Published: June 2, 2025
Bartow, Fla. (June 2, 2025) — Although no longer required, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners is providing you notification that a formal report was sent, via email, to pollution.notice@dep.state.fl.us.
Name of reporting party: Solid Waste Division
Installation Name: Polk County Board of County Commissioners
Installation Address: 7421 DeCastro Road
Installation Location: Winter Haven, FL 33880
Contact person for further information: Susan Pelz, (863) 284-4319
Permit Number (if facility/installation holds a permit): 31164-027-SO-01
Date and time of the incident or discovery: June 1, 2025, approximately 11 a.m.
Location of the incident or discovery: North Central Landfill, leachate truck loading
Suspected source and cause of incident or discovery: Vendor failed to follow truck loading procedures and left a valve open
Type of pollution, including substance or contaminant name(s): leachate
Amount of pollution, including substance or contaminant name(s): approximately 50,000- 60,000 gallons
Medium (e.g. land, water, air) affected by pollution: storm water, soil
Potentially affected areas beyond installation property boundary: none
Potential risk to the public health, safety, or welfare: none
Identification of other parties notified of incident and time notification occurred: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest District, Solid Waste Section. Notified on June 2, 2025 via phone call to Department of Environmental Protection Southwest District (SWD_Waste@dep.state.fl.us ) and State Watch Office (800-320-0519).
Any other information that may be helpful: Leachate hauling and disposal vendor failed to close the valve at the truck loading arm after filling tanker truck on Saturday, May 31, 2025. At approximately 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2025, the leachate level in the storage tank was greater than the elevation of the truck loading arm and since the valve was not closed, it back flowed from the tank via gravity through the discharge arm.
Although the truck loadout area has containment, leachate was pumped from landfill cells to the storage tank. Since the valve was open until approximately 5 a.m. on Monday, June 2 when a collection driver saw the problem and closed the valve, between 50,000 and 60,000 gallons of leachate discharged through the loadout arm during this period.
Leachate was discharged into a stormwater ditch adjacent to the truck loadout area. Approximately 650 ft. of stormwater ditch was impacted. Removal of potentially contaminated stormwater from the ditch is ongoing. Contaminated soils have been removed from portions of the ditch and have been disposed of in the onsite landfill.