Interoffice Memorandum
DATE: July 31, 2026
TO: Mayor Jerry L. Demings and County Commissioners
THROUGH: N/A
FROM: Tanya Wilson, AICP, Director, Planning, Environmental, and Development Services Department
CONTACT: Renée H. Parker, LEP, Manager, Environmental Protection Officer
PHONE: (407) 836-1420
DIVISION: Environmental Protection Division
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approval of Solid Waste Management Facility Permit Application (SW-26-03-001) for modification of the WM Orlando Transfer Station, subject to waivers and conditions of approval. District 6. (Environmental Protection Division)
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PROJECT: Approval of Solid Waste Management Facility Permit Application (SW-26-03-001) for modification of the WM Orlando Transfer Station at 4978 LB McLeod Road, Orlando, Florida, Parcel ID No. 07-23-29-8630-00-010; District 6.
PURPOSE:
The applicant, Waste Management Inc. of Florida, requests approval of permit application SW-26-03-001 for modification of Solid Waste Management Facility permit SW-22-05-001/SW-24-05-001 for the WM Orlando Transfer Station. The applicant is requesting to add Class III solid waste sorting to the existing permitted construction and demolition (C&D) debris materials recovery facility (MRF) sorting area portion of the facility.
The property is approximately 10.3 acres in size and located at 4978 LB McLeod Road, between South Kirkman Road and President Barack Obama Parkway. The Parcel ID number for the site is: 07-23-29-8630-00-010. The subject property is within the City of Orlando limits and in District 6.
The existing permit is for a transfer station for C&D debris, Class III, and Class I solid waste, along with a MRF for C&D debris. An existing 32,000 square foot enclosed building with tipping floor under roof is currently used for transferring the solid waste. An existing 57,300 square foot area under canopy is currently used as a MRF sorting area for recycling C&D debris.
At a transfer station incoming solid waste is temporarily stored, and usually combined into larger loads, prior to transport to an approved processing or disposal facility. At a MRF recyclable materials are sorted from incoming solid waste and are then transported to suitable recycling facilities. Residual solid waste is then transported to approved disposal facilities. No solid waste is permanently disposed of on site.
C&D debris consists of discarded materials generally considered to be not water soluble and nonhazardous in nature including steel, glass, brick, concrete, asphalt roofing material, pipe, gypsum wallboard, and lumber, from the construction or destruction of a structure.
Class Ill waste includes combinations of yard trash and C&D debris along with other debris such as paper, cardboard, asbestos, cloth, processed tires, glass, plastic, furniture other than appliances, and other materials approved by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) that are not expected to produce leachate which poses a threat to public health or the environment.
Class I waste includes solid waste which is not hazardous waste, and which is not prohibited from disposal in a lined landfill under the rules of the FDEP. This generally includes household and other putrescible solid waste.
On August 22, 2017, the Board of County Commissioners (Board) approved the initial solid waste permit for this facility. On August 8, 2023, the Board approved renewal of the permit, with an expiration date of August 7, 2028. On January 7, 2025, the Board approved a modification of the permit to add to the C&D debris MRF sorting area.
There are currently no outstanding Notices of Violation for the facility.
On March 3, 2026, the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) received permit modification application SW-26-03-001. The complete application submittals are on file at EPD and available online through the FastTrack system. A related application to modify the facility’s FDEP solid waste permit (Facility 86889) was approved and issued by them on June 9, 2026.
The review of submittals which included minor updates to their site layout and operations plan is now complete. There are minor updates to the litter control plan including the use of portable litter fencing and wind screens in the MRF sorting area as needed. The current permit included five approved waivers, listed as conditions #17 through #21. No modification of these existing waivers is proposed.
Recommended Action:
EPD staff determined that the modification application satisfactorily addresses current Chapter 32 Article V code requirements in conjunction with the attached permit conditions and existing waivers. Conditions have been updated to reflect the latest submittals and are shown below in strike-through for the requested deleted text (delete) and underlined for inserted (insert) text. Upon approval by the Board this permit shall be modified, with an expiration date of August 7, 2028.
1. In the case of any conflict among these conditions, or between these conditions and applicable laws, the more extensive and restrictive requirements shall apply.
2. All plans, reports and other supporting documents submitted with the permit application, as approved, are incorporated as part of this permit, and operation shall proceed in accordance with these documents and the permit conditions. This permit includes, at a minimum, the following documents:
a. “Application of a Solid Waste Management Facility Permit to Construct/Operate a Class I Transfer Station And C&D Material Recovery Facility,” dated May 15, 2024, prepared by Robert E. Mackey, P.E., S2L Incorporated, and prior permit documents cited by reference therein.
b. “Response to June 5, 2024 Request for Additional Information,” dated July 10, 2024, prepared by Robert E. Mackey, P.E., S2L Incorporated.
c. “Response to August 9, 2024 Request for Additional Information”, dated August 28, 2024, prepared by Robert E. Mackey, P.E., S2L Incorporated.
a. “Minor Modification Application of a Solid Waste Management Facility Permit to Operate a Class I Transfer Station and Material Recovery Facility,” dated March 3, 2026, prepared by Samuel B. Levin, P.E., S2L Incorporated, and prior permit documents cited by reference therein.
b. Response to Request for Additional Information Completeness Review CR 1, dated May 4, 2026, prepared by Samuel B. Levin, P.E., S2L Incorporated.
c. Response to Request for Additional Information Technical Review TR 1, dated June 5, 2026, prepared by Samuel B. Levin, P.E., S2L Incorporated.
