Channel Sediment Not Contaminated, Tests Show

The sediment at the bottom of the Hernando Beach channel is not contaminated with petroleum products, according to testing done by a county consultant and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The tests indicate earlier tests of the sediment that showed the presence of grease and oil to be "false positives," a county press release said Tuesday.

DEP has asked for one more test to confirm the results.

It's "positive news" for the much-delayed project to deepen and extend the channel, County Administrator David Hamilton said.

Extensive contamination would have complicated the county's plans to store the dredged material, called spoil, at one of two tracts of land in Hernando Beach. It would also have added significantly to the cost of the $9 million project.

The news is positive enough the county will soon solicit bids from contractors so that dredging can start as soon as the county gets a permit for one of two possible spoil disposal sites, Hamilton said.

The county had already started preparing for a hearing to defend one of the permits for a piece of property on Eagle Nest Drive. When the initial test results came to light at the last minute, the hearing was postponed.

Residents in the area contend the plan to store and de-water the spoil will harm nearby Minnow Creek and increase the risk of flooding in the area.

Damage to Minnow Creek and surrounding wetlands is also the basis for a challenge to the county's backup site, a county-owned tract on the east side of Shoal Line Boulevard, north of Petit Lane.

Now, Richard Brightman, the attorney hired to deal with the legal challenges, is working to schedule hearings for both spoil sites, Hamilton said.

The negative test results should bolster the county's efforts to secure a permit, Hamilton said.