A Suwannee County landfill just north of Live Oak could become the type to take household garbage if the Suwannee County Commission approves a zoning special permit. The facility currently operates as a construction and debris landfill site and is located near the intersection of US 129 North and I-10 in Live Oak, near the city of Live Oak’s newly installed water tower.

According to records from the Suwannee County Building Department, Clyde A. Biston of Cross Environmental Resources Management, LLC. has applied for a zoning special permit for the landfill to be upgraded to a class 1 municipal solid waste facility. The agent for Biston is listed as Frank A. Darabi, president of Darabi and Associates, Inc. of Gainesville.

“Should this measure become approved, the facility would be capable of handling household garbage from the North Florida area,” District 1 County Commissioner Jesse Caruthers said.

While District 5 County Commissioner Wesley Wainwright said he is not familiar with the proposed landfill change, he would be open to the possibility of the county contracting with the facility for disposing of garbage.

“I’ve only heard rumors at this point,” Wainwright said, “but that type of landfill would have to be double lined.”

Suwannee County currently transports all household garbage to a site in South Georgia that is operated by Waste Management. According to Suwannee County Public Works Director Randy Harris, the county is currently under contract with Pritchett Trucking of Lake Butler to transport the garbage.

“Our cost for transporting the garbage to Georgia is $620,000 annually,” he said. “That is only transport costs and does not include any other fees. I have been looking into different locations to dispose of the garbage, hoping to curb the expense of transport.”

District 2 County Commissioner Clyde Fleming stated during an interview that the landfill use change could be good for the county if the Environmental Protection Agency approved of the measure.

“I would make a decision on the matter based on the benefits to the county,” District 4 Commissioner Phillip Oxendine said.

District 3 County Commissioner Ivie Fowler said he doesn’t know enough about the landfill change to base a decision at this point.

“I couldn’t make a decision on the matter until it’s presented by the engineers,” Fowler said during an interview.

According to Darabi, the current landfill does not have liners to protect the aquifer but should the zoning special permit be approved and a class 1 municipal solid waste facility locate at the existing landfill, liners would be installed.

Darabi insists the location for the landfill is ideal because the property will not effect anyone else’s property.

“If anything it is an improvement over existing conditions,” Darabi said.

Darabi insists the landfill change would offer no threat to the city’s nearby water tower.

“The water tower is strictly based on a pipe and pump system and the landfill will pose no hazard to the city’s drinking water,” Darabi said.

While Darabi understands the concerns of the landfill use change, he plans to present a workshop in Suwannee County in the coming days to discuss the economical and environmental impact the landfill would have on the area.

Live Oak City Administrator Bob Farley offered no opinion of potential concerns from the proposed zoning special permit, citing they were awaiting information from the engineers.