Sen. Nelson to EPA: Help Fort Myers residents get the sludge out
Patricia Borns
A contaminated city dump site in the middle of a Fort Myers residential neighborhood may gain the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency if a request from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson succeeds.
“After nearly a decade, there is still toxic sludge in a residential neighborhood, and families have no idea when, if ever, it will be cleaned up,” Nelson, D-Orlando, wrote EPA chief Scott Pruitt in a letter dated Aug. 11, calling on the agency to investigate the situation and make sure the site is remediated.
DOCUMENT: Read Sen. Nelson’s letter to EPA chief Scott Pruitt.
Purchased in 1962 for water treatment waste disposal, the site at South Street and Henderson Avenue in Fort Myers sat unmitigated and exposed to unsuspecting families as homes grew up around it, until The News-Press reported it in June.
The city will soon conduct a full DEP-approved site assessment to determine the extent of the contamination and risk to residents, spurred by state Rep. and agriculture commission candidate Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, with an inquiry into the state Departmental of Environmental Protection’s handling of the matter.
The city’s commitment to actually removing the sludge has community activists concerned, however. Nelson's involvement came a week after organizer Anthony Thomas, Jr. held a conference call with the senator's chief of staff.
“I am thrilled to have Senator Nelson involved,” said Thomas, who has led the charge to get the site cleaned up, at one point bringing in University of Miami Law School’s Environmental Justice Clinic. “Senator Nelson is an environmental champion, and he will get to the bottom of this on the people’s behalf.”
While the DEP is the responsible watchdog agency for the site, Nelson cited federal acts that authorize the EPA to intervene when needed.
“Based on the delayed action so far, I ask that you investigate the situation in Southwest Florida to determine whether or not the EPA can assist residents by 1) accurately assessing the extent of contamination, 2) ensuring residents are adequately notified of any potential risk of exposure through public signage and community outreach, and 3) monitoring the state and local remediation efforts to make sure they're done right,” he wrote.
State Rep. Barbara Watson, D-Miami Gardens, a ranking member of the House Government Oversight Committee chaired by Caldwell, said she hopes the EPA will make a decision before Sept. 11 when legislators return to Tallahassee.
"I don’t think the EPA should just be involved. They should take the lead," Watson said. "There has been enough talk. We need action."
More: Some EPA grants for communities
Potential EPA assistance could include grants for residents to hire independent consultants to do their own testing alongside the city’s, and medical monitoring for people with limited access to health care to check for effects from exposure to the site.
Residents and other interested parties have until Aug. 15 to provide their input on the city’s site testing plan.
More: Give your input on the city's test plan here.
After that, the city will publish the public’s comments and a final, DEP approved test plan incorporating them before testing begins.
Follow this reporter on Twitter @PatriciaBorns.