Waste Company Proposes Vegetative Debris Incinerator In Cantonment

September 23, 2024

UPDATE: The public hearing that was set for Tuesday will be postponed but the proposal remains. Details at the bottom of the story.

An Escambia County company is proposing to use an incinerator to burn vegetative debris at their facility near Highway 29 in Cantonment.

Creek Waste and Recycling is seeking a conditional use approval to use an incinerator to burn land clearing vegetative debris at its existing operating location at 2560 South Highway 95A near East Roberts Road. According to the company, the operation will consist of burning land clearing debris in an above-ground firebox. The resulting ash will be mixed (recycled) with topsoil and be transported off site.

The company plans to use a VRI — volume reduction incinerator — with its own fuel tank on their existing developed site. Creek Waste says it will not require potable water, sewer service or electrical service. The triangular property is bordered by Highway 95A, East Roberts Road and the CSX railroad. There are no directly adjoining parcels.

The proposed incinerator is smokeless, according to the company, and will cover 492 square feet and will only be used during regular operating hours. with minimal odor or other nuisances (sample photo provided by the company below).

The site currently is used by dump trucks and construction equipment as part of the normal daily operation of Creek Waste.

The Escambia County Commission was set to hold a public hearing on the conditional use determination Tuesday, but it will be postponed due to a public notice error. A new date has not been set.

Comments

24 Responses to “Waste Company Proposes Vegetative Debris Incinerator In Cantonment”

  1. anon on September 26th, 2024 5:06 am

    boo hoo, most of you say don’t put another subdivision in, but also don’t put something in that may keep them from encroaching. as far as I’m concerned, it is the owners right to do with their land what they want. the fact the county/state have to get involved is stupid.

  2. Julia fife on September 24th, 2024 9:35 pm

    Let’s move the county commissioner’s to within the 2500 foot distance. Given the number of homes, schools, etc., I personally think this facility should be denied. Truck traffic. Piles of vegetation waiting to be processed, ashes, smoke, smells—what homeowner wants this close to their home. The concrete facility already provides enough noise and dust to my subdivision.

  3. Clark on September 24th, 2024 8:33 pm

    So it’s ok to smoke out the neighborhood when people burn trash piles or to breath the silica coming from the concrete plant . People are strange

  4. ECUA on September 24th, 2024 4:42 pm

    I guess no one knows ECUA has one at the compost facility for stumps and large tree trunks. That are too large for the mulching machine. Did they need the same conditional use permit.

  5. Dead man's curve on September 24th, 2024 10:04 am

    The incinerator is one thing but what about the increased traffic flow?? My parents live directly behind this facility across the train tracks. There is already a blind spot trying to pull out on Palafox from East Roberts rd. What is the additional truck traffic going to do there? This area of Palafox was called Dead man’s curve back in the day. Let’s not go back there…..

  6. This must not happen. on September 24th, 2024 9:12 am

    It’s unbelievable that someone would want to site the facility in the middle of all the people who live, attend school, church, work, in this area.

    How is there even enough room to store the vegetative debris while waiting to be burned? Does anyone recall the smell from the vegetation pits/piles following Hurricane Ivan? The facility near 29 and 9 1/2 Mile road could be smelled miles away.

    The noise from the cement plant is bad enough…especially when they’re jackhammering concrete from the trucks late into the night…

  7. Mongo on September 24th, 2024 2:02 am

    If the county commissioners approve this, then it is clear that they don’t have the best interests of the people they represent in mind. All 5 should then be voted out come November.

    There are multiple Health Care facilities to the North, businesses and residential neighborhoods in close proximity in every direction. Tate is 1.3 miles to the Northwest, Lipscomb Elementary 1.1 miles to the Southeast.

    A simple Google search will show all of the negative health issues from an incinerator. Who would be monitoring that only vegetation is being burned?

    The common sense answer is “No”. If common sense doesn’t prevail, then hopefully it will at the ballot box for the Commissioners.

  8. MR REALITY on September 24th, 2024 12:43 am

    Any CC who votes for this should be investigated.

