February 2007
A resident, Cynthia Baker, opposed the $10 million landfill to the Zephyrhills City Council. The council then votes to send a letter to Pasco County voicing concerns.
April 2007
The Dade City Commission voices its opposition to the landfill to Pasco County Commissioners.
May 2007
John Arnold, project manager for the landfill from Angelo’s Aggregate Materials, tells government leaders that the first phase would only cover 92 acres, but could expand to 10 times that. He also says that Angelo’s would collect leachate to promote composting, and convert gas emissions into green energy, although none of those plans are included in application materials. He also promises the landfill would not accept waste from outside Pasco County.
June 2007
Angelo’s gets a setback on another “recycling center” in Tarpon Springs when city leaders there reject the company’s request. More than 250 petitioners in Tarpon Springs opposed a center that would handle construction debris similar to what Angelo’s does in Largo.
July 2007
Publicity materials from Angelo’s describes their Pasco landfill as an “organic composing and recycling” facility.
August 2007
Carl Roth, who opposes the landfill, tells Dade City Commissioners that clay liners in the proposed landfill are guaranteed for just a little more than a year, and then they could fail.
September 2007
Pasco County strikes a deal with Osceola County to ship excess garbage that can’t be handled by the Shady Hills Incinerator there at a cost of $38 a ton over the next 20 years. However, the county could end the deal in September 2011 if it chooses to.
October 2007
A state inspection of an Angelo’s landfill located at Enterprise and Anton roads finds a number of problems, including excessive amounts of unauthorized waste, odor levels beyond what they should be, and that Angelo’s has not substantially followed operations plans.
December 2007
Then State Sen. Victor Crist files legislation that would block landfills from being constructed within one mile of potable water supplies, from the current 3,000 feet buffer that currently existed.
January 2008
Political contributions from Angelo’s, and its parent company, Iafrate Companies, show that some $89,000 had been given to Pasco and statewide politicians in recent election cycles. It included a $4,500 donation to Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Mike Wells, considered quite influential in local politics.
February 2008
A group related to Angelo’s distributes fliers decrying Pasco’s Shady Hills incinerator. Clean Air Florida Now, which distributed the fliers, say they are independent. However, the group acknowledges they received a donation from Angelo’s.
July 2008
Dade City Commission makes formal resolution against landfill.
December 2008
State regulators with the Department of Environmental Protection indicate they are about to approve the landfill, drafting a letter of intent.
January 2009
Pasco County Commissioners express opposition to landfill plan, and intend to prevent it through the rezoning process since the landfill property is in an area zoned agriculture.
DEP decides to wait another month before making a decision. Says it wants more time to review counter-arguments, including the potential for sinkholes in the area that could contaminate the region’s water supply.
February 2009
Engineers who review the property determine that the landfill site is sitting on three ancient sinkholes, and that it has a good chance of creating new sinkholes.
DEP rejects the landfill because of sinkhole concerns, including one cited in a study commissioned by Angelo’s.
The housing market crash greatly reduces the amount of trash expected to hit the Shady Hills incinerator, and the amount of trash shipped to Osceola County is half of what was projected.
March 2009
Angelo’s files appeal of DEP decision. It claims that the in-house geologists the DEP used to make sinkhole determinations were “inexperienced.”
July 2009
Pasco County takes steps to change long-term growth plans and reclassify household garbage landfills to only be built on property zoned for public/semi-public land uses.
That plan of action was approved and put into effect a month later.
December 2010
Administrative judge sides with Pasco County on its ability to designate specific zoning for private landfills.
July 2011
Angelo’s applies for approval to build a 30-acre landfill, with the rest of the 1,000 acres designated as potential future landfill. The company claims there is “low” sinkhole risk at the adjusted, smaller site. Also wants to reduce the clay lining meant to keep leachate from leaking into water supplies from 5 feet to 2 feet.
January 2012
The Florida DEP has been conducting a review of the applicant’s June 2011 landfill permit resubmittal asking for multiple time extensions from the Administrative Law Judge. During some of this time the new leadership in the Department was apparently re-reviewing all the previously submitted application information. A confirmation of the permit denial or a new intent to approve is expected by January 10, 2012.