It participates in a Technical Working Group and a Planning Working Group with the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners; each met once in 2006. The Technical Working Group discussed mining operations, dragline moves and environmental issues. The Planning Working Group focused on ways PCS can assist as a business partner in economic growth and development in Hamilton County.

The plant also hosted a Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce tour and mixer, a Florida Forestry Program for local landowners and a local 4H Day Camp.

Community Contributions

White Springs contributed $107,889 to community social initiatives in the local tri-county area. Much of this went to the United Way of Suwannee Valley campaign. Other donations went to educational support activities, recreation initiatives and local community activities.

In-kind contributions to the community totaled $26,997. Beneficiaries included Hamilton County Recreation Department, Covenant Community School, Lake City Community College, Suwannee-Hamilton Technical Center and Hamilton County High School.

Education Partnerships

White Springs has partnered with Hamilton County High School to implement a vocational job exploration program, now in its third year.

It is also active with the educational foundations of Lake City Community College and North Florida Community College.

White Springs personnel participate on a number of school advisory councils and vocational education advisory boards.

Awards

In 2006, the Swift Creek mine received an Outstanding Mine award for 2005 from the Sentinels of Safety program.

Environmental Initiatives

One of White Springs environmental goals is to reclaim as many acres as it mines each year. While rates vary from one year to the next over the last ten years, the site has reclaimed 7,836 acres and mined 6,421 acres.

Local Procurement

The total cost of goods, materials, and services purchased locally in 2006 (excluding raw materials and energy) was $56.7 million, which represents 53 percent of total procurement.