On December 14, 2010, a sinkhole formed at the Southeast County Landfill. This event is unprecedented at this facility, which is located in a remote area on County Road 672. Hillsborough County conducted extensive research before choosing this location. These studies showed geologic conditions in this area to be extremely stable and not prone to sinkholes.

When the sinkhole formed, the Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department acted swiftly to notify environmental agencies, create a highly-skilled project team, and implement a plan to monitor groundwater and surface water quality. Detailed plans, which are posted below, are guiding our efforts to assess and mitigate any potential impact to the environment, stabilize the sinkhole, repair the clay liner and restore the damaged slope.

A sinkhole in a landfill is unusual, and the situation will take some time to resolve. It is imperative that the remediation work proceed with great care and the right equipment and expertise. Every effort is being made to minimize any further impacts to the environment, ensure the safety of the workers and not impede the daily operations of the landfill. We are committed to moving forward with the repair efforts as quickly as possible, given the many complex factors involved.

Please keep visiting this page for updates on our progress.


Remediation Plans
Sinkhole Action Plan - December 2010
Stage 1 - Sinkhole Remediation Plan - January 2011
Stage 2 - Cut/Fill and Waste Relocation Plan - May 2011
Stage 3 - Geophysical/Geotechnical Investigation Plan - September 2011
Stage 3 - Site Characterization Report - March 2012
Stage 4 - Geotechnical Remediation Plan - March 2012
Stage 4 - Geotechnical Remediation Constructions Plans - March 2012

2012 Status Updates
January 6, 2012
February 3, 2012
April 6, 2012
June 1, 2012
July 27, 2012

Water Quality Monitoring Reports
No. 26 - For samples taken Oct. 4-5, 2012
No. 25 - For samples taken Sept. 6-7, 2012
No. 24 - For samples taken Aug. 2-3, 2012
No. 23 - For samples taken July 5-6, 2012
No. 22 - For samples taken June 7-8, 2012
No. 21 - For samples taken May 3-4, 2012
No. 20 - For samples taken April 5-6, 2012
No. 19 - For samples taken March 7-9, 2012
No. 18 - For samples taken February 9-10, 2012
No. 17 - For samples taken January 5-6, 2012