![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPNU4AloSjrQPT1LBMCTSiZ2kudMZZnT_R2gZrxrKEd99qs_ypBznF9wCAehlIFqwUEp3g1ySwFOUmRkkBLYjcW0wuC3S1ZXorohKLebdPNxKuOp6fvn3OPIpr7XnX0UE6PJn3Gpp1xU/s1600/Brevard+County+school+contamination+cancer+clusters.jpeg)
Did you know Brevard County was the first school district to attempt a polystyrene recycling program in 1998? It resulted in two arrests for 26 felony environmental violations. Here is the timeline:
25 February 1998: Brevard County received a proposal from waste management regarding polystyrene recycling. They would use a machine the size of a small refrigerator to melt polystyrene (a foam used in the school's lunch program). The breakdown of the cost for these machines, education, maintenance, haulage, and recycling, was $300,000. Brevard County was the first school district to attempt a completely closed-loop polystyrene recycling program.
8 May 1998: Innovative Recycling project contract is sent.
14 May 1998: Contact is signed.
10 June 1998: Brevard County Waste Management requests written approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to subcontract with Brevard County School Food Services.
22 June 1998: FDEP authorizes the county to purchase the polystyrene Recycling machines.
19 August 1998: FDEP sends a letter explaining hazardous waste regulations.
5 October 1998: Brevard County commissioner's quarterly report showed they were awarded an innovative grant and put money towards the machines.
18 December 1998: Brevard County commissioner's second quarterly report showed invoices for the innovative grant were paid. This document also shows the schools throughout the county that they used for this case study.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD2n0aVjNsEiN9PiJCtBFLDGH2E3ht3SUDKO2nZEK7qfhT3yucVUtgnTZgEl16m817tWIOID4sMrZ66IYdBPe4_JyrSGSG9pzHxdFY7xayGAonaMB6_7HaTRDByw6a0oye39YzhrLRI0/s1600/Schools+contaminated+in+brevard+county+cancer+cluster.jpeg)
January 1999: A letter is sent requesting a stop payment of $109,582.60 after the school board canceled the vendor's contract because of certain hazardous conditions.
25 January 1999: FDEP sent a letter explaining that polystyrene recycling machines used tetrachloroethylene solvent to dissolve polystyrene waste and the regulatory status.
12 February 1999: A memo is sent to the Brevard County School Board to discuss an environmental specialist's on-site visit to the Central Florida Poly-Recyclers / Plastic Recovery Solutions facility (contracted company).
15 December 1999: An inspection report shows that the Central Florida Poly-Recyclers / Plastic Recovery Solutions never notified FDEP of their intention to transport hazardous waste, didn’t submit evidence of casualty/liability coverage, didn’t document compliance with the hazardous waste air emissions standards, failed to prevent releases of hazardous waste, among other violations.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxhszoAUSW4d0KnUzNlW4-8fe-g_dTBpDLpJg0o6C1Rn7UaVa7slWNuP9WJePu2ezqvG5VTyMD4xEKwXLkYVn0EXrIY1LWQRC91ndCXynH0wVCXqEJDzim72rmRSrNDaBabEWZKofVIU/s1600/image1.jpeg)
Tetrachloroethylene was spilled at Surfside Elementary School.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT4si4j64bpe9moRaFne5FR3Rd7KPH98fCUstXg5mUEMZ4KQ7Rkq95HSKWgKqKygHicGaIr5sNIFoRrxspBle94VUvv83Rwnqg2cM27AZo9Yb_LaINoTAxuvfSMMMr0tZ6mnRiXjYb3g/s1600/Surfside+Elementary+contaminated.jpeg)
Documentation: https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepNexus/public/electronic-documents/FL0000904631/facility!search