TALLEVAST BERYLIUM THREATS PERSIST

A major and persistent Southwest Florida environmental problem concerns the old Loral American Berylium Company plant that on Tallevast Road in South Manatee County. In brief, in 2000 Lockheed Martin discovered an underground plume of berylium and other dangerous contaminants covering over 200 acres traceable to its newly-purchased property. Over two decades later, the plume is still dangerous and may be growing.

Despite knowledge of the plume, Lockheed Martin put the property up for sale and did not inform local residents of the problem until 2003. Meanwhile, local residents were still using polluted groundwater for drinking, cooking, bathing, etc. Cancer rates and other hazardous substances consequences were exceptionally high in the Tallevast area.

When Lockheed Martin proposed a remediation program to the Manatee County Commission in 2005, commissioners demanded that the company relocate residents from the primarily Black Tallavast community. That did not happen. In 2008, however, Lockheed Martin did pay motel bills for around 250 Tallevast residents for about a month while structures were removed from the former beryllium plant.  In 2010, the company and local residents settled a lawsuit by the latter.

Nevertheless, the danger reportedly still remains grave over two decades later.  In October 21, 2022, according to a letter to the Tallevast nonprofit Family-Oriented Community United Strong (FOCUS) from RES Florida Consulting, assessments of the plume have shown that it is “much larger than initially defined and accepted.” Moreover, “[o]ver time, data collected through Lockheed Martin’s remedial action effectiveness monitoring confirmed our concern that the plume was not delineated but also that it was not being contained and recovered by the approved remediation system.”

Nor has Manatee County followed through on multiple promises to improve infrastructure.  While residences west of the railroad tracks that run through Tallevast are connected to county sewer, those east of the tracks have still not been connected.

Critical threats to health and safety remain. Surely it is long past time for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and federal authorities to increase monitoring and active protection of Tallevast area residents?