BCI Engineers and Scientists

Okeechobee Land Development, Inc. operates a limestone gravel and aggregate mine of approximately 1,200 acres in Port Mayaca, Florida. The site is located along the southern side of State Road 76, approximately one mile east of the shore of Lake Okeechobee. Once the existing mining operation is complete, the property is currently planned to be converted to a residential community.

Previous land use at the property included sugar cane production. Prior to transfer of the property from sugar cane production to mining operations, a series of surfi cial soil samples were collected and screened for the presence of several metals, including arsenic. The soil cleanup target level identifi ed in Chapter 62- 77, Florida Administrative Code with respect to arsenic in a residential setting is 2.1 mg/kg. The level of arsenic in the soil sample near the former maintenance facility exceeded allowable limits.

BCI was retained to assess the extent of soil with arsenic above the allowable level, and to supervise and monitor the excavation of this soil. Soil from this area was excavated and delivered to a landfi ll permitted to accept this soil.

Once the soil was removed, a set of followup soil samples was collected for laboratory analysis. The fi nal set of soil samples indicated that the sidewalls and fl oor of the excavation did not contain arsenic in concentrations above applicable regulatory limits.

Upon receipt of the analytical results BCI prepared a report titled “Interim Source Removal of Arsenic de Minimus Discharge” for eventual presentation to the South Florida Water Management District and Florida Department of Environmental Protection.