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Honeywell seeks cleanup help
The company wants a so-called brownfield designation to help ease the handling of a contaminated site.
By AMBER MOBLEY
Published July 23, 2006
EGYPT LAKE - Honeywell is trying to get state support to help it clean up a local plant site it contaminated and deserted decades ago. The company is seeking a brownfield designation for its former site near the southwest corner of the intersection of W Waters and N Himes avenues. The designation would give the corporation the chance to seek state tax breaks on the decontamination and redevelopment of the property. Hillsborough County has scheduled a public hearing on the matter at 6 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria of Egypt Lake Elementary School, 6707 N Glen Ave. Honeywell - a maker of defense, transportation and electronics components - polluted the soil, groundwater and a nearby lake from 1965 to 1983 with chemicals, including one that irritates skin and may cause cancer. How the 21.48-acre site should be cleaned has been a point of legal contention for years between Honeywell, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and David Simon of the Simon Family Trust, which owned and leased the land to Honeywell. Honeywell has spent about $15-million cleaning the site, pumping and treating groundwater 24 hours a day, seven days a week since 1983 as well as other treatments, according to Honeywell spokeswoman Victoria Streitfeld. Last September, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ordered Honeywell to come up with decontamination plans by the end of 2008. Honeywell challenged the order the next month. Simon argued for years that Honeywell hasn't done nearly enough to decontaminate the site, making it impossible to sell or lease. Honeywell bought the property from the Simon Trust on June 20, which consequently ended his legal battle with the company. According to the county, Honeywell will continue its ongoing efforts to decontaminate and redevelop the site as it applies for brownfield status. Amber Mobley can be reached at 813 269-5311 or amobley@sptimes.com.
[Last modified July 22, 2006, 20:07:39]
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