Floyd Hall debris causes environmental problems

Contractors work to remove rubble from Floyd Hall demolition. The university awarded a contract to B. H. Craig Construction, but the company illegally dumped debris off of three Lauderdale County roads.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management reports Gist Excavating in dumping debris from Floyd Hall in three illegal lots.

The university awarded a $416,000 contract to B. H. Craig Construction to take down the abandoned academic building and do additional work to prep the site for future construction.

Gist Excavating, subcontracted by B. H. Craig Construction, removed Floyd’s debris after contractors finished demolition, according to ADEM.

There are only two landfills in Lauderdale County for contractors to utilize for waste, Underwood Landfill and Florence Municipal Solid Waste Landfill, according to ADEM.

The Lauderdale County Landfill can accept construction and demolition debris, but cannot accept debris from Florence or Rogersville.

Gist Excavating dumped 350 tons of debris on Lauderdale County Road 8, 2,800 tons on Lauderdale County Road 23 and 280 tons on Lauderdale County Road 24, according to ADEM.

The University placed blame on B. H. Craig Construction due to their contract.

University spokesman Bryan Rachal said debris removal is the responsibility of the general contractor.

Junior Cody Campbell said it is not the university’s responsibility to take care of this problem.

“They paid the contracting company, and now it is (the company’s) problem to deal with,” Campbell said.

Senior Josie Stanley said since the university is under so much scrutiny with the community, they should make it known they hired someone to remove the debris.

B. H. Craig Construction said a general contractor moved the debris to an authorized landfill.

After ADEM discovers a site where contractors dump debris illegally, contractors must move the debris to an acceptable site or take one or more of the following actions:

1) Barricade the entrance.

2) Implement rodent and pest control of the site.

3) Compact and cover existing solid waste.

4) Establish vegetative or other appropriate cover.

5) Implement erosion controls.

6) Post signage indicating the closure and additional required monitoring.

The Flor-Ala contacted the project manager, but he was unavailable for comments.