FDEP emails Available

Some of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s emails regarding the city of Marco Island are now available on the blog for searching. See link on blog’s mast.

On December 3, 2007 this blog made a Florida Statute 119 request for all emails with attachments related to the city of Marco Island.

The purpose of this Freedom of Information (119) request was to ascertain the reasons as to why the FDEP – charged with “protecting our air, water, and land”, did not prosecute the crushing of asbestos in the open, the dumping of asbestos, the pumping of effluent into the waterways and the release of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas into the air which caused hundreds of people to seek medical attention.

After ten (10) months of obfuscation, delay tactics and outright mendacity, the FDEP produced approximately 9,000 emails.

Of these emails, there is a subset that are useless. Many are “newspaper clippings”, many are re-re-re-forwards of emails and some have nothing to do with Marco Island. Hence, approximately 7,500 emails are available for searching.

More disturbing, and in clear violation of the law, is that not all of the emails related to the city of Marco Island have been produced. We know this to be a fact for two reasons:

First, we have emails to and from the FDEP that were not produced. And some emails that were produced are missing the attachments.

Secondly, and the most revealing, is that the FDEP claimed early in the 119-process that the delay was due to a criminal case related to Marco Island, even noting a case number from 2006. The emails make no mention whatsoever of this case.

Nevertheless, the emails are quite revealing. In but one disgusting example, we learn that the public works director had no idea as to the regulatory requirement for testing water when a water main breaks – a water main made with asbestos. In this same exchange, it is revealed that the water – the water consumed by the residents and tourists – had not been tested for four (4) years. Anywhere else that public works director would be fired at the minimum and prosecuted as the norm.

For those very few residents that still care about Marco Island, the FDEP emails are available for your review.

Wishing you (few) the very best of luck.

Stupefying

So let's see if we got this one right:

1. The public works director has no clue as to what the regulatory requirements are for testing water when a pipe breaks - pipes made with asbestos.
2. The city of Marco Island hadn't tested/sampled water that residents consume (and more importantly the tourists) in the previous 4 years.
3. There have been water main breaks on pipes ladened with asbestos and the water was not tested?

What danger exists to the public to ingest asbestos fibers???????????????

Notice the utter disregard for public health and wellbeing - he is more concerned with semantics of the statute threatening public health than actually doing something about it.

And the apologists for the present governance and the related syndicate wonder why there is so much distrust and utter disdain for these irresponsible people.

Unbelievable.
====================================
FW: Fwd(3): asbestos results
Charneski, Mark
To: Hoofnagle, Van
Open in new window

They have had two AC breaks I have requested asbestos samples be collected in recent months.
I was told they were by the operators, now I get this from the utility director...
------
Fri 7/6/2007 8:02:36 AM
Re: Fwd(3): asbestos results
Rony Joel
To: Charneski, Mark

Mark
What "potential to create an imminent and substantial danger to the public health" exists from ingesting asbestos fibers?
Rony
----------------------------------

Thu 7/5/2007 4:28:10 PM
Fwd(3): asbestos results
Rony Joel
To: Charneski, Mark
Cc: Jeffrey Poteet

Mark
At this time we have not sampled since our last reporting sampling program by per regulatory reporting requirement by Fl Water in Nov 2003.
I am looking at the data we previously supplied DEP
Over the next few weeks I hope to better understand what is the regulatory mandate for asbestus sampling.
I will be in your office next Monday and will take the time to visit with you to better understand what are our regulatory obligation to sample
Rony


Mark is asking about the asbestos sampling.

Jeffrey E. Poteet
Marco Island Utilities
(239) 389-5181

----- Original Message -----


----- Original Message -----

Wednesday, July 04, 2007 12:45:55 PM
Message
From: "Charneski, Mark"
Subject: asbestos results
To: Jack Green


Can you please forward the asbestos results from the AC main breaks over the
past few months. Thanks
Mark

Feeling the Heat Yet?

-----Original Message-----
From: Bouffard.Paul@epamail.epa.gov [mailto:Bouffard.Paul@epamail.epa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 5:09 PM
To: Culliver, Sherrill
Cc: Schneider, Sheila
Subject: Fw: FWD: Criminal Tip and/or Complaint - Florida

Sheila:

As you can see this matter has raised its head again. It has come around full circle and this time to us at criminal investigations from Washington D.C. on a lead. Its quite well written as you can see with many of the buzz words related to asbestos. It also suggests that things are time sensitive as it relates to the evidence and the thought that it is about to disappear.

