Looking Back at 2020: That Smell in Tangerine and Surrounding Communities


 

Nearly a year ago, the founders of "That Smell in Tangerine and Surrounding Communities" came to the conclusion that it was going to take a concerted effort to reduce the odor problems in our area. 

We started out as Tangerine residents living primarily around Lake Ola and spread to Zellwood, Stoneybrook Hills, and as far North as Round Lake Road. The Tangerine Improvement Society had been encouraging members to call elected officials when there was an odor. We saw that it wasn't enough and nothing was happening to solve the problems. 

It was time to step up the effort, so the Facebook page page was born on January 12, 2020. It gave residents a chance to share their experiences and to begin to reach the right people at the regulatory level. It wasn't all peaches and cream, though. At least one employee  of Shelley's Septic Tank and his/her friends were among the first members and they popped up and defended the sources of the smell, especially when it was related to the septic business. We routed them out but I'm sure they'll try to get in again. 

Fast forward to January 12, 2021 and Anuvia is shuttered until certain requirements are met as ordered by the FDEP, Shelley's Septic Tank was cited for numerous code violations, Moneterey Mushrooms was ordered to correct part of its wastewater treatment procedure as it was in violation of Florida law, and Jones Avenue in Zellwood is a cleaner place. We have members in Lake County as we are dealing with odors from the waste water treatment plant on 441 and some still complain about odors from the landfill both of which are located in Lake County. 

And to think it all started as a little FB group and we're not done yet. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Locations of Odor Complaints 3-03-2020

Image
The Daily Sludge Report Zero Days Without A Smell Report Check back for updates as reports come in It's 2:07 am on a clear and beautiful night . I took the dog out for a late walk, and there it was, waiting for me like a cat stalks a lizard... The stink. This morning was another day of stink . My phone was blowing up and I hadn't even opened my laptop. There'll be a lot to unpack today so hold on.  This was sent to Anuvia FB. "Hello. I live in Tangerine. March 2, 2020, and many other days in the last two years, I have taken my dogs out for a walk. As soon as we go out the door, we are hit by the strong smell of fertilizer and human waste smell. We often have to go back inside and wait until the smell goes away. Most of the time it just sits there like a heavy cloud. I am a captive in my own home, and my dogs have to suffer. This smell makes my throat burn and I start coughing. With the threat of coronavirus COVID-19 that specifically attacks the lungs, an...
Read more

Mount Dora's Wastewater Treatment Plant Smells.

Image
To: grusauskasj@cityofmountdora.com Letter 1 Dear Mr. Grusaukas,   I had to go to CVS in Mount Dora last night at 10:00 p.m.  I was traveling north on 441 and when I got to Stoneybrook Parkway there was a horrible sewage smell, even with the car windows up.  When I got to the top of the hill to the water plant the smell was enough to make you gag!  I continued to smell it all the way to Renningers.   45 minutes later when I was returning home and traveling south on 441 the stench was still there.  I cannot believe the poor residents of Stoneybrook are subjected to this.  What is wrong with the water plant?  I travel to Leesburg all the time and go right past their water plant and it never smells.  Mount Dora’s water plant is also an eyesore!  It is covered in black mold and looks disgusting!  Other towns have their water plants painted and they look neat and clean.   Mount Dora painted the stalls around the dumpsters in to...
Read more

Recording Odors and More: Advice for Sullivan Ranch and Stoneybrook Hills Residents

I haven't written about the Mount Dora City Council meeting on December 15th yet for several reasons. You can listen to a recording of the meeting here.  Although I was there, I spent all of the meeting in the hallway as the room was too crowded during a pandemic, so I didn't hear much of what was going on.  Although fixing the smell is important to me, my health and my significant other's health is more important.  It was clear to me that there was no regard for Covid-19 when the decision was made to hold the meeting in the City Council Meeting Room instead of the much larger Community Room. I don't know the room measurements but I believe that it was unsafe to be in. (I have a contract tracing certificate from Johns Hopkins.) You can calculate the number of safe minutes using the square footage, ceiling height, and the number of people present here.   I don't know how big the room is but I assumed it was 1,000 square feet with 12-foot ceilings. I don't know ho...
Read more