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The county commission voted 3-2 to approve a special permit for the operation of a sprayfield April 15.

Raymond Howard will operate the sprayfield on 2.81 acres of his property in O’Brien to dispose of waste for his business in which he pumps out septic tanks. Septage (household waste) that is pumped out will be neutralized through a lime stabilization process before it is disposed of.

Ellen Vause, who represented Howard at the meeting, said land application is the only current means of septage disposal in Suwannee County.

“If someone would provide a stabilization facility for Mr. Howard to take it to, I’m sure he would bypass all this agitation and come right to the county with it,” Vause said.

Commission Chairman Douglas Udell asked about the process of stabilization before the material is spread.

Vause said state standards require the material be stabilized to a pH level that causes bacteria and viruses to die and that the soil must be tested before the material is spread.

“On your records you have to record the pH of the septage before you apply it,” she said.

Commissioner Randy Hatch reported on a visit to the site.

“In about three minutes the odor just dissipated,” he said.

Hatch said after septage was pumped out of a septic tank, it went through an agitation process and then was tested before being spread onto the acreage.

Hatch asked whether a real estate agent selling land near the sprayfield is required to notify potential buyers of the activity of the operation.

County Attorney Hal Airth said he was not aware of such a requirement.

Commissioner Billy Maxwell was concerned with how the sprayfield would affect property values, and with the impact the operation would have on the community.

Commissioner Ivie Fowler shared those concerns.

“If the neighborhood thought it was good I wouldn’t have 122 petitions saying no,” Fowler said.

Commissioner Jesse Caruthers said he wanted the county to soon explore the possibility of developing a facility to accept and treat such material.

A public hearing in March drew several of Howard’s neighbors, who protested the sprayfield. Some neighbors took issue with the smell. Others argued the sprayfield might contaminate the drinking water. Still others said that such an operation would cause property values to decrease.

Several family members disputed neighbors’ claims and Vause said that Howard had met all requirements of the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Environmental Health and other agencies.

The permit was approved under the following conditions: 1) four rows of trees will be planted on the property to act as a buffer zone, 2) the septage would be required to go to a public facility to be treated and dumped if such a facility were to open locally, 3) the county commission will receive a report of the facilities test wells from the Department of Health and 4) Howard would have to enroll in the CARES program to utilize best management practices and additional monitoring for the operation.

Maxwell and Fowler voted against the permit application.