ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Fires and smoke are spreading. Neighbors say the St. Johns County facility burns wood more often than necessary.
The St. Johns County Commission took emergency action this week to investigate a yard waste business. According to a press release issued Tuesday night, the county is “moving aggressively toward revoking the permit and taking decisive steps to shut down the operation.”
“It's affecting our health. We can't have fun at home. We can't go outside. We can't go for walks,” Genevieve Mongon told First Coast News. She said smoke from businesses near her is impacting her and her family, as well as her neighbors who live in and near the Palencia community in St. Johns County.
“Everyone thought it was just a controlled burn. No one realized the facility was on fire,” she said.
She's talking about the Ancient City Wood Recycling Yard on St. Mark's Pond Boulevard, a few miles from her home. According to the company's own description sent to her state, the outdoor operation stores waste wood and separates, separates, and chips/mills the waste wood to recover biofuel and mulch.
The principal at Palencia Elementary School kept students indoors several times in the past few weeks when the smoke outside was thick. It is unclear whether the smoke that affected the school was caused by wood recycling in the ancient city, but some mothers believe so.
“We have been caught up in smoke and ash from this facility three times,” Mongon said.
On Tuesday, she and other concerned neighbors showed St. Johns County commissioners photos of fires from 2022 and 2023, as well as photos from mid-February 2024 showing the property on fire. Ta.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection documents confirm that a fire occurred at the business during that period. Ultimately, the DEP's inspection last year found multiple violations, including unauthorized burning, unpleasant odors, and unauthorized processing that violated air quality standards. Most recently, the DEP told the facility they could not bring in any more wood to burn and needed to extinguish any fires still burning on the property.
First Coast News observed small flames and smoke at the scene Wednesday.
“I think this place needs to be shut down,” Mongon said.
First Coast News reached out to the owner and his attorney. His lawyer said he was unable to respond.
Mongon and others have petitioned the state and county to take action. St. Johns County commissioners on Tuesday voted to investigate whether Ancient City Wood Recycling violated a special use permit issued by the county. Part of that permit limits bonfire hours to once a week when the wind blows through Mongon's neighborhood.
A press release from St. Johns County government Wednesday night said, “Following the board's decision (Tuesday), the business owner reached an agreement with the county this morning to cease incineration operations. However, following the agreement Instead,” he said. , the operator chose to continue burning the material, further compounding the operation's non-compliance. The county immediately dispatched fire and rescue teams to the scene. Fire and rescue services will remain at the scene until the fire is extinguished. Additionally, county officials plan to issue cease and desist letters to businesses. ”
