BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Florida Department of Environmental Protection is updating landowners about the contamination identified in the groundwater beneath the former Department of Management Services Bureau of Federal Property Assistance warehouse on U.S. 301 south of Starke.
FDEP covered the cost of extending Starke’s waterlines to the Deerwood subdivision in 2003 after some wells tested positive for contamination of volatile chemicals. Affected property owners were notified again about the extent of the contamination as a Temporary Point of Compliance was established in 2012. Monitoring of the TPOC has continued since remediation.
Pending funding availability, future remediation may be undertaken. Until then, property owners are being told that their health and the environment are adequately protected.
The contamination includes volatile organic compounds, including trichloroethene (also known as trichloroethylene), classified as a carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There can also be health effects on the nervous and immune systems as well as liver and kidneys. The type and length of exposure are determining factors. The source is believed to be solvents used at the warehouse, such as degreasers or paint strippers.
The compound is volatile, meaning it evaporates into the air at room temperature. Deerwood resident Michelle Green questioned FDEP about vapor intrusion in and around the site, particularly since a proposed use for the warehouse and surrounding property is an immigrant detention facility for Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
According to FDEP’s responses, a 2018, the Florida Department of Health completed a health consultation that eliminated possible indoor air exposure in the main office building because shallow groundwater contamination was not detected. The health department did recommend maintenance bay doors remain open when workers were inside.
The 2018 report did indicate that areas with shallow groundwater contamination around the property could be vulnerable to vapor intrusion if the owner constructs new buildings over these areas.
Further development of the site could be coming. The warehouse is no longer in the state’s hands. The facility and its acreage were conveyed to the county for economic development. That has not been successful, leading County Manager Scott Kornegay and Sheriff Gordon Smith to bring in Sabot Consulting to propose an ICE facility to the county commission.
Green is warning that the danger of vapor intrusion has not been evaluated for a detention facility that is housing people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Until that happens, she questioned whether Bradford County should continue proposing this use for the site.
