Lakeland organic soil facility shut down after years of bad smells

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Lakeland residents said they’ve had a smelly nightmare in their backyard, but the situation could be changing.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is ordering an organic site be shut down.

BS Ranch turns trash and human waste into soil. For years, it has been blamed for the stench.

The organic soil facility was told to cease operations after the DEP decided not to renew the company’s permit.

“We’re still in a lawsuit with them to make sure they permanently go away,” Polk County Commissioner Bill Braswell said. “BS Ranch convinced us that they could take it and handle it in a way that wouldn’t produce any odors, which was completely false, and we suffered for seven years since then.”

However, septic waste removal companies in the area have been left in a bind.

“Now we have to travel to Hillsborough or Orange County and the surrounding counties to dispose of the waste that’s generated here,” said Sonny Averett, owner of Averett Septic Tank.

Averett is worried about the expense of transporting the waste to other facilities and the impact that will have on his customers.

“They charge more in the other counties, and we have to haul it further so we’re getting less done everyday,” said Averett.  “The diesel it takes to travel that far will cause residents to have to pay more.”

“We have been exposed to it for years,” said Kirk Sullivan, a nearby business owner.

County commissioners are looking in options for a temporary solution as plans to build a new treatment facility take shape.

“An odor is transportable,” Sullivan said. “It can blow in the wind, and it rains down on you.  All of our employees work outside, and it rains down on them on them as well.”

The new site is expected to open by the end of next year.

News Channel 8 reached out to BS Ranch and Farm, but the owner was unable to share a comment due to ongoing litigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.