Help Defend Our Community from a Dump Expansion
We’re raising funds to stop the expansion of a landfill site next to homes, schools, farms, parks and churches. A group of neighbors have hired a lawyer and experts to challenge the expansion permit.
Please contribute $25 or more towards helping us win this fight.
About the dump
The Florence company has operated a construction and demolition (C&D) landfill in our Southeast Gainesville neighborhood for nearly 30 years. The previous operator was shut down by numerous toxic waste violations and complaints from neighbors. The site has now been in operation over 50 years. That's older than the average lifespan of a landfill. It’s also unusually close to a neighborhood—as little as 400 feet from homes, some of which rely on well water.
Southeast Gainesville is a predominantly Black and working-class area that has been stuck with harmful local land use decisions for too long. This dump should be closed. Instead, they want to double the height of the operation.
Despite this legacy of injustice, we have a deep love for our community and its natural beauty. We have a city park featuring a fresh water artesian spring just 1,500 feet downstream of the groundwater flow path from the landfill. This spring feeds into Payne’s Prairie Preserve, a 21,000-acre state park that is Florida's first state preserve. The Landfill's north border has local farms and over 100 homes in the direct vicinity. The east, south and west borders have important long leaf pine restoration sites and more homes.
Closing and restoring the landfill site would right a historic wrong and make the property a better neighbor to the surrounding community.
Our challenge to the permit
Our group successfully petitioned the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) decision to issue a permit for the expansion. We are moving forward with a public hearing in front of a judge that will allow us to bring experts to question the FDEP decision.
The current landfill crushes the material that doesn't reach a recycling market, dumps this on a mountain of compacted debris that now stands at 35 ft. The FDEP has approved the height expansion to 70 ft. The crushed debris consists of roofing shingles, dry wall, pvc pipe, carpet, tile, wood, insulation and other unknown materials. The landfill generates noise, dust, and odor in our neighborhood. The industry claims their landfills don't omit odor. However, studies prove that gypsum (dry wall) emits a sulfurous gas when wet.
Through stopping this inappropriately located landfill, we also want to support zero waste initiatives in our county, and help bring equity and environmental justice to Gainesville.
The landfill operators run a materials recovery facility that diverts and recycles 20-40% of its C&D materials. The United States Green Building Council gives 2 LEED diversion points when at least 75% of C&D materials is diverted into at least 4 material streams. Alachua County must increase recycling and diversion percentages of C&D materials from the landfills to support the county's zero waste goals.
We need your help to win
We are asking our supporters to assist with legal fees, expert fees, and logistical costs to challenge the expansion. Your contributions support our ability to challenge the expansion permit.
We’ll keep you updated as we prepare for the hearing. Please share our campaign widely with your friends and family.
Our fundraiser goal is $6,000.00 by August 31, 2023.
In deep appreciation, Respect SE Gville
https://sciencing.com/long-average-landfill-open-7103.html
Zero Waste Guidance Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H6AqTvJS5LHuTGt8_9Gkw7krCXTSVTRi/edit?pli=1
