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Residents report well failures and urge Sumter County to press FDEP on proposed injection well
Summary
During public forum, multiple residents reported collapsing domestic wells and intense ground vibration they say coincided with 24/7 deep injection drilling near the Heart of Florida Landfill. Commissioners agreed to consolidate resident questions, share a letter with neighboring counties and request an FDEP briefing.
Residents and commissioners pressed Sumter County leaders on April 14 over a proposed deep injection well and reports of nearby domestic wells failing and homes experiencing ground shaking.
At the board's public forum, Leslie Strickland said multiple wells had collapsed and that neighbors reported “intense and frightening” shaking during 24/7 drilling near the Heart of Florida Landfill. “These are not isolated incidents, this is a pattern,” Strickland said, and told the board she had asked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) underground injection control (UIC) staff whether deep injection drilling can cause vibration; she said FDEP’s answer was yes, including at distances beyond three miles. Strickland asked the county to seek immediate investigation and asked staff to request SWFWMD data going back to December 2025, when drilling began.
Other residents told the board they feared aquifer damage and urged broader outreach. Deborah Argus asked the board to send its letter opposing the well not only to Hernando and Citrus counties but also to Levy, Dixie, Putnam and Alachua counties. Ross Justice urged in-person pressure in Tallahassee and proposed a May 2 convoy protest if local letters alone do not force agency action.
County staff described steps already taken. Mr. Arnold (planning/building staff) said the chairman had executed and transmitted a letter to FDEP asking for clarification on permitting steps, monitoring requirements and enforcement authority if permit conditions are violated; staff also shared copies with Hernando, Citrus and Marion counties because they sit in the same regional water authority. Arnold said FDEP had not yet responded to the letter and that staff would collate the residents’ questions to submit in advance of any briefing. He also said the county would share the letter with SWFWMD and other officials, and that Representative Samantha Scott would be copied so the new state legislator is briefed.
On jurisdiction, Arnold clarified that the City of Bushnell holds the operating permit for the landfill and that FDEP and the city have permitting authority for the facility; the county can require bonds for operations it directly permits in unincorporated areas, he said. Arnold noted the City of Bushnell collects a host fee tied to landfill tonnage and that the city is pursuing odor-monitoring options and other oversight.
Board members directed staff to compile a list of specific questions for FDEP and to send a formal board letter under the chair’s signature to FDEP, neighboring counties and legislators. Commissioners also asked staff to follow up with SWFWMD on groundwater and well-permit data and to assemble addresses of affected wells for targeted follow-up.
What happens next: Mr. Arnold said staff will collate submitted resident addresses and questions, share the letter more widely, and pursue a response from FDEP; commissioners said they want the list of questions transmitted in advance to encourage an FDEP briefing for the public and board.
Quotes are from public comments and staff remarks made during the April 14 Sumter County Board of County Commissioners meeting.