  9. Yvonne Ellis on September 24th, 2024 12:15 am

    I live within the proposed area. I vote NO! Not the proper place for an incinerator. Too many schools, residential housing communities, churches are less than quarter of a mile away. Put the new incinerator by the paper mill or Ascend plant.

  10. devolving on September 23rd, 2024 11:29 pm

    take your money and your greed and go somewhere else THE LOT OF YOU.

  11. Cheryl Simmons on September 23rd, 2024 3:05 pm

    I recently moved to this area from Bellview where, in 2005, a company proposed the same idea to the then county commissioners. They approved it for “just debris” burning. HOWEVER, after a year or more, the company begin dumping construction debris and other more hazardous materials. Then the company vamoosed, leaving the county to pick up the cost of covering the “material” with dirt. Just drive by Saufley Field and Godwin Lane to see the “mountain” that was created. Homeowners on Crowsby Lane have been getting runoff for years. Nothing grows. We must not allow this to happen to our community!

  12. Alex on September 23rd, 2024 2:57 pm

    @Mr Bear
    I live out in the country…
    I am at less risk than you?

  13. devolving on September 23rd, 2024 2:20 pm

    get out of town… LITERALLY

  14. TC on September 23rd, 2024 1:05 pm

    The Incinerator is located 2.3 miles from Tate High, 5.8 miles from Molino Elementary, 8.4 miles from Ransom Middle and Kingsfield Elementary, 10 miles from Lipscomp, Westgate and McArthur Elementary and 10.6 miles from Pine Meadow Elementary. If you measure the distance as the “crow” flies or WIND blows, it is even closer.
    It is not safe for our community.
    Please vote NO for this project!

  15. Addie on September 23rd, 2024 11:51 am

    Thx for notice on postponement. We have distributed tons of notices in our surrounding neighborhoods to concerned neighbors. We do not want this & hope we are informed of the next proposed meeting.

  16. Jason on September 23rd, 2024 11:28 am

    While the current request may be for just the burning of “vegetation” to reduce what is disposed of at the landfill, residents must be concerned about what could happen down the road? Will other waste eventually get burned? What happens when prohibited items enter the waste stream such as pressure treated wood, tires, plastics or styrofoam?

    The best practice for disposing of “vegetative material” is by composting. The ash being generated by burning is a known carcinogen and dangerous to the environment. If you can mix the ash with soil, you can compost the material for re-sale.

    While I live outside the 2500 radius for notification of this project, I am still close enough to have to pass by the site several times a day. Residents should be adamant about the denial of this conditional use permit. IMHO, our District 5 Commissioner should be leading the way to DENY the permit.

  17. Mr Bear on September 23rd, 2024 11:19 am

    This absolutely does not belong anywhere near where people live.

    Take that way out in the country where the population is not at risk.

  18. JimC on September 23rd, 2024 10:54 am

    There are a lot of residential developments and homes very nearby this location. It’s bad enough putting up with airborne “stuff” from the paper mill and Ascend plants.

  19. Big Jim on September 23rd, 2024 10:54 am

    This seems like too urban a location for an incinerator. In the middle of a large parcel in the country or an industrial park would be more acceptable.

  20. JJ on September 23rd, 2024 10:49 am

    No smoke?
    Minimal odor? Any odorv In that area is WRONG!
    JUST PUT IT IN THE PARKING LOT AT WIND CREEK!!!
    STILL LMAO

  21. Susie on September 23rd, 2024 10:46 am

    Incineration can release pollutants like co2, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter into the atmosphere. Hazardous ash and residue is the end result. What will occur in their mixed loads including plastics? This should be NO WHERE near a residential area. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN. I doubt seriously it’s only vegetative when we have a ton of litterbugs here!!! There should be restrictions not only near residential but near a busy highway.

  22. vanhale-n on September 23rd, 2024 10:31 am

    WHAT PROTECTION FOR THE BLOSSMON REFILL STATION NEAR THIS PLACE?

  23. Just read on September 23rd, 2024 9:11 am

    From the article

    “ The proposed incinerator is smokeless, according to the company,”

  24. Smoke on September 23rd, 2024 7:49 am

    How much low level smoke will cover Highway 29 and affect the local residents with health issues.





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