Beginning more than a half-century ago, a cancer-linked chemical has been plunging hundreds of feet through sinkholes beneath a telecommunications factory in Lake Mary, spreading for miles through the Floridan Aquifer and invading water wells serving thousands of Seminole County residents.
A few local officials and experts began some years ago to discuss the presence of that chemical, without fully understanding the extent of the issue, and the Orlando Sentinel disclosed their concerns . Now, in a pivotal shift, the Florida Geological Survey and Department of Environmental Protection have publicly verified the contamination’s “fingerprint,” described its path and pointed to those who are responsible.
In quick succession, the agencies recently disclosed an explanatory memorandum, demand for payment and other documentation obtained by the Sentinel that blame the widespread and hazardous pollution on the defunct factory and its users…