By DEP Enters Consent Order With Trulieve
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection entered into a formal consent order with Trulieve on Oct. 2 requiring the company to address wastewater discharges at its Capps Highway cannabis cultivation facility in Monticello, Jefferson County. The order follows months of complaints from nearby residents about runoff from the facility at 1948 Capps Highway.
DEP identified the wastewater as reverse-osmosis reject water and condensate from dehumidifiers and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. The wastewater is routed to an irrigation sediment basin and sprayed on designated areas of the property.
DEP found that Trulieve “sprayed the Wastewater onto its outdoor lawn,” with some moving beyond the facility perimeter without a DEP permit. The agency determined the activity violated state environmental statutes and regulations.
The consent order did not find that Trulieve contaminated drinking water or waterways with unsafe levels of pollutants. Earlier testing also found no contamination linked to the facility, according to State Rep. Allison Tant.
Trulieve neither admits nor agrees that DEP’s findings constitute violations of statutory or common law, but agreed to be bound by the consent order and its enforcement provisions.
Residents Call The Order A Victory
The finding was welcomed by residents who pushed state regulators to investigate the facility. “This is a huge victory for our community,” Cindy Pyburn of Concerned Residents of Jefferson County wrote in an Oct.
“For months, residents were told that what we were seeing leave the Trulieve property was rainwater and that the runoff issues had been addressed,” Pyburn wrote in the letter. “Now, DEP’s consent order puts its findings and the steps Trulieve must take in writing.”
Pyburn said residents view the order as progress rather than the end of the dispute. “There is still work ahead to make sure the requirements are carried out, and the wastewater and runoff problems are corrected on the ground,” she wrote.
“Concerned Residents of Jefferson County will be following these matters and keeping our neighbors informed,” Pyburn added in the letter.
The group plans to continue monitoring compliance at the facility going forward.
Compliance Deadlines And Penalties
Under the order, Trulieve has 30 days to submit an interim irrigation plan designed to prevent wastewater from leaving the property and reaching neighboring properties. DEP says the plan could include reduced application rates, alternating application zones and reduced irrigation times.
Trulieve must apply within 120 days for a wastewater permit covering the discharges identified by DEP. The company and agency expect the permitting process to reach a final decision within 12 months.
The order requires Trulieve to pay $80,000 within 90 days, or instead propose a DEP-approved environmental enhancement, restoration or facility-improvement project worth at least $120,000. Trulieve told WCTV that it worked with DEP to reach an agreement allowing environmental site improvements in place of the payment and said it takes environmental compliance seriously.
WCTV reported that the company plans to pursue the $120,000 improvement option.
