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Education, Communication Keys To Fight

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By JODI WILKESON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following refers to a community meeting held in Dade City last month about the landfill Angelo's Aggregate Materials wants to build outside Dade City.

As the former chair of the City of Zephyrhills' Planning Commission, my voting history demonstrates that I am a strong proponent of individual property rights and, in general, a staunch supporter of smart development. In my relatively new role as councilwoman, I am working to assist city leaders and our county's economic development staff in their efforts to attract "clean" industry to our community and generate jobs for Pasco residents.

Our laws encourage property owners to develop their land to its highest and best use, so long as their proposed projects comply with comprehensive land use regulations, any variations from such are approved by the governing authorities, and the use is determined to serve the "public interest." This concept of service to the "public interest" is a highly subjective matter and requires your elected officials to interpret and make sound judgments to the best of their ability, based on the information presented.

The permit application and the associated review process for the landfill project have been under way since 2006. It became very clear to me, during this meeting, that Angelo's has invested a significant amount of time, effort and money in its attempts to comply with the requirements for the design and methods of construction to obtain approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection for an undertaking such as this. The DEP has the responsibility of determining that the proposed methods of construction proposed for the project meet the applicable regulations and that provisions are made for cleanup when the landfill is abandoned or has reached the end of its useful life. It is my understanding that the DEP cannot deny the application without justifiable cause. But, part of the approval process is informing the public of their progress and addressing citizens' concerns. This is your chance to be heard.

Every person with whom I have discussed this matter, be it city or county resident, is opposed to this new landfill project. Even though the proposed location is several miles from the Zephyrhills' city limits, this issue could adversely affect many of us. I strongly encourage you to educate yourselves about the potential risks associated with this project.

Contact your county commissioners and communicate, in writing, your position regarding this matter. They have a tough row to hoe. Our laws support Angelo's right to pursue this project, but if our elected officials can demonstrate they are compelled to deny approval as a result of their constituents' overwhelming opposition, they are better able to defend their actions. And there will be a fight. As long as there is relatively cheap land on which wealthier communities can dump their waste, we are at risk.

I can only hope my sons are beginning to realize the connection between our family rules about recycling, their actions and the potential consequences. I encourage everyone to take a few steps in reducing one's own personal household garbage. Create a compost pile in your backyard for vegetable peels and other organic food waste. Participate in local recycling programs or carry your recyclables to bins in your community. Only then can we wholly defend a position of "not in my backyard."

The writer is a Zephyrhills city councilwoman.

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