Willie Lawrence, a World War II and Korean War veteran, was out of breath when walked up to podium, as was Lafanette Soles-Woods when she also took the same long steps from seat in the Escambia County Commission chambers to the microphone. Ms. Soles-Woods, a fellow veteran, is a 12-year survivor of breast cancer and has had triple-bypass surgery. Recently she was diagnosed with coronary artery disease.
They both were compelled to speak out for the sake of their families, friends and neighbors in the Wedgewood community in their battle to shut down and clean up the dumps near their homes (Inweekly, “A Shame Before God,” June 26).
State Representative Mike Hill set up the town hall to give Mr. Lawrence, Ms. Soles-Woods, and others the latest updates on what was happening with the landfills in the Wedgewood area. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Escambia County Health Department and the county’s senior scientist reported on the status of court hearings, remediation plans and the results of water and air quality tests.
DEP’s Shawn Hamilton reported that South Palafox Properties, operator of the Rolling Hills C&D Recycling Facility, will have hearing beginning on Dec. 9 regarding the agency’s efforts to revoke its permit. The company was cited by DEP because it has allegedly failed to contain foul odors, contaminated surface water, polluted the air, accepted unauthorized waste and committed several other violations. The entire process to close the facility could take up to six months.
Dr. John Lanza, head of the Escambia County Health Department, said that he will hold a town hall meeting in January, when the lab results are in, to discuss a draft report on the toxicity of the water and air in the Wedgewood area.
“Chips†Kirschenfeld, the county’s senior scientist in charge of Water Quality & Land Management, confirmed that hydrogen sulfide levels have exceeded odor thresholds 64 percent of the days since the testing began last summer. Fifty-eight percent of those days it hit the intermediate threshold and 28 percent of those days were at acute exposure levels.
The audience wanted to know if anything could be done to shut down Rollings Hills any sooner. Rep. Hill explained that the process established by Florida law must be followed, or the pit owners could tie up years any efforts to close and remediate the site.
That was a difficult message to deliver to people who have to continue to live next to those dumps.