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Ceres Environmental Services

Pasco County looks at costs to fix Lake Padgett sinkhole

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Restoring the site of a sinkhole within the Lake Padgett Estates subdivision to “pristine” condition would cost as much as $12 million. That idea was a non-starter for the Pasco County commissioners who reviewed a list of options on what to do next.

They also rejected a suggestion for a $4 million bridge to span the sinkhole, and keep traffic flowing along Ocean Pines Drive.

The cleanup of a sinkhole on Ocean Pines Drive in Lake Padgett Estates is completed, including removing contaminants from the water. Pasco County officials say the sinkhole’s water quality is now better than Lake Saxon’s water. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The sinkhole opened on July 14 at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, and swallowed two homes, a motorcycle and a boat. Five more houses on both sides of Ocean Pines have been condemned.

The county approved $1.3 million for an initial cleanup of debris, and stabilization of the site. That work has been completed.

County commissioners reviewed future options at a workshop on Oct. 17 in Dade City.

The least expensive choice was to “do nothing” and install decorative fencing, with warning signs, around the sinkhole for about $50,000.

But, options in between $12 million and $50,000 are on the table.

Pasco County officials plan to meet with residents of Lake Padgett for their input before making a final recommendation to county commissioners.

One option is to connect the sinkhole to Lake Saxon, which is about 90 feet away. That would cost about $800,000.

“Any connection to the lake would not go over well with the community,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, who has heard from some residents in Lake Padgett regarding concerns about potential contamination from the sinkhole.

The University of South Florida is recommending that a survey be completed to determine how the sinkhole interacts with underground surrounding areas. The cost would be about $15,000.  Before that, county officials say an additional geological survey should be done at a cost of about $100,000.

Ceres Environmental Services has completed its work to remove and dispose of floating debris from the sinkhole, pump and remove contaminated water, and stabilize the southeast portion of the sinkhole with granular fill.

Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrator for public safety, said linking the sinkhole to the lake could be a “low-cost, long-term, permanent solution.”

The sinkhole, which went as deep as 50 feet, is now 10 feet deep, said Guthrie. And, he said, “The water quality in the sinkhole is better than in the lake.”

Major portions of the two houses, the motorcycle and the boat remain in the sinkhole, but that’s not unusual in such instances, Guthrie said.

“We have cars in sinkholes in just about every sinkhole in Pasco County,” he said.

The lake connection is an idea worth exploring, said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“To me, when I was out walking, it made great sense to connect it to the lake,” she said.

Historically, Pasco County officials say the lake’s shoreline at one time extended beyond the sinkhole and included lots where homes now exist.

Along with the lake connection, cul-de-sacs on Ocean Pines also could be built on either side of the sinkhole. That would cost about $1.7 million, bringing the total cost to about $2.5 million.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley suggested that if cul-de-sacs are built, different names would be needed for the disconnected segments of Ocean Pines.

“It doesn’t need to be confusing for emergency (responders),” Oakley said.

Another choice would be to reconnect Ocean Pines at the sinkhole and build up the road with sheet piles on either side. That would work as a dam to contain the sinkhole. The cost would be about $800,000.

Whatever the final decision, there are financial implications for the county and residents.

Pasco County officials have said they want to get reimbursement for as much of its costs as possible. They view sinkhole damage largely as a private matter between insurance companies and the injured parties.

To that end, the county mailed demand letters and notice of financial responsibility to homeowners, renters and companies that have done remediation work in the past.

Left open is how much liability could rest with Lake Padgett residents. Moore said residents are concerned about taking on maintenance costs of the sinkhole.

The subdivision has a special taxing district, created by Florida statute.

However, those funds are collected solely for the operation and maintenance of recreational facilities in the subdivision, including five lake parks, three boat ramps and a horse stable.

For fiscal year 2018, the per unit fee collected by the taxing district is about $500, according to documents on Lake Padgett’s website.

