The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has sent a warning letter to the operator of the Heart of Florida landfill, citing concerning violations at the facility that have long worried Sumter County residents.
The letter cites a recent inspection at the landfill, which is located near Lake Panasoffkee but falls within the Bushnell city limits.
During the inspection, FDEP personnel noted the following issues:
- Unapproved dumping methods: The landfill has changed how it unloads garbage from trains to trucks, dumping waste directly onto the active pile instead of the designated drop-off zone. This operational change was never officially approved in the facility’s operating plans.
- Missed contamination tests: The landfill failed to conduct required follow-up water testing after unusually high levels of contaminants were found during a routine check in February. The facility is now mandated to launch an immediate evaluation monitoring program.
- Understaffing: There are not enough employees actively monitoring the incoming garbage. State officials are concerned this lack of staffing means unauthorized or hazardous materials could easily be dumped without being inspected or caught.
- Toxic leaks: Toxic landfill runoff, known as leachate, appears to be leaking into the site’s stormwater system. Inspectors noted that the facility’s leachate collection system is poorly maintained, leading to potential ongoing contamination releases on the property.
- Lack of transparency: The operator failed to give the state its required seven-day advance notice before conducting a pressure test on June 14.
The leaking leachate is particularly concerning, as the landfill operator has been pushing for a deep injection well at the facility. Sumter County officials and area residents are worried about the injection well and what it could do to the local water supply.
The Heart of Florida injection well would be used to dispose of the leachate, or runoff, from the landfill. Without the 3,200-foot-deep well, the landfill is forced to truck the leachate to wastewater treatment plants out of the area.