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Dade City Landfill Decision Delayed

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

DADE CITY - State environmental officials will wait one more month to issue a decision on a controversial landfill proposed for eastern Pasco County.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was prepared to issue an opinion Monday on the proposal by Largo-based Angelo's Aggregate Materials but opted to hold off until Feb. 12 to review counterarguments, said Pam Vazquez, spokeswoman for the DEP's Tampa office.

"We continue to get additional engineering and technical data - mostly from the opposition - up to this point," Vazquez said.

The extension was the second since the original Dec. 15 deadline for a decision.

Angelo's wants to build a 995-acre landfill on property it owns near Enterprise and Singletary roads, south of Dade City.

The first phase of the landfill would cover about 65 acres. The company owns a construction debris landfill nearby.

The DEP recently received an analysis of Angelo's proposal commissioned by the Tampa law firm Bricklemyer Smolker & Bolves that was critical of the design of the landfill's liner and collection system for leachate, the polluted rainwater that can seep through landfills.

The Jan. 9 report, which was labeled "private and confidential," was released to the media Monday morning by a public relations firm.

"We want to make certain that everyone knows we're taking in all information," Vazquez said. "We haven't made a decision."

The four-page report was written by Joseph E. Fluet Jr., a civil engineer who has been a consultant on landfill design across the country. Fluet teaches courses in landfill design and construction on occasion at the University of Florida.

Fluet's analysis of Angelo's proposal found fault with the design of the project's leachate collection system, which would have some pipes below the water table.

The report also cited confusion in several aspects of Angelo's file, including the presence or lack of "voids" that could be sinkholes.

In his report, Fluet offered several engineering suggestions for improving the liner that will contain the landfill for decades. He also stated that Angelo's hasn't made a strong case that its proposed household waste landfill is needed.

The 30-day extension applies to construction and operating permits for the landfill. DEP also must issue a third permit for land-clearing and excavation.

When the DEP issues its opinion, known as a letter of intent, and Angelo's publishes that as a public notice, the clock will start on the 14-day period for challenging that decision in front of an administrative law judge in Tallahassee.

Beyond the state's actions, Angelo's must get a land-use change and a conditional-use permit to operate from Pasco County.

County commissioners decided last week to save any challenge to Angelo's proposal for when the facility enters their arena.

Heeding the advice of County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder, commissioners agreed last week to forgo a direct legal challenge to the landfill permit. Steinsnyder said such a challenge would be an expensive uphill battle with little likelihood of success.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201.

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