3. Facility construction and operations based upon this approval shall comply with all applicable federal, state and county laws, ordinances and regulations, which are incorporated herein by reference, except to the extent any applicable county laws, ordinances and regulations are expressly waived or modified by these conditions, or by action approved by the Board, or by action of the Board.
4. Pursuant to Section 125.022, Florida Statutes, issuance of this development permit by the County does not in any way create any rights on the part of the applicant to obtain a permit from a state or federal agency and does not create any liability on the part of the County for issuance of the permit if the applicant fails to obtain requisite approvals or fulfill the obligations imposed by a state or federal agency or undertakes actions that result in a violation of state or federal law.
5. Pursuant to Section 125.022, Florida Statutes, the applicant shall obtain all other applicable state or federal permits before commencement of development.
6. Facility construction and operations shall comply with, adhere to, and not deviate from or otherwise conflict with any verbal or written promise or representation made by the applicant (or his or her authorized agent) to the Board at the public hearing where this permit was approved, where such promise or representation, whether oral or written, was relied upon by the Board in approving the permit, could have reasonably been expected to have been relied upon by the Board in approving the permit, or could have reasonably induced or otherwise influenced the Board to approve the permit. For purposes of this condition, a "promise" or "representation" shall be deemed to have been made to the Board by the applicant (or his or her authorized agent) if it was expressly made to the Board at a public hearing where the permit was considered or approved.
7. Cost estimates for financial assurance shall be revised at least annually and also whenever changes in operation would cause a revised cost estimate to exceed the amount available through the financial assurance mechanism. Cost estimates shall be based upon the time period in the facility operation when the extent and manner of its operation make closing most expensive, subject to EPD approval.
8. The facility shall be open to the County for the purpose of inspection during normal working hours of the facility and at any other time when work is in progress. During periods of inactivity, upon request, the County shall be provided access to the site within one business day.
9. The Hours of Operation, as approved by the Board, are:
Monday - Friday: 24 hours
Saturday and Sunday: 24 hours
Receipt or shipment of waste and waste processing are limited to within the Hours of Operation. Activities such as maintenance and cleaning are not considered operation and may be scheduled at the facility's discretion.
10. This facility may receive, temporarily store or hold, and transfer, but not dispose of onsite, up to a maximum of 3,000 tons per day of construction and demolition debris, Class III, and/or Class I solid waste within the approved tipping floor(s).
11. The permitted haul routes (for vehicular travel to and from the site) are:
a. Interstate 4 to John Young Parkway to L.B. McLeod Road
b. L.B. McLeod Road to site
12. Any future ancillary operations are subject to review by the EPD.
Reporting and Record Keeping
13. The following items shall be maintained and available for review at the facility:
a. A copy of the complete permit including plans, reports, and other supporting documents.
14. The following items shall be maintained and available for review at the facility for a period of at least 3 years:
a. Unauthorized waste receipt logs maintained in an unauthorized waste receipt logbook.
b. Manifests and/or receipts for leachate tank pump-out.
c. Manifests for any hazardous waste, universal waste, or regulated nonhazardous waste shipped offsite.
d. Credentials for operators and spotters.
e. A record of stormwater management system inspections and any repairs.
15. The following items shall be submitted to the EPD on an annual basis:
a. A report of solid waste type and quantity managed at the facility, including the amount and destination of treated, recycled, or recovered materials leaving the site for reuse, use as raw material, or disposal.
b. Cost estimates and proof of financial assurance shall be updated and submitted to EPD for review whenever relevant operations change, or annually at a minimum. This cost estimate should be accompanied by an estimate of the volume of waste and recovered/recycled materials currently stored onsite.
c. A report of annual leachate collection system and tank inspections and any repairs. This should also include a log of all leachate tank pump-out events.
16. Orange County shall be copied on all related correspondence with FDEP.
Waivers (previously approved)
17. A waiver has been approved from County Code Sec. 32-216(a)(11)d and (b)(3) to allow alternate landscape buffering, provided landscaping remains in compliance with any City of Orlando requirements.
18. A waiver has been approved from County Code Sec. 32-216(a)(19), to allow Hours of Operation outside of 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., provided they remain in compliance with any City of Orlando requirements.
19. A waiver has been approved from County Code Sec. 32-216(a)(14), to allow the omission of the (3) random load inspections provided all outgoing solid waste is sent to an FDEP permitted solid waste facility that will perform screening of the waste.
20. A waiver has been approved from County Code Sec. 32-216(a)(11)a to allow the setback from property boundaries on the west and east sides to be reduced from 150 feet to 90 feet and 100 feet respectively.
21. A waiver has been approved from County Code Sec. 32-216(b)(6) to allow stormwater to be managed by a system that remains in compliance with any City of Orlando requirements.
BUDGET: N/A