Lee County: Dispose burning mulch and debris by Nov. 7

Reporter: Morgan Rynor
Published: Updated:
FILE: This file photo shows that a big fire flared over the weekend at the MW Horticulture’s site off Thomas Road Oct. 22, 2018. Photo via WINK News.
FILE: This file photo shows that a big fire flared over the weekend at the MW Horticulture’s site off Thomas Road Oct. 22, 2018. Photo via WINK News.

Lee County reach a conclusion Wednesday that all of the burning mulch and debris will need to be taken away, as early as Nov. 7. In the meantime, residents are living with an abundance of smoke permeating in the air, on a daily basis.

“You can tell that I’m congested from everything that’s going on,” Joyce Damron said.

MW Horticulture said it all started because Lee County requested it to bring in Hurricane Irma debris, but would not let them grind it up. The family owned organic compost company was only authorized to haul it off.

If the county just let us grind none of us would be here,” Denise said, “What they’ve done to our company and reputation is just wrong.”

But Lee County said MW Horticulture was in violation. Now Lee County is making MW Horticulture move the burning piles section by section with the risk of fires starting.

“If debris removal efforts have not commenced by November 7th, 2018 and continue uninterrupted, the respondent will be fined 200 dollars for each day the violation continues,” Lee County said in a statement.

While MW Horticulture feels like it got the short end of the stick, people like Damron are happy her life may soon return to normal.

Haul it away and get rid of it,” Damron said. “Never put it back there near this, near residents again.”

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