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Residents press county to act on landfill odors and proposed injection well; officials say state agencies control permits
Summary
Residents urged Sumter County officials to stop a proposed landfill deep injection well and to speed air-quality testing after months of nuisance odors. County staff said authority lies with state agencies but will escalate outreach to DEP and provide channels for public input; city-contracted air testing and a consent order with DEP were discussed.
Residents from Lake Panasoffkee and other parts of Sumter County pressed commissioners on May 12 over persistent landfill odors, a proposed conversion of a test well to a deep injection well and what residents called an inadequate timeline for independent air-quality testing.
Multiple speakers said state and consultant reports documented out-of-boundary odors. Leslie Strickland, a resident, summarized local documentation and criticized a proposed testing schedule that the city’s consultant Arcadis would run: "This means residents may not see final results until January 2027... Residents are told to continue living with these nuisance odors for potentially another 8 months," she said.
Jeremy Scott, another resident, questioned the proposed sampling design and timing, noting the contract called for only six sampling events over a two-week window and asking whether nights, weekends or complaint-triggered sampling would be included. He urged transparency and public release of findings so tests reflect the conditions residents report.
County staff and legal counsel repeatedly told the public that permitting and enforcement for deep injection wells and air-quality permits fall under state jurisdiction (Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the relevant water management district). Mr. Arnold said the landfill remains under a consent order with DEP that covers odor compliance and groundwater monitoring and that the public may submit written input as affected parties when permit applications are filed. He said the county is escalating outreach — engaging the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, its state lobbyist and trying to reach DEP leadership — but stressed the county cannot unilaterally stop the permit process.
Staff explained the county’s proposed $10,000 participation in the city-led Arcadis air-quality proposal and that the full contract to the consultant totals roughly $149,000; staff said the county’s participation was intended to encourage the city to proceed. Residents criticized the schedule and scope, arguing more extensive, complaint‑triggered sampling and longer monitoring are needed to capture odor events that occur overnight and under specific weather or operational conditions.
Other technical concerns raised included alleged well vibrations and a groundwater/well impacts question that the regional water management district (SWFWMD) reviewed but said could not conclusively attribute to the injection well without contractor logs; the district deferred to well contractors and technical permit processes in some instances.
Next steps: County staff said they will continue to escalate communications with DEP and pursue all administrative avenues available, and encouraged residents to submit written input to DEP and use the consent‑order process as a means to register concerns. Staff also said they would share residents’ input with the City of Bushnell and the consultant managing the air‑quality sampling plan.
