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Tallahassee, FL – There are traces of benzene and ammonia leaking underground from the oldest part of Leon County's former landfill off U.S. 27. Tom Flanigan reports county commissioners will consider a plan to stem the flow during their Tuesday meeting.
County officials found slightly elevated benzene levels in groundwater from one of the landfill's monitoring wells years ago. It wasn't enough to trigger a full-blown response. But now, Assistant County Administrator Allen Rosenzweig says benzene levels of just over three parts per billion are showing up in one off-site well. He says that doesn't pose a danger to anyone, but the county is still ready to act.
"The county takes this situation seriously," Rosenzweig said. "We've developed a remedial action plan. An initial pilot study to implement the plan, which is actually just pumping lots of oxygen down into the ground will cost us about fifty-thousand dollars, and then for the full implementation it'll be about four-hundred thousand dollars."
If county commissioners approve the plan, it'll be headed to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for final approval.