Florida Department of Environmental Protection Ignores Environment Yet Again

Florida Department of Environmental Protection … Ignores Environment Again

We recall how the EPA took control of the asbestos pulverizing and burying from the FDEP due to their incompetence and negligence and complicity in the violation of the Clean Air Act. We also recall how the FDEP summarily ignored City of Marco Island's pumping toxic effluent into the waterways … until the EPA told them to issue a Notice of Violation.

Hey, guess what? The FDEP is at it again doing what they do best … ignoring environmental contamination. This one near central Florida …

Howdy Randy and Sheriff Benton:

    Randy if you are still working so that sorry outfit DEP, are they and you ready to "dance" again?  Highlands County has a stockpile of ASR (Automotive Shredder Residue) bigger than the Highlands County Government Center out at the Arbuckle Creek Landfill.  I am informed by a very reliable source that the pile is NOT over a liner, has no retaining ponds, no testing of runoff, no testing of groundwater except for the landfill monitoring wells, and Monitoring Well # 20 is showing high results for lead and other heavy metals. I can send some sampling analysis results, but I suspect somebody down in Ft. Myers already has them.

    So, if the DEP response is to send good ole Bill Krumholtz up here to sweep the ASR pile under the rug or into the landfill and then look the other way on possible violations, you might want to think again.  I'm sending the Highlands County Sheriff, her Chief Deputy and the Atlanta EPA a copy of this email.  Any or all are welcome to request further documentation.   You think DEP might send in the "DEP SWAT Team" (Special Way's (to) Avoid Truth) led by you?  It's a good thing I'm not the sarcastic, SOB I was a couple of years ago, right? ;-)

    Let me know what you need for details or documentation.  DEP might try the old Native American (Indian) trick of "checking for themselves" a/k/a "investigating".   

    Should anybody ask... I'm making this complaint to benefit the health and safety of Highland's County Commissioner Barbara Stewart's mother, who is supposed to live out in Lorida.  Documentation of the stockpile already exists, so it will do the County no good to deny it, nor will trying to landfill the ASR pile do them any good, it will just use up more landfill space for another hare brained scheme cooked up down in Ft. Myers.... 

    Oh ya... Happy Thanksgiving to all.... Stay tuned, more to come.... (See what this cool weather brings?)

    PHC