Pasco County private landfill faces lawsuit, accusations of contaminating groundwater

HUDSON, Fla. - A private landfill in Pasco County is at the center of a lawsuit, accusing the company of several serious violations, including contaminating the groundwater.

The lawsuit against Coastal Landfill was filed earlier this month by DCH Timber, whose property is adjacent to the landfill.

"The facility is accepting waste from around Central Florida. It's depositing it there. And in doing so, it's violating many Pasco County regulations, and it's contaminating the groundwater," said Scott McLaren, the attorney for DCH Timber.

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According to the lawsuit, testing down around the landfill on Houston Avenue in Hudson found levels of arsenic, ammonia, iron and aluminum in the water, exceeding what's allowed by the state.

"If these contaminants continue to expand, we're concerned about the impact on [the community]. We're concerned about the impact that's already happened on our property," McLaren said Wednesday.

DCH also accuses Coastal Landfill of growing taller than regulations allow.

In the court filing, DCH attorneys claim, although Pasco commissioners denied Coastal's request to increase the height of the mound from 35 to 55 feet, it has now reached 54 feet anyway.

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The lawsuit goes on to say the landfill is also too close to neighboring properties.

"What's happening here is this operator just violates all the rules and then goes back and asks for forgiveness," said McLaren.

FOX 13 reached out to Coastal and attempted to contact several attorneys connected to the company's bankruptcy filing, but has not heard back.

Neighbors, including Carrie Holmes, want answers.

"They need to make money. I understand that. However, don't do it at the expense of other people's health," Holmes said, adding her major concerns include water issues and large trucks that travel at dangerous speeds down her small road.

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Holmes said her water has had an orange tint several times during the last six months and other neighbors have had similar experiences.

"It can come on the spur of the moment. You can get ready to get in a shower, turn on your water, and you get in there, it's all orange," she said. "I want to live a little longer, see my grandkids grow a little bit older. Right now, that's the scariest thing is my health."

DCH Timber is asking for at least $50,000 in damages, along with other relief.

In a statement to FOX 13, a Pasco County spokesperson said, "Coastal Landfill has a pending application to amend their County conditional use and operating permit. Regarding the lawsuit/lawsuits, Pasco County is not part of that."

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