That Smell in Tangerine, Florida and Nearby Neighborhoods

  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 relate...

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...

 

  I attended the Mount Dora City Council meeting last night for the sole purpose of following up on the landfill and odor complaints we have when the wind is coming in from the North. One thing I noted right away is that simply bringing up the odor brought a lot of attention (in a good way) to allow the annexation of the landfill into Mount Dora. The landfill isn't the end-all, be-all cause of the odor problems at Sullivan Ranch It can reach a height of 205 feet and that would make it the highest elevation in the city when it reaches maximum capacity (it would be attractively landscaped and be tiered) A landscaping buffer is planned between the landfill and Sullivan Ranch within the next year or so (no definite dates) Several citizens and council members toured the landfill and only one noted an odor and that was in only one section Our questions brought out other issues such as planning and zoning concerns The facility would provide revenue to Mount Dora in the form of a portion o...

  Dear Mr. Sandersfeld, It is my understanding that Mid-Florida Materials (dump) has requested that the City of Mount Dora annex their property.  It is also my understanding that this issue is to be voted on at the city council meeting to be held on Thursday, September 24, 2020. I was wondering if you could advise me if the city will aggressively deal with the problem of the odors emanating from the dump as a condition of the annexation.   I live on Lake Ola Drive and we have had problems lately with odors from the dump.  We reported this to Lake County and when their person came out to investigate he basically said he did not believe us, that the odors could not travel this far and that he was not going to write a report.  This was told to my neighbor who had tree trimmers working at her house at the time who also verified that they could smell the objectionable odors. Our area has been vigorously fighting severe odor issues with Shelley's Septic and Anuvi...

sandersfeldv@cityofmountdora.com Hello  Mr. Sandersfeld, I recently learned that the Mid-Florida Materials (construction dump) has requested that the City of Mount Dora annex their property into the city and that this issue is to be voted on at the City Council meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2020. I am seeking information on how the city will deal with the odors coming from this dump that the residents of nearby communities, including Sullivan Ranch, have long complained of. Specifically, I want to know if Mount Dora can make it clear that odors will not be tolerated. At times, when the wind in coming in from the North, we can smell the dump as far South as Lake Ola Drive in Tangerine. I spoke with a member of the dump management and he assured me that they've had no complaints since they took ownership. The county sent someone out the day when I complained, who came to my house. By then the atmospheric pressure had risen and the smell was gone. The county official informed me ...

  The dump on 46 that has been the source of recent smells in our area is about to be annexed by Mount Dora! The annexation is scheduled for the Mount Dora City Council meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. We need all able bodies to show up at the city council meeting to show opposition to the annexation of the dump! Please go to the city council meeting if you are available! Thank you in advance! Below is a comment typical of those we get from nearly residents who have lived with the smell of this dump for years. It's much worse in the Sullivan Ranch area than it is in Tangerine. There are many others but it's 5:30 am and I went to bed after midnight so I'm stopping here.  - First thank you for accepting me in this group, second I wake up to that aweful smell as well I live in Sullivan ranch, I’ve been here for about 8 yrs and it has gotten worse over the yrs. I’m hoping it gets resolved what can I do to help it along? Please come to the meeting. We cannot ...

Daniel from Commissioner Moore's office responded almost immediately to the e-mail I sent yesterday.  So we responded immediately as well.  We also got more information about the location. The dump is located in Lake County but smell knows no boundaries so we can smell it in Tangerine on occasion.  I'd like to extend special thanks to the Facebook group members who helped me get the address and information for Commissioner Moore's office. 

Good morning, It's been a while since I've posted on here so it's time for an update.  Orange County's odor reporting site is acting glitchy and kicking people off. It's weird, sometimes it works and sometimes not. Maria Repass of Orange County is checking into it. In the meantime, send her an e-mail at maria.repass@ocfl.net. FDEP's odor reporting site is working fine.  All of the odors reported recently are of the "poopy" variety according to the information I have. Anuvia is still closed. I sent an e-mail to Ashley Gardner recently asking her to let us know when they plan to reopen. Anuvia has to give them a 30-day notice to allow for inspections before they reopen.  Recent messages posted in the Facebook group include: Poopy sewer smell. Smelt that funk at 7:45 am, to funkin' funky. Terrible Manure smell at 8am when I woke up in Stoneybrook Hills I was awakened from a dead sleep this morning by a horrendous odor. I have bloodwork to be done tod...

Monterey Mushrooms is another suspect in the type of odors that come from Shelley's and Anuvia according to a source in the FDEP For Zellwood, Tangerine, Surrounding Neighborhoods May 12, 2020 We Have Odor Reports Today from the Early Morning A Note From the Editor We are now able to report odors to the FDEP online. We still need to send an e-mail or call Orange County to report to them. Orange County is working on having an online system to report and it was supposed to be up this week. The virus is slowing things down.  Online Odor Reporting for FDEP Zero Days Without an Odor Report Of Note: Odor Reports Call and write e-mails when you smell the odors.  Don't give up, that is what the offending businesses want us to do. The e-mail list is located at the bottom of the page and the link for online reporting is above.  Letters and Correspondence Helpful Links Don't forget to leave a google review  for ...

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...