DEP eyeing Jubilee construction site

Environmental officials eyeing Jubilee construction site

By Deborah Nelson
October 2, 2007

Jubilee building site sediment may be running off into adjoining wetlands, in violation of state statute, according to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection.

DEP inspected the Luther Fowler Rd. site on September 21, after an unidentified citizen complained of Pond Creek ‘turbidity,’ or water cloudiness, and blamed the Jubilee site.

The inspection determined that sand or other material may be leaving the work site and entering adjoining wetlands, according to agency spokesperson Sally Cooey.

“[Investigators] found numerous areas throughout the project where the silt fences had been over run or undermined, allowing for large amounts of sediment to enter the wetlands,” according to DEP’s report.

If materials like sand are moving from construction areas to wetlands, that constitutes fill activity, Cooey notes. Jubilee’s permit does not cover dredge-and-fill activities, she says, to include filling wetlands.

The report notes Jubilee project manager Guy Balancie told the agency that the site had experienced problems with silt fences collapsing.

“Mr. Balancie stated the were some silt fence problems that were going to be addressed the week of September 24, 2007, since funding for the project had been re-acquired,” DEP’s report notes.

“The Eagle Group had been fired and the original owner was starting the new financing of the project.”

Balancie confirmed he spoke with DEP regarding their concerns, but declined to comment further.

The agency is currently undergoing a fact-finding process with site owners, says Cooey.

In an October 1 letter, DEP notified site owner Barney Ng of possible state statutory violations.

“Erosion controls have not been maintained, causing a dredge-and-fill violation along with violations of the existing stormwater permit,” it reads.

The letter recommends project officials repair and maintain erosion controls, submit a restoration plan to restore the effected wetlands, and meet with DEP to resolve the issue.