PACE-EH_SantaRosa0606a

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For more information on this project, contact Brande Kempf, PACE EH Coordinator, or Bill Sirmans, Environmental Health Director at the Santa Rosa County Health Department.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
June 2006 PACE EH Progress Report
Submitted by: Brande Kempf, Grant Administrator / PACE Coordinator

3rd Community Meeting
June 13, 2006

The meeting was called to order by Brande Kempf, Grant Administrator/PACE Coordinator at 6:40 P.M.

Those in attendance were captured on the attendance sheet. Ms. Sally Cooey from FDEP is in attendance tonight. The purpose of tonight?s meeting is to go over the 13 tasks outlined in PACE. These tasks assist the community in determining a path forward. A schedule of the 13 tasks was provided to those in attendance. An agenda of goals that should be addressed tonight were given to all in attendance. 4 PACE Tasks were outlined to help the Team move forward. Establishing Separate subcommittees into Land Quality, Water Quality, Air Quality and Public Health were the primary groups. The goal in the next couple of months is to address 3-4 tasks per meeting, then reassess where we are at. If you look at the agenda, we need to clarify the expectations of team members, determine subcommittee members, and establish goals.

Latest News!
August 23, 2006 - Editorial: Area landfill problems being discovered too late

FDEP was in contact with Brande on June 7, 2006 and will participate from this point forward. Howard Jones stated that it is his opinion to first determine goals and objectives; from there, we can get a feel for what tasks the CEHA Team members would like to do. Howard typed up some things last night, which was entitled ?Proposed Objectives and Goals.? The first objective is to conduct air testing. One possibility is the Bucket Brigade, find an appropriate lab, and secure funding. The second objective is to conduct groundwater, including identifying appropriate labs, secure funding, acquire test kits, train samplers (if needed), test all wells within a specific proximity of Coyote Landfill, and test East River, East Bay, and Dean Creek. The last objective is tackling community health issues, including identifying a health care professional who will direct and facilitate the health survey questionnaires, identify persons living within a determined distance from Coyote Landfill who are suffering environmentally related ailments, and delineate and document health issues further with medical exams and records. Caroline stated that she had provided Brande with a draft copy of a health survey. Brande stated that she is working with Bill on creating a final health survey and Air Pollution log for distribution and putting it on official DOH letterhead.

Goals will be very similar and will include the following:

 Identifying hazardous substances in air and water
 Identifying source of pollutants
 Stop further pollution
 Clean up the source and damaged areas off site
 Prevent future offenses through more stringent laws and aggressive enforcement
 Require any offending and culpable party or parties to pay for all of the above.

In addition health care should be provided for all affected persons and the offending and culpable party or parties should pay for all the health care bills.

Bill stated that we should break into smaller groups to address all the CEHA Team?s goals and objectives.

The Bucket Brigade evolved out of California. An engineer created a very simple test which consists of a bag. You can put the apparatus together for $125.00. The certified lab in California charges between $400-$500 samples and check the sample for approximately 100 different toxins. The sister group in Pensacola is called BAYSAC (Bay Area Safe Air Committee).

Brande is working up a proposal for Environmental Health Study grant. She states that for the grant proposals, we will need to know the parameters of the testing, what constituents the samples will be analyzed for; and the time frame for the sampling. Zeke mentioned that we need to create a map and establish a study area, and then determine the population within that area. Sally stated that the regulations for assessing groundwater is 1/4 -1/2 for potable wells. We could start with ? mile and then expand it as necessary.

The subcommittees were established as follows:

Public Health:

 Zeke
 Jay Karyn
 Carolyn
Water and Soil Quality:
 Howard Y.
 Zeke
 Tim Broxon
 Howard Jones
 Robert Grant
 Mike
 John

Air Quality:

 Carolyn
 Howard Jones
 Jay Karyn
 Mike
 Robert Grant
 Tim Broxon
 John

The CEHA Team consented to asking the Holley Navarre Water System, Inc., to conduct water sampling within a one mile radius from the Coyote Landfill.

John stated that there are only three wells left at Coyote Landfill. Marshall stated that they are required to have five wells. There may have been temporary wells initially, but they were required to install permanent monitoring wells. Coyote Landfill had benzene and arsenic that have shown up in their monitoring wells. The monitoring data can be made available at their Pensacola Office located at 160 Governmental Center, Pensacola, FL.

