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Inspectors Find Problems At Angelo's Aggregate Landfill

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By NICOLA M. WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

DADE CITY - The small landfill off Enterprise Road is supposed to be the final resting place for cardboard, carpet and other construction debris.

But during an unannounced visit by state Department of Environmental Protection officials last week, inspectors found 'excessive amounts' of household garbage, 'strong gas odors' and 'poor' cover on top of one of the landfill cells, among other possible violations.

Angelo's Aggregate Materials, the Largo-based company that operates the Class III landfill north of Enterprise Road, has not received any fines or citations as a result of the findings. However, the inspection report could damage the company's campaign to win public support as it vies to build a 90-acre household trash landfill nearby.

Critics cite the DEP report as proof that Angelo's isn't qualified to run a larger, more complicated operation.

'The main takeaway is that it's along the lines of what we believed all along: That they're not really skilled at running a landfill,' said Carl Roth, spokesman for Protectors of Florida's Legacy, a group of mostly east Pasco County residents opposed to the proposed landfill.

'Their abilities as far as cutting costs and things like that show how they operate.'

Angelo's will clean up any problems found by the DEP, said John Arnold, project manager for the landfill. He downplayed, however, some of the noted problems, calling them 'housekeeping issues.'

The report, for example, cited a tire seen through the cover of one of the landfill cells.

Arnold said workers routinely pull out hundreds of tires a day and that one must have gotten through.

'It is normal. It's within what's allowed by the rules,' he said. 'We know the department will give us a fair review when we get all the facts, and we're going to review them and take it from there.'

DEP spokeswoman Pamala Vazquez said the department takes any violations seriously.

'Any time we find a facility that has possible violations, and that means it's not in compliance with its permit, it's serious,' she said.

DEP inspectors found toys, comforters and sheets, clothing, shoes, food containers and bottles and an Igloo cooler.

They also found a used oil filter and patches of erosion.

In their Oct. 15 report, inspectors checked 'Not OK' to several questions, such as, 'Are only permitted wastes disposed at the facility?' and 'Is the operation plan substantially followed?'

DEP officials visit all Class III landfills three times a year.

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.

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