St. Johns County tosses new trash company

FCC Environmental Services started work as St. Johns County’s new trash hauler Aug. 1, but after three weeks on the job and thousands of complaints from residents, the county is leaving the company out on the curb.

The St. Johns County Commission unanimously agreed Tuesday morning to terminate its contract with FCC Environmental Services and to seek assistance from other solid waste companies to fill in the gaps left by FCC’s service.

“You have created in our community a public safety and a public health crisis,” County Commissioner Sarah Arnold said. “I, personally, can say I’ve lost all trust in FCC. I believe the majority of our residents would feel the same way.”

Last year, seeking a new trash and recycling hauler, the county approved a $28.3 million contract with FCC. The company was the cheapest option, but several of the other companies that threw their hat in the ring last year offered the County Commission their help now.

Jacksonville-based Meridian Waste is one of the companies St. Johns may get some help from, as the company has offered to “piggyback” parts of St. Johns County onto its existing contract with Jacksonville. A representative from the company said doing so could lead to their becoming the county’s official solid waste provider once FCC is out.

While the county works to terminate its contract with the embattled trash company, FCC is also expected to pay St. Johns County back for costs incurred to mobilize its own staff to pick up residents’ trash.

The county also unanimously approved instituting a state of emergency this week to ensure all overdue trash pickups are completed by Sunday.

FCC CEO Dan Brazil said the county’s decision was “disheartening,” but after listening to residents complain, the county was adamant.

“I think there’s no argument to be had that you lived up to your end of the bargain,” Arnold said. “I think you, quite frankly, failed our community.”

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