In describing the taxing district, website documents specifically state that it doesn’t serve or have authority to serve as a Community Development District, civic association or a homeowner association.

Published October 25, 2017

Labor shortage delays debris removal

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Those piles of Hurricane Irma debris could be sitting near homes for as long as a couple of months, Pasco County officials have said.

That’s because there’s a shortage of work crews.

Pasco County homeowners may need to exercise patience, while they wait for debris from Hurricane Irma to be removed by subcontractors working for Pasco County. County officials say there’s a shortage of subcontractors available to get the job done. (Mary Rathman)

Officials hope that residents will be patient, as the county struggles to pull together enough work crews.

Pasco County Utilities, Solid Waste and Resources Recovery Department set the start of debris collection for Sept. 18. But, finding and keeping subcontractors who can do the work is proving difficult.

The problem is, Hurricane Irma took a swing through the entire state, stretching local government resources.

Financially, subcontractors are finding more lucrative contracts in South Florida, where Irma did the most damage. That has made it difficult for Pasco to secure and hold onto subcontractors.

“I’ve got a lot of complaints that we’re not getting anything picked up,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano.

Working with the county’s consultant, Ceres Environmental Services, Pasco had hoped for 16 work crews. By Sept. 25, that number fell to eight. Then, one day later, the county could only count on four crews.

“There’s just not that many resources,” said John Power, the county’s solid waste facilities director. “At the rate we’re going now, we’re talking about a couple of months.”

Even as Pasco works to find its own crews to supplement county efforts, Power said other counties were calling Pasco to ask for manpower.

On Sept. 26, county commissioners approved inter-local agreements to allow Ceres Environmental Services to aid in securing cleanup services for Dade City, San Antonio and the Town of St. Leo.

Similar agreements are possible with New Port Richey and Port Richey.

Zephyrhills is the one city that has been able to do its own debris pickup.

Adding to Pasco’ cleanup task are suspicions that some residents are putting out more than storm debris curbside.

“A lot of people are using it for spring cleaning,” said Power, who said he was also waiting for debris at his home to be picked up.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore wasn’t so sure.

“We need to be careful about making determinations,” he said.

The furniture and other goods being tossed onto residents’ piles could be from actual storm damage, he said. “It’s a delicate situation.”

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said the county likely will follow with a second county sweep after completing the initial pickups over the next weeks.

Pasco County officials have issued guidelines for debris pickup:

  • All debris materials must be brought to the curb or roadside.
  • Do not block fire hydrants, mailboxes, electrical boxes or other structures.
  • Do not bag debris.
  • Contractor generated debris won’t be picked up.
  • Refrigerators should be empty, with the doors secured or removed.
Piles of debris from Hurricane Irma may be a common sight around Pasco County, possibly as long as a couple of months. The county is struggling with a shortage of work crews to remove the debris. (Kathy Steele)

Debris must be separated into the following categories:

Furniture: Mattresses; couches, sofas, chairs; dressers; lumber, if not pressure treated; particle board; laminated flooring; dry insulation (if wet, pile with construction); carpet and padding

Construction: Drywall, plasterboard, ceramic tile, concrete, lumber (pressure treated), wet insulation

Vegetation: Tree cuttings (must be no more than 5 feet in length, and all branches must be bundled)

White Goods: Appliances, metal furniture, metal shelving, bicycles, items that are more than 75 percent metal

Hazardous Waste – Delayed Pickup: Any household chemicals; oil, gas, flammables; lawn and garden chemicals; televisions; computer monitors, computer towers (CPUs)

Contractor-generated debris won’t be picked up.

Requests for debris pickup must be submitted to Pasco County Customer Service Center by emailing ">, providing the address where the debris is located.

Residents also can call customer service at (727) 847-2411.

Pasco County now has a map, an interactive tool to track hurricane-related storm debris pickup, available at arcg.is/2wSHdN5.

