MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – Concerns are on the rise in Middleburg over a toxic material. Some people fear it’s polluting the soil and water supply. The material is called EZBase. It’s a recycled building material once used by JEA and put on land around our region.
EZBase is used under asphalt, often under areas that are paved. Residents are concerned that the material will get into the soil or water supply around Black Creek.
The concerns really started when a video was posted on Facebook, and it now has thousands of views around Clay County.
That video prompted a recent meeting with a county commissioner and dozens of locals about whether EZBase is affecting Middleburg’s soil and water supply after it was put on various tracts of land around Middleburg years ago.
“They brought quite a few loads to my property, and it turned out to be contaminated with arsenic, vanadium, thallium, lead, different heavy metals on this list that you see here, highlighted,” said Steve Johnson, who is concerned about environmental problems.
Johnson said his land had EZBase put on it years ago, and despite a clean-up, he says there are still problems. The property was eventually sold for a lot less than its original value.
“The land was worth $780,000 before the EZBase, appraised at that,” said Johnson. “30 acres on Black Creek. It sold for $40,000.”
County Commissioner Gavin Rollins is spearheading an investigation. He said the department of environmental protection is conducting a lot of tests in the area. He wants to find out if the fears are warranted.
“That will help us flush out fact from fiction,” Rollins said.
Not everyone in Middleburg agrees this is a problem.
“I guess it’s like everything else, you know, people ain’t got nothing to do but sit around and think about something to get into,” said a Middleburg resident named Jack. “That’s what it looks like to me.”
Clay County commissioners have been aware of this concern for a while. In 2013, they sent a letter to JEA asking that no EZBase be used in Clay County anymore. JEA responded with a statement:
“Based on all the testing performed, there is no evidence of groundwater contamination or human health impacts from EZ Base.”