In any case I want to assure we have the bases covered here...lets chat tomorrow morning. I will be on the cell...813-267-0307

Thanks

Paul

-----Forwarded by Paul Bouffard/R4/USEPA/US on 03/16/2006 05:07PM -----

To: Daniel Green/R4/USEPA/US@EPA
From: Ricky Langlois/R4/USEPA/US
Date: 03/16/2006 09:38AM
cc: Paul Bouffard/R4/USEPA/US@EPA
Subject: Fw: FWD: Criminal Tip and/or Complaint - Florida

If this is true, how serious would you rate it?

-----Forwarded by Ricky Langlois/R4/USEPA/US on 03/16/2006 09:37AM -----

To: Ricky Langlois/R4/USEPA/US@EPA, Alina Vazquez/R4/USEPA/US@EPA
From: Patrick Coyne/DC/USEPA/US@EPA
Date: 03/15/2006 05:47PM
Subject: FWD: Criminal Tip and/or Complaint - Florida
03/15/2006

SUBJECT: FWD: Criminal Tip and/or Complaint - Florida
FROM: coyne.patrick@epa.gov
TO: langlois.ricky@epa.gov,vazquez.alina@epa.gov
This information is being provided to you for whatever action you deem appropriate. Please advise this office by April 15, 2006, of the results of any action taken by your office and refer to the above referenced lead number when responding. Please include in your response the lead number assigned to this matter by your office.

Oh Oh ...

-----Original Message-----
From: Potts, Elsa
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 2:39 PM
To: Ahmadi, Abdul; Kleinmann, Keith
Cc: Ziegmont, Chuck; Drew, Richard; Hubbard, Allen
Subject: FW: Marco Island Discharge

Dr Ahmadi and Keith--

Please see attached from EPA. Anything we can do from our end?

-----Original Message-----
From: Johnson.Alenda@epamail.epa.gov [mailto:Johnson.Alenda@epamail.epa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 2:16 PM
To: Ziegmont, Chuck
Cc: Potts, Elsa; Zapata.Cesar@epamail.epa.gov
Subject: RE: Marco Island Discharge

Chuck,

Have these discharges been investigated? We have been receiving
information that the discharges have continued in spite of the NOV
issued. And when the NOV was issued, Rony Joel had asked to meet with
DEP and expressed a belief that the City was in compliance with the
permit. Has DEP reiterated or explained the requirement for NPDES
discharges to Waters of the U.S. and met with the facility to explain
that the discharge is required to cease? Please let me know what
actions have been taken to address this situation and if an
investigation was conducted yesterday as we discussed during our
telephone conversation. Thanks.

Alenda E. Johnson
Senior Enforcement Engineer & Florida Pacesetter
Gulf Enforcement Section
U.S. EPA, Region 4
61 Forsyth Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 562-9761
(404) 562-9729-facsimile
http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/wpeb

"Ziegmont,
Chuck"

dep.state.fl.us> Alenda Johnson/R4/USEPA/US@EPA
cc
11/14/2007 01:30
PM Subject
RE: Marco Island Discharge

Received both emails and forwarded them to our district office. we'll let you know what they find.

The Department of Environmental

Protection values your feedback as a customer. DEP Secretary Michael W.
Sole is committed to continuously assessing and

improving the level and quality of services provided to you. Please take
a few minutes to comment on the quality of

service you received. Copy the url below to a web browser to complete
the DEP

survey:
http://survey.dep.state.fl.us/?refemail=Chuck.Ziegmont@dep.state.fl.us
Thank you in advance for completing the survey.

From: Johnson.Alenda@epamail.epa.gov
[mailto:Johnson.Alenda@epamail.epa.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 12:54 PM
To: Ziegmont, Chuck
Subject: Marco Island Discharge

Chuck,

Here is some video footage I received that was reported to be taken
earlier
today. It looks as if there is currently discharge. Please send
someone out
as soon as possible to investigate this.Thanks.

(See attached file: Amber Dr. 11-14-07 003.avi)(See attached file:
Amber Dr. 11-14-07 004.avi)

(See attached file: Amber Dr. 11-14-07 002.jpg)(See attached file: Amber
Dr.
11-14-07 001.jpg)

Alenda E. Johnson
Senior Enforcement Engineer & Florida Pacesetter Gulf Enforcement
Section
U.S. EPA, Region 4
61 Forsyth Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 562-9761
(404) 562-9729-facsimile
http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/wpeb

Mystery Solved?

