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Lake County commissioners agree to draft emergency letter to FDEP over Wolf Branch landfill odors and potential contamination
Summary
Commissioners instructed staff to draft an emergency letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection after members and Mount Dora officials presented air and water data showing odors and possible contamination tied to an expanded C&D landfill near the Wolf Branch Sink.
Lake County commissioners on Dec. 17 agreed to add an emergency item directing staff to draft a letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection about odors and possible contamination at a construction-and-demolition landfill adjacent to the Wolf Branch Sink.
The discussion began after Mount Dora officials and county staff referenced data that the board said showed airborne irritants and potential chemical signatures linked to drywall and other C&D material. Chair and multiple commissioners said the smell has reached downtown Mount Dora and surrounding unincorporated communities and that the county needs immediate engagement from FDEP.
Commissioner Anthony Sabatini moved to add the emergency item and to direct staff to work with the county attorney and chair on the letter; another commissioner seconded the motion and the board approved the addition by voice vote. The motion instructs staff to press FDEP for information about the landfill’s permit status, potential expansion, and any steps FDEP can take to protect public health and the aquifer.
County staff and commissioners noted the landfill is an older site, likely permitted under premodern rules and therefore may not have contemporary liners; the board discussed prior consent orders and the need to pull historical permitting files. Commissioners also discussed seeking a legislative remedy if FDEP lacks sufficient authority to limit the landfill’s expansion.
Chair and commissioners requested the letter be prepared quickly so the county can present it during the upcoming legislative session if necessary. The board said it wants clarity from FDEP on whether the landfill’s operations are contributing to air or water impacts and whether further enforcement or permitting restrictions are warranted.
The board’s action was procedural: the emergency item was added to the agenda and staff were directed to draft the letter for the board’s review. No formal enforcement action by the county was taken at the meeting.
