DPW Cleanup Bill Exceeds $2M

Following concerns raised by the state, more money is being poured into the cleanup of the county's contaminated former public works compound, raising the bill to more than $2 million.
And a concerned community member is asking for an immediate halt to interim cleanup operations at the site until the state sends someone out to inform the residents of what's going on.
Work crews Monday were digging up some of the contaminated soil at 201 West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, near the Mitchell Heights subdivision.
That doesn't sit well with Richard Howell, chairman of the Health Awareness and Mitchell Heights Restoration Board Inc.
"We believe there are serious 'hot spots' that they are digging up," said Howell, who has helped lead a citizens' chorus of criticism about the county's perceived foot-dragging at the site.
These "hot spots" are areas of contamination that the county has no business removing until the state gives its approval, Howell said.
By removing it now, Howell believes the county is getting rid of evidence the state needs to make an informed evaluation of the extent of contamination, he said.
Howell said he will contact the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), county commissioners and other officials to block further operations until there is a community meeting.
Howell said he also questions the role of Cliff's Construction, the Brooksville firm the county hired to remove the shallow contaminated soil from the DPW site and several adjacent properties.
The county said Cliff's is only removing about two feet of soil. Howell claims the company is going down deeper than that.
"Any removal of dirt from the site is a cleanup," Howell said. "We want it stopped immediately."
In a letter dated Aug. 25, William Kutash, with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said his agency still has concerns and has asked the county's project consultant - Creative Environmental Solutions - to do more on-site testing before final remediation and cleanup can begin.
The county will comply, but it will cost the taxpayers more money.
Creative will get another $217,508 to do the testing, pushing the consultant's total bill since being hired in 2005 to just over $2 million.
Final cleanup can't begin until DEP officials are satisfied that all testing is completed, Assistant County Engineer Gregg Sutton said Monday.
"We're not going to be done until we're satisfied DEP determines that we've fully delineated the scope (of the contamination)," he said.
However, the county has gotten DEP permission to do what is called an "interim source removal" (ISR) of some of the soil at the site and on adjoining properties, giving the county a head start on that final remediation process.
In his report, Kutash recommended that the county perform ISR to eliminate or reduce contamination on private properties and to come up with a plan that delineates the scope of the contamination off site.
"We recommend that the county develop a specific removal proposal and that we meet to discuss and review (it) prior to implementation," Kutash said.
DEP spokeswoman Pamala Vazquez said she received an e-mail from Howell Monday and will try to address his concerns. At this time, no community meeting is scheduled.
She also assured him that work crews during the ongoing soil removal will only go as deep as two feet and there will be proper dust control measures used on-site.
"At this time there is no indication that any rules are being violated," she said.
Vazquez could not speculate as to when the final cleanup will begin.
"You can't address a full cleanup until you know exactly what it is to clean up," she said. "That's why an assessment takes time. You have only one opportunity to get (it) right."