Landfill sites rejected, decision delayed

Where to put a new landfill in Western Palm Beach County has been the subject of debate for years. But a decision will have to wait at least another year.

Wednesday county commissioners considered two locations for the waste dump-- one at State Road 80 and U.S. 98, the other just to the south on County Road 880.

At a packed meeting at the headquarters of the county Solid Waste Authority, Glades residents opposed the northern site, because it's on the main road to their communities.

"It's pitiful for the Glades," complained Pahokee resident Leroy Jackson, Jr. "The Glades area needs something positive."

On the other hand, environmentalists fought the southern location, because of fears a landfill there could contaminate the nearby Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to Palm Beach County's remaining Everglades. It's also next door to a Stormwater Treatment Area, where water runoff from Glades farms is cleansed.

In the end, commissioners decided to reject both locations, and hold off on making a landfill decision, to see if they could find better-- and less expensive-- sites, through the state's planned U.S. Sugar land buy. That land sale is now being challenged in the Florida Supreme Court. However staff at the South Florida Water Management District told commissioners the Court could rule in a matter of months. Commissioner have property in Western Palm Beach County they would trade for the sugar land.

Joanne Davis, of the environmental group 1,000 Friends of Florida, said she was happy with the decision to delay action. "I think it's good to look a little bit further and see if we might get a better deal for the taxpayers and a better deal for the environment," Davis explained.

But Pahokee resident Jackson said even though the location on the main road is out of the picture, he still worries about the eventual landfill site will hurt the Glades communities.

Commissioners said they will revisit the landfill issue next October.