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Error at landfill means tests must be redone
By JORGE SANCHEZ HOMOSASSA -- State health officials on Wednesday said a mistake in collecting soil samples at a controversial landfill means that after 2 1/2 years of study, they can't say whether fly ash from the topsoil is posing a health hazard to people who live nearby. In a lengthy report outlined during two public meetings, Florida Department of Health officials said much more testing is needed to properly evaluate the existence of a public health threat at the Materials Exchange Corp. Landfill on Grover Cleveland Boulevard. The Department of Health conducted two new health assesments at the 142-acre landfill, which accepts construction and demolition waste. One assesment tested the soil and water; the other tested the air. Residents say the landfill's topsoil is contaminated with fly ash, a waste material from the Florida Power Corp. energy complex north of Crystal River. Approximately 1.25-million tons of coal fly ash is buried in a 30-acre pit in the center of the landfill. The fly ash was dumped there from 1980 to 1990, before the landfill was converted to accept construction and demolition debris. The fly ash pits are covered with soil, but residents said fly ash residue from outgoing dump trucks, which did not cover their nearly empty beds, left behind a layer of fly ash on the topsoil. The buried fly ash is leaching into the underground water supply, they say. There was a problem with the soil sample procedure, however, that made it impossible to determine the amount of fly ash. The samples, collected by the state Department of Environmental Protection, stirred up the first 2 feet of topsoil before the sampling. "That kind of dilutes the first 3 inches of topsoil, which is what we needed for a proper test," said Connie Garrett, an environmental specialist with the state Department of Health. Garrett said the mistake was her fault because she didn't properly analyze the DEP's soil sample procedure beforehand. She said the entire process must be repeated, and the first step is to obtain funding from the DEP. When asked how long it would take, Garrett said: "It's a lengthy process. I really don't know." Obviously, the news did not sit well with area residents, who have long complained about a bad smell and who say there is groundwater and soil contamination from the landfill. Many residents repeated their requests that a full-depth core sample be taken at the landfill. "That's the only way you'll ever find out for sure what's in there," said resident David Bertine. "Show us the reports from a core sample, and we'll accept that." Residents also complained that the air samples were adversely affected by the severe drought. They said wallboard dumped at the landfill needs rain to decompose and form a bad odor. The state health officials, who have no enforcement power over the landfill, recommended further soil, air and water sample testing over the next five years. At the meeting, Sean Crosley, a former employee at the landfill, said he saw medical waste, such as used syringes and intravenous bags, dumped at the site and that the county worker hired to inspect the landfill every Monday was lax. Crosley said he worked as a compactor operator and load inspector at the mine for 18 months. County Commissioner Gary Bartell said he will request a study, but he was skeptical of the charges. "I've been involved with that landfill for many years, and this is the first I've ever heard of something like that," Bartell said. "And I've responded out there to smell the air whenever people called. I've staked out the landfill at 3 in the morning when they said a secret convoy of dump trucks was coming in. Nothing has ever panned out. "The only way people will be happy is if the landfill is closed," Bartell said. "We (county commissioners) tried to close it, but we couldn't. It's up to DEP now."
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