Yellow boxes on the map indicate the areas in which crews are working.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Unstable sinkhole claims seven homes

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Pasco County building inspectors have condemned five additional homes — because of recent destabilization of a sinkhole on Ocean Pines Drive in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County officials say the sinkhole grew another 30 feet, to a diameter of around 260 feet, after a bank on the western edge—closest to Lake Saxon — collapsed between the evening of Aug. 3 and the morning of Aug. 5.

Previously, the sinkhole measured between 225 feet wide to 235 feet wide and approximately 50 feet deep.

Ceres Environmental Services, the main debris removal contractor, worked throughout much of the weekend on cleanup and recovery efforts. Besides debris removal and disposal, Ceres will pump and remove contaminated water, and stabilize the sinkhole as needed with granular fill, over the next several weeks. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The recent destabilization may have resulted from seismic vibrations caused by heavy construction equipment operating nearby the site, according to Kevin Guthrie, the assistant county administrator for public safety.

He reassured the sinkhole is not active, based on information he’s received from geo-engineers and other experts.

“We did anticipate that we were going to have potential problems (during cleanup),” Guthrie said.

The widening temporarily halted cleanup operations and forced building inspectors to condemn five more homes, which show signs of foundation shifts and compromised structural integrity.

The recent destabilization of the sinkhole was the first documented movement since July 19, when the perimeter widened by approximately 10 feet, after sand erosion just below the ground surface dried and collapsed into the hole.

The sinkhole originally opened July 14 in the Lake Padgett community.

Officials say that most of the sinkhole is about 180 feet wide. Its current depth has not been verified.

On the day that the sinkhole opened, it engulfed the properties at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive and 21835 Ocean Drive.

The five additional homes that have met the criteria for demolition are:

  • 21815 Ocean Pines Drive
  • 21814 Ocean Pines Drive
  • 3153 Canal Place
  • 21748 Ocean Pines Drive
  • 21845 Ocean Pines Drive

Meanwhile, cleanup efforts have resumed.

On July 31, the Pasco County Commission approved $1.3 million to remove the debris, eliminate the public health threat and secure the sinkhole site.

Ceres Environmental Services, the main debris removal contractor, worked throughout much of the weekend on cleanup and recovery efforts.

On the afternoon of Aug. 5, crews began dumping truckloads of lime rock to stabilize one side of the sinkhole and create a slope, to remove floating debris via a small platform barge equipped with an excavator. A total of 125 dump trucks of uncrushed lime rock were brought into the sinkhole area, and five semi-loads of debris were removed from the site.

Following debris removal and disposal by Ceres, EnviroWaste Services will begin removing contaminated water from the site, over the next several weeks.

The county also may opt to bring the roadway leading to the sinkhole up to grade, to later be asphalted in.

Guthrie said the “Phase 1” tasks will not be rushed, to prevent any injuries and further evacuations.

“During this recovery process, we are going to be slow, deliberate, methodical in our approach, as to not get anyone injured,” he said. “If we have to slow down, we slow down. Speed is not of the essence here.”

Following the cleanup phase, county administrators will “hit the pause button” to consult with the Pasco County Commission for the next phases.

Possible long-term options range from leaving the sinkhole alone, to filling and repairing the sinkhole, or connecting it to a nearby lake. Estimates on filling the entire sinkhole would require at least 135,000 cubic yards of dirt.

The entire mitigation of the sinkhole is expected to take several months.

During cleanup, the county is deploying four safety officers to monitor the sinkhole. They will alert neighbors door-to-door if additional evacuations are necessary.

Published August 9, 2017

Pasco County allocates $1.3 million for sinkhole response

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Cleanup of a massive sinkhole in the Lake Padgett community in Land O’ Lakes was expected to begin as early as this week, weather permitting.

The Pasco County Commission approved $1.3 million to remove the debris, eliminate the public health threat and secure the site. The action came at a special July 31 board meeting.

