Longboat Key fined for raw sewage spill in June

LONGBOAT KEY – The Town of Longboat can either spend $262,000 in fines for spilling millions of gallons of sewage, or choose an in-kind environmental enhancement project costing 1½ times more than that fine.

The State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection presented Longboat Key with the Consent Order Tuesday that requires them to submit a Sewer Overflow Response Plan, provide mitigation to offset impacts and provide a corrective plan, in addition to monetary penalties.

Longboat Key will have to provide ongoing updates to the state.

“We received the Proposed Order yesterday (Monday) and we are reviewing it,” Town Manager Tom Harmer said. “Our Town attorney has called for an attorney-client session tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon with the Town Commission to brief them and obtain their direction related to the proposed order.”

In June, an independent consultant said the town’s only force main sewer line on the mainland side of Sarasota Bay spilled 11 million gallons, lowered from an original estimate of nearly 26 million gallons.