The state of Florida issued Hernando County Utility Department a violation for sewage overflow due to Hurricane Irma, incurring a $6,000 penalty plus a $500 administrative fee.
In a letter to Chairman Champion and the Board of County Commissioners, Mary Yeargan the Florida Department of Environmental Protection District Director explains that their findings conclude the county released 33,225 gallons of untreated wastewater into the Gulf of Mexico, which then entered into a wetland area.
The FDEP gave the county the option of completing an in-kind project valued a 1.5 times the civil penalty amount. The in-kind project must be approved by the FDEP and must be an environmental enhancement, restoration, or a capital facility improvement project. They also note that they would consider a donation of environmentally sensitive lands.
The Hernando County Utilities Department elected to complete an in-kind project rather than paying the penalty.