Florida landfill plan hits snags

A lack of action by commissioners of Brevard County at a February 2016 meeting may spell trouble for a planned landfill in that Florida county.

An online article prepared by the Orlando Sentinel indicates the plan to build a 3,000-acre landfill has met with opposition from nearby property owners and the regional tourism industry.

Among the unhappy landowners is Deseret Ranches, a cattle ranch operator that formerly owned the 3,000 acres, which the Sentinel describes as having been “wrested” from them by the county.

Legal action by the ranch continues, with projected costs that appear to be providing one reason for the Brevard County commission to change its mind. The news article indicates the ranch will be willing to buy back the land if the county cancels the landfill project.

The county’s tourism industry also was on the mind of one commissioner, who was quoted as saying about the landfill’s potential site on the county line between Walt Disney World and the rest of Brevard county, “Here’s our landfill; welcome to Brevard County.”

At the mid-February meeting, the commissioners voted to delay hiring an attorney who was going to be tabbed to continue legal actions to keep the landfill plan moving forward. The commissioners voted instead to “discuss alternatives on March 31,” according to the Sentinel.