State Senator Don Gaetz and Rep. Nathan Boyles ask property owners affected by the June 8 breach of Florida Power and Light’s Kayak Solar Farm into Wilkinson Creek to attend a community meeting on Monday, August 4, at 6 p.m. at the Holt Fire Department, 483 US-90 in Holt. The meeting is open to the general public.
The state lawmakers have requested that Florida Power and Light, the owners of the Kayak Solar Farm that breached into the creek, present at this meeting FPL’s plans to restore the Wilkinson Creek environment and impacted wetlands, and to prevent any future breach.
Following the destruction on June 8, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s investigation found “significant non-compliance” with state environmental rules at the Kayak site. State environmental officials have been requested by Senator Gaetz and Rep. Boyles to attend the August 4 meeting.
What Happened: A period of intense rainfall—over seven inches in three hours—overwhelmed the infrastructure at the solar farm, causing the berm designed to contain runoff to fail.
- The breach released large amounts of red clay and sediment into Wilkinson Creek, clouding the water and drastically changing the creek’s appearance and ecosystem.
- Wildlife, including otters and turtles, reportedly disappeared from the area soon after the contamination event.
WEAR TV has reported FPL acknowledged the failure, apologized to the community, and committed to restoring the creek and making residents whole. The company is developing a multi-million dollar plan to restore the creek and prevent such incidents in the future.
Remediation and restoration plans have been submitted to FDEP, and work is expected to begin within a month of approval, with FPL pledging to work around the clock until the creek is restored.
- “We are sorry for the inconvenience and stress this is causing,” FPL spokesperson Sarah Gatewood told WEAR TV. “We’re working with FDEP on what those remediation actions need to be.”
