On February 12, 2009 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued an “Intent to Deny” memorandum concerning the proposed private Class 1 landfill in Eastern Pasco County adjacent to the Green Swamp. HOWEVER, immediately after this, the landfill applicant has petitioned the Florida Department of Administrative Hearings for a judicial court date with the intention to overturn this decision. As a result a final decision has NOT been made at this time to formally deny, or more ominously, potentially approve the landfill.

So for all folks who have followed or been involved with this issue since 2006, we can NOT yet breathe a sigh of relief. Here’s what has been happening since the “Intent to Deny” was issued:

April 2009: Original Administrative Hearing scheduled for September 21 to October 9, 2009 in Tampa. Participants currently involved opposing the applicant for the hearing include:

• Florida DEP
• Protectors of Florida’s Legacy
• WRB Enterprises
• Nestle Waters North America
• Crystal Springs Preserve
• City of Tampa
• City of Zephyrhills

August 2009: Original Administrative Hearing rescheduled to March 1 to 19, 2010 in Tampa due to changes with the applicant’s permit submittal. The applicant can essentially make any changes to their earlier submittals in order to persuade the Administrative Hearing Judge to overrule the Florida DEP’s “Intent to Deny”.

November 2009: Applicant submitted updated plans to Florida DEP revising initial landfill plans from 90 to 30 acres on the 1069 acre property.

December 2009: Hearing participants are finally able to tour the proposed landfill property. Independent landfill and hydro-geological experts note the high risk at the site for a landfill.

January 2010: Applicant submitted an updated conditional land use request to Pasco County for the proposed landfill.

February 2010: Administrative Hearing now rescheduled to no earlier than January 2011 due to the applicant’s concern that their new landfill engineering submittals are still insufficient and would be denied.

May 2010: Applicant files lawsuit against Pasco County to override rules requiring them to obtain a comprehensive plan change versus conditional land use approvals for the proposed landfill.

The Issue

Imagine a picturesque rural area lined with orange orchards, fields and the Green Swamp. Now add a 220-foot pile of trash that occupies 1,069 acres in the middle of that scene. It makes for a very unpleasant picture. But that’s exactly the scene that Angelo’s Aggregate Materials wants to bring to rural Pasco County.

This inexperienced private company has never operated this type of facility before. Their landfill would not only damage the surrounding community but could put our drinking water supplies at risk. And it’s not just Pasco that would suffer the consequences. The Green Swamp basin feeds the Withlacoochee and Hillsborough rivers, and the Swamp is only about a mile from this proposed site. The entire region is at risk.

Who we are

We are the Protectors of Florida's Legacy. Our group is made up of long-time residents, property owners and concerned parents. We believe that, as a community we need to make decisions that benefit the community and the region. In keeping with that belief, we feel obligated to oppose a privately owned Class 1 landfill along the Green Swamp Basin. This project is more than a threat to the community. It impacts the entire region.

Business and residents near the landfill can expect to see their property values drop. Landfills bring an increase in traffic problems, odors and vermin.

But most importantly, it’s not good for our environment.

Placing a landfill in an area that has experienced sinkholes—and is near an area of critical State concern such as the Green Swamp—is a bad idea. It puts our local and regional drinking water supplies at risk. This is because the swamp feeds the Hillsborough and Withlacoochee Rivers, which provide water to a number of downstream communities/suppliers, such as the City of Tampa and Tampa Bay Water.

This isn’t just a local problem, it is a regional one. Anything that happens in this area has the potential to impact the entire region’s water supply as well as wildlife along our rivers. We need your support to show our local, regional and state officials that a landfill is not in the region’s best interest.

Click here to listen to
Carl' Roth's interview with 970 WFLA

Click here to listen to
Carl' Roth's interview with Rob Lorei