This story originally stated that each member of the settlement was given financial compensation to pay for water filtration. It was updated to reflect that only some members have received such compensation.
Over 25 students and southeast Gainesville residents gathered outside the Alachua County Commission building Tuesday to protest the Florence Landfill, the final resting place of local construction demolition waste since the 1990s.
The group stationed a hand-painted banner in downtown Gainesville depicting a growing landfill in grey and neon green, piling onto the lawn with signs and T-shirts that read “dump the dump.” The Alachua County Commission unanimously approved a six-part motion to address the long-standing community health and environmental concerns.
A sea of public commenters shared personal stories about living in neighborhoods adjacent to a 25-foot pile of discarded building materials, which can contain dangerous chemicals like cancer-causing asbestos. With the landfill located in walking distance of the La Chua Trail and Boulware Springs, commenters expressed worry conservation areas and groundwater could be contaminated.
One resident said their family had been drinking well water with high levels of lead and arsenic, and another wondered if their continual sinus problems could be from thick dust. The same person also recalled their sister being struck down by a Florence truck. Some alleged certain neighborhoods were coerced into publicly endorsing the landfill with favors from its owner Paul Florence, like repaving damaged roads. There were also complaints of constant noise, odor and other health issues.
“We deserve better,” said Johnell Gainey, a 56-year-old Southeast Gainesville resident.
A county special-use permit dictates the site’s operation, which the commission reapproved several times since Florence acquired the area nearly 30 years ago. The most recent reapproval was in 2018.
The landfill hasn’t requested another extension since. Florence instead opted to continue running under a state emergency order issued during Subtropical System Nicole in 2022, which allowed the landfill to proceed for two years in the extreme weather’s aftermath.
The order expired in 2024, but it provides a 24-month grace period before enforcing closure in August 2026, according to the commission.
The six-part motion required the county to meet multiple deadlines: develop an air pollution regulation plan and review installing anti-truck signs along several streets within 60 days; and present an early closure plan for the landfill within 90 days. The order also called for graphing groundwater contamination data and for Florence to be contacted about sending drywall waste to a separate facility in Palatka – Putnam County’s governing seat.
The commission will conclude its motion with a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection advocating the landfill be shut down ahead of schedule.
“We represent you all,” Commissioner Ken Cornell said. “This board has made commitments to not just removing injustices in East Gainesville but actually … bringing positive change.”
Though Commissioner Anna Prizzia emphasized the 2018 permit approval was intended to be the last, she said the Florence Landfill had been committed to running as responsibly as possible.
Among those who watched from the pews were Gabrielle Keller, a 20-year-old UF public relations junior, and Marlee Pricher, a 22-year-old public relations senior. They represented the on-campus “dump the dump” campaign, a partnership between the Public Interest Communication Student Association and residents standing against the Florence site.
Keller presented a booklet of over 200 signatures backing the movement collected from just two hours of tabling in Turlington Plaza. There’s no lack of support within the community, she said.
“We want this dump to close,” she said. “We want our people to be safe.”
However, Florence Landfill attorney Patrice Boyes quickly stepped to the public comment lectern following the commission’s motion. In response to negative local sentiments, she referenced a legal settlement in June between Florence and a group of residents who challenged the landfill’s FDEP permit.
Some of the residents were given $2,000 to pay for water filtration, Boyes said, something she views as a concession but community members see as a “goodie” to earn their support.
She also argued state statutes allow the site to operate through October 2027 and strongly discouraged pursuing early closure.
“We’ll have conflict if you continue to go down that road,” Boyes said.
The commission will reconvene Feb. 11 for its regularly scheduled meeting.
Contact Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp at rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rylan_digirapp.
Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp is the enterprise environmental reporter and a third-year journalism and environmental science major. She has also worked as the metro editor, enterprise political reporter and metro news assistant. Outside of the newsroom, you can usually find her haunting local coffee shops.