Here’s the breakdown on the board’s $1.3 million expenditure:

  • Debris removal at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive and 21835 Ocean Pines Drive by Ceres Environmental Services: $640,099
  • Fill, from various contractors: $300,000
  • Water hauling (Environ Waste): $30,000
  • Tip fees: $14,750
  • Initial response expenditures: $78,194
  • Contingencies: $237,137

The $1.3 million is for the initial “phase one” cleanup, not the absolute sinkhole repair of completely filling the site, grading it and so on, according to county officials.

Debris removal is slated to begin this week, as the Pasco County Commission allocated a $1.3 million for the initial cleanup process. Ceres Environmental Services was awarded the bid for debris removal, not to exceed $640,000. (Kevin Weiss)

After phase one is finished, the county will take a break and determine what to do from there.

Regarding the debris removal by Ceres Environmental Services, County Administrator Dan Biles said the company first will try the dragline methodology, via a long-reach excavator.

The company may also resort to other methods to complete the task, Biles said.

Ceres will remove and dispose of floating debris, will pump and remove contaminated water, and will stabilize the southeast portion of the sinkhole with granular fill.

The cleanup task should take somewhere between two to four weeks, Biles said.

During a July 27 news conference, Kevin Guthrie, the assistant county administrator for public safety, said “I want everybody to have a clear understanding the county is not going to pay taxpayer dollars to completely remediate the sinkhole, bring it back up to pristine condition as it was before and step away.

“We are removing the immediate danger of life and health, which is the debris and the contamination, and then we will move on to that next phase, whatever the (County Commission’s) wishes are at that point in time.”

The sinkhole originally opened on July 14 at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, where it engulfed two homes and a boat.

The now “dormant” sinkhole measures 235 feet wide and approximately 50 feet deep — believed to be the largest in county history. Despite extensive property damage caused by the disaster, no injuries have been reported.

Possible long-term options range from leaving the sinkhole alone, to filling and repairing the sinkhole, or connecting it to a nearby lake. Estimates on filling the entire sinkhole would require approximately 135,000 cubic yards of dirt.

Determining that next step, Guthrie said, will be a “methodical process.”

Guthrie added: “We probably have about three actual, doable contingencies. We will be talking to the board about what their possibilities are, along with the associated costs.

The sinkhole originally opened on July 14 at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, where it engulfed two homes and a boat. The sinkhole now measures 235 feet wide and approximately 50 feet deep—believed to be the largest in county history. (File)

“We’re going to let the board make some important decisions, because at the end of the day, it’s…the taxpayer’s money, and we need to make sure we’re doing the right things by the taxpayers,” Guthrie said.

Last week, the county sent out demand letters and notice of financial responsibility to the homeowners, renters, and companies that did remediation work in the past.

Guthrie reiterated the sinkhole damage is a private matter between each affected party’s insurance company, and the county eventually will seek as much reimbursement as possible.

However, at least one of those insurers has told the county it’s not their problem. And, another argues they’ve already paid a property owner and have no further liability.

Meanwhile, five families still remain displaced. Pasco County Community Services has collaborated with United Way of Pasco to provide 90-day relocation assistance for the affected renters and property owners.

And, over the past week, site activity — including presence from county agencies —began tapering off, after a fencing enclosure was installed on the roadway leading up to the sinkhole on Ocean Pines Drive.

That didn’t stop some residents and sightseers from getting a firsthand look at the destruction.

William Dillon, a Land O’ Lakes resident, marveled at the site Friday evening.

“It’s going to be quite a project getting that stuff out of there,” he said.

He also expressed sympathy for the families affected.

“I just feel sorry for them,” he said. “It’s just terrible.”

Nancy Teague, a nearby Lake Padgett resident, likewise, was in awe of the sinkhole.

“Can you imagine how many millions (of dollars) it would take in concrete to fill it?”

Published August 2, 2017