Public Meeting - Tropicana Draft UIC And IW-NPDES Permits

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Drinking Water and Aquifer Protection Program and Southwest District Office announce an open house public meeting to which all persons are invited. During this public meeting, representatives of both DEP and the applicant (Tropicana Manufacturing Company, Inc., or Tropicana) will be available to answer questions and provide information about two draft permits: (1) a draft underground injection control (UIC) permit, and (2) a draft Industrial Wastewater/National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (IW-NPDES) permit. The continued operation of two injection wells at the facility requires the renewal of both permits.

Tropicana applied for renewal of its IW-NPDES permit on March 19, 2019, and renewal of its UIC permit on May 16, 2019. This project is located at 1001 13th Avenue East, Bradenton, Florida 34208, and includes operation of two nonhazardous Class V injection wells: IW-1 with total depth of 1,108 feet below land surface (BLS) and IW-2 with total depth of 1,640 feet BLS. Class V wells IW-1 and IW-2 are to be used for disposal of treated process wastewater from the Tropicana Bradenton citrus processing facility. The draft NPDES permit (File No. FL0000043-014-IW1S) was issued on May 7, 2019, and the draft UIC permit (File No. 036779-019-020-UO/5X, WACS ID No. 93718) was issued on Sept. 23, 2020.

The corresponding Notices of Draft Permit for both were published in the Bradenton Herald on Sept. 25, 2020. These draft permits have been noticed following an extensive review of plans by DEP, including engineering and geology professionals.

A copy of the meeting agenda may be obtained by contacting Gene Honeycutt, DEP Drinking Water and Aquifer Protection Program, by U.S. mail at 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3530, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400, by phone at 850-245-8848 or by email at Gene.Honeycutt@FloridaDEP.gov. More information on the draft UIC permit may be obtained by contacting Gene Honeycutt as listed above. More information on the draft IW-NPDES permit may be obtained by contacting Erica Peck, DEP Southwest District Office, by U.S. mail at 13501 N. Telecom Parkway, Suite 101, Temple Terrace, FL 33637, by phone at 813-470-5903 or by email at Erica.Peck@FloridaDEP.gov.

All oral or written public comments on the subject permit applications should be provided to DEP prior to 5 pm EDT on Monday, May 1, 2023. Persons wishing to provide written public comments should provide a copy of the comments to Gene Honeycutt or Erica Peck as listed above or can be entered into the record during the public meeting. Those wishing to enter oral comments into the record at the public meeting will be able to do so on an individual basis at an oral comment station. All comments received within the 30-day period and through 5 pm EDT on Monday, May 1, 2023 will be considered in formulation of DEP's final decisions regarding permit issuance. All significant comments shall be considered in making the final decision and shall be addressed as provided in Rule 62-528.330, F.A.C.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 48 hours before the meeting by contacting Gene Honeycutt as listed above. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (voice).