Brande stated that through a source at the Navarre Press (Mike Odom) Coyote Landfill has volunteered to allow the CEHA Team to tour their facility and meet with the CEHA Team. Bill stated that if Coyote Landfill once to address the issue, they are an asset. The purpose of the PACE process is to find a solution to the problem. We need to establish the issues and try to find a solution for it. Brande also mentioned that if we let Coyote Landfill know that we are working together as a partnership among the community we will probably have more cooperation from the Coyote Landfill.

Sally asked the team what the concern with Coyote Landfill is. Mr. Kolb stated that water is not the main concern, it is air. Mr. Grant stated that he does not trust Coyote Landfill at all. The landfill is leaching into the bay; we just don?t have the data to support that allegation. Howard stated that before Coyote Landfill opened up, it was a pristine area. Howard stated that one of the permit requirements was to control the odors, but they are not doing so. Ms. Girship stated she doesn?t know if Coyote Landfill is hiding anything. She lives 2/10 mile from the landfill. The weekend is some of the worst odors and the nights are by far the worse. The haze settles over us on the weekend. The state operated agencies do not operate on the weekend. The state warning point is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Howard Y. stated that according to their permit the landfill is to keep the dirt down and they are on well water.

Sally stated the way the regulation is written, the Coyote Landfill is required to submit an assessment to the FDEP. This should happen within the next couple of months. FDEP can issue a consent order if a facility does not comply, which is a binding agreement. This would become a civil lawsuit. The wells are sampled for volatiles, semi volatiles, and heavy metals. Sally can research if FDEP can be on site to collect split samples. The FDEP samples would then be collected by DEP personnel and sent to the state laboratory for analysis.

Howard stated that it is important to take a message back to FDEP Management in Tallahassee. People have been suffering since last October. It is our opinion DEP is required to regulate Coyote Landfill. DEP has been playing slow pitch softball because people?s lives are being ruined while the landfill Todd Seizer (owner) is getting wealthier. Sally stated DEP does not regulate the air. This facility is not permitted to burn. Howard Jones the fires would be considered out if the temperature drops below 160 degrees six feet down. The stench from the fire continues. DEP wrote the permit and DEP needs to enforce the permit.

Caroline stated there are people very sick that do not have health insurance. The citizens need to come up with $1,500 to collect three air samples. Is there anyone in the system to conduct air sampling?

Nan Karyn stated she never had breathing problems and the haze what drops over the weekend is terrible. Nan stated she has a licensed day care facility and the children are potentially exposed to toxic air. Ms. Griship stated her doctor stated she had a toxic area in her esophagus. Brande stated 300 health surveys and air pollution logs will be prepared and disseminated tomorrow.

Mr. Grishap stated DEP does not have anything to do with the air for this type of facility. Who is then responsible for the air quality at the landfill? DEP does have an air program, but this facility does not have an emission. They have a solid waste permit, but they do not have an air permit. A consent order was signed after the burn, which was a prohibited activity. The emissions from that burn were not quantified because of lack of personnel and equipment. Howard read Item #32 from Coyote Landfill?s Permit-the permittee shall not allow air pollutants which lead to an objectionable odor.? Howard asked ?why are they still being allowed to operate this landfill, it is obvious that the odor is objectionable to all that visit.?

Mr. Grant stated the area which burned had logs and tarps. Why can?t the landfill dig it out and get to the core of the trash which is still burning? Howard stated there is a machine that will bore down so they can put more water on the fire. There was a concern with more groundwater contamination.

Carolyn asked for volunteers to distribute surveys.

Zeke also volunteered to pick up survey and air logs from Brande.

An area regional PACE Coordinators meeting has been set for Thursday June 15th in the Chipley Environmental Health Department. It will be conducted by Samu?l Brobbey, PACE Coordinator for the State. On Friday June 16th, Mr. Brobbey will journey to Santa Rosa County area and accompany Brande Kempf to the landfill and address other environmental concerns related to the PACE program.

The next meeting will be held Monday, June 19 at 6:30 P.M. at the Holley Navarre Water System Board Room on Turkey Bluff Road.