Have you ever wondered why the FDEP never has or never will prosecute any of the environmental crimes committed on Marco Island by the City or their operatives?

If you have, this may help you understand. ("Secretary Sole" is Michael Sole - Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection - the agency whose purported mission is to ... protect the environment - and a Crist political appointee).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications

arcmi@comcast.net

To: Iglehart, Jon

Hi Jon,

Hope all is well. As I mentioned previously, I will be leaving for New York and Europe tomorrow and will return to Marco Island on September 25. Since I am not sure of Secretary Sole's plans a) I can be reached via cell phone on 239-207-0016 from August 28 through September 1 and then again from September 20 through the 25th, b) During my stay in Europe Monte Lazarus can be contacted on 239-394-4104 and c) if anything is to be mailed to us while I am out of town it should be sent to Monte Lazarus at 222 Waterway Court, Unit #202, Marco Island, Florida 34145.

Jon, thanks again, and I truly hope that there has been some encouraging progress or words so far.

John Arceri

Money for Marco?

In case you missed the September 29, 2008 announcement “Florida’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grant Awards” by Crist, you may want to entertain how your tax dollars are being spent as “economic catastrophe” looms.

Incredibly true, this author stumbled on the above mentioned “Grant Awards” not from local newspapers (as we if we had any), but when reading a daily intelligence report on the utopia just 20 minutes (by plane) south of us, where the wardens masquerading as rules decried the “Grant Awards” as “institutionalized socialism of corporate debauchery in America” (an idiomatic translation – sounds better in the original language). They ought to know about debauchery and socialism, right?

What is this grant? Well, its only $541million. The funds will be allocated to counties to “purchase foreclosed homes” – purportedly at a discount.

Do you think that the island’s present governance’s incestuous connection with Crist can wrestle some of the $7,306,755.32 allocated to Collier so as to “purchase foreclosed homes” right here on Marco Island? Just think of the economic boon to the city’s one dimensional economy!

Enjoy how your money is being spent!
------------------------------------

Florida’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grant Awards
GOVERNOR’S PRESS OFFICE
850-488-5394

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced $541 million in federal funds coming to Florida will be a welcome boost to Florida’s economy and to Florida communities hardest hit by the national housing crisis. These targeted funds will be used within local communities to purchase foreclosed homes at a discount and to rehabilitate or redevelop them in order to respond to rising foreclosures and falling home values.

Grants are targeted to areas based on the number/percent of foreclosures, subprime mortgages and mortgage defaults and delinquencies. The following Florida local governments will receive funds:

Recipient Amount
Boynton Beach $2,963,311.39
Brevard County $5,269,666.83
Broward County $17,767,588.93
Cape Coral $7,065,483.92
Collier County $7,306,755.32
Coral Springs $3,378,141.82
Deerfield Beach $2,005,699.10
Deltona $6,635,908.82
Escambia County $4,565,917.57
Florida State Program $91,141,477.58
Ft Lauderdale $3,700,096.38
Ft Myers $2,297,318.25
Hialeah $5,385,046.04
Hillsborough County $19,132,978.19
Hollywood $7,534,603.03
Homestead City $2,887,009.65
Jacksonville-Duval $26,175,317.48
Kissimmee $2,371,748.84
Lake County $3,136,967.20
Lakeland $2,005,781.01
Lauderhill $4,293,287.80
Lee County $18,243,867.46
Manatee County $5,283,121.89
Margate $2,106,554.95
Marion County $6,324,054.65
Miami $12,063,702.18
Miami Gardens City $6,866,119.02
Miami-Dade County $62,207,200.11
Miramar $9,312,657.81
North Miami $2,847,088.52
Orange County $27,901,772.52
Orlando $6,730,262.69
Palm Bay $5,208,103.79
Palm Beach County $27,700,339.55
Pasco County $19,495,804.66
Pembroke Pines $4,398,575.04
Pinellas County $8,063,758.60
Plantation $2,016,308.73
Polk County $14,586,258.48
Pompano Beach $4,366,156.92
Port St. Lucie $13,523,132.46
Sarasota County $7,140,861.12
Seminole County $7,019,513.53
St Petersburg $9,498,962.31
Sunrise $3,494,985.59
Tamarac $4,772,218.49
Tampa $13,600,915.02
Volusia County $5,222,831.33
West Palm Beach $4,349,546.00