A year ago, almost to the day, I published a column called What’s in your water? In it, I questioned the wisdom of the City of North Miami’s decision to give a no-bid $800,000.00 contract to IMECO, Inc., to construct a deep injection well at Biscayne Landing. At the time, Faustin Denis, Jr., the General Manager of IMECO, Inc., was on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Excluded Parties List, “barring him from receiving Federal contracts, specifically ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) contracts!”
In that column, I also described how South Florida’s only source of drinking water, the Biscayne Aquifer, could easily become contaminated by injection wells. I noted that injection wells are regulated by the EPA, which developed “minimum federal requirements for injection practices that protect public health by preventing injection wells from contaminating underground sources of drinking water.”
I ended that blog with, “Knowing all these things, one just has to ask “Why?” Why was Faustin Denis placed on the EPA’s Excluded Parties List in the first place? Why is Faustin Denis barred from receiving Federal EPA contracts and funding, but is somehow allowed to construct a “deep injection well” in Miami-Dade County that can very well affect the possible contamination of our only source of drinking water – the Biscayne Aquifer?”
Here we are a year later, and guess what? Well, as much as I hate to say, “I told you so…”
Okay, not really.
As reported in today’s Miami Herald Neighbors, an article entitled, “Contractors blame each other over ruptured pipe,” the very thing I worried about and warned would happen, did in fact, happen. We are only hearing about it now, but over Labor Day weekend “a pump station pipe ruptured,” causing a leaking of ammonia into the water system. The Biscayne Landing site manager, Joe Celestin was quoted as saying, “at this time we don’t have reason to concern,” even as the water quality is being tested.
Considering that Celestin is the one who hired the contractor, CH2MHill, for which IMECO was subcontracting, he has every reason “to concern.” For one thing, Celestin told the Miami Herald that “the design called for a plastic pipe in the pump station instead of a metal one” and that “he knew that was a problem since the station began operation in June.” Celestin was quoted, “I knew from day one that the pipe was not doable and I asked them to modify their design.”
Here’s the question of the day:
If the site manager knew “from day one” that the design of the injection well was faulty, why did he allow it to become operational in the first place?
More importantly, why has he allowed it to operate since June? Someone obviously dropped the ball.
While IMECO is pointing a finger at CH2MHill for “taking too long in replacing the pipe,” and the contractor is blaming IMECO for not putting “it in place properly and that Denis knew about it,” the City of North Miami is denying culpability because the “city did not select IMECO as the subcontractor, but rather CH2MHill awarded them the subcontract after a competitive bidding process.”
In other words, “It wasn’t me.”
The real fault lies with the person or persons who didn’t fully vet Faustin Denis, Jr., as General Manager of IMECO before giving him the contract. But, the City of North Miami can’t be completely absolved since it already had a relationship with IMECO.
Even before North Miami’s current problem, Karin Kimball, my top researcher (and ace crime reporter) and I were onto IMECO and Faustin Denis, Jr. He first showed up on our radar on October 7, 2012 when I wrote about North Miami’s Sidewalk-Gate, when the city paid $99,449.70 to IMECO to clean sidewalks, knowing full well that Denis was (and still is) facing federal racketeering charges. That should have been North Miami’s first clue. I wrote, “In summary, it seems to me that the North Miami City Council would do well to table this item until a thorough investigation can be made into IMECO, Inc., and perhaps find out if anyone inside City Hall has ties to the company. I’m just saying.”
The Herald reporter mentions all of this in today’s article, but it’s certainly not news since VotersOpinion broke it a year ago.
Of course, no one listened then.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
The bigger picture, though, is that there is a possibility that the drinking water for North Miami and all of northeast Miami-Dade County may be contaminated. This would include an extensive list of cities, such as North Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura, Golden Beach, Biscayne Park, Miami Gardens, Surfside, Bay Harbor, Bal Harbor, Miami Shores and North Bay Village. Any of these cities could be affected by this fiasco.
WHERE ARE THE TREE HUGGERS?
Instead of protesting development in North Miami Beach and worrying about “saving” Greynolds Park, here’s a very real potential disaster for you guys to stress over. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL! This property, formerly known as the Munisport Landfill, which has already had serious environmental issues with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“Site investigations initially identified contamination in ground water that could potentially harm people in the area. Ground water contamination resulted from the leaching of landfill material.”), is still facing contamination issues. It never ends. You should have been storming North Miami City Hall and demanding answers! Oh, the hypocrisy!
I also fully expect the Village Idiots of Biscayne Park and North Bay Village to propose Resolutions demanding that the EPA step in, investigate and clean up North Miami’s mess. After all, you guys got involved in North Miami Beach’s business for no apparent reason. NOW you have a reason to annoy one of your neighbors. Knock yourselves out!
Karin Kimball and I called it a year ago, and even as we might be drinking ammoniated water, we still take great pleasure in saying, “I told you so!”
Or, as Karin texted me earlier this evening, “DO NOT underestimate the two blondes from North Miami Beach!”
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Yes thank you once again for reporting and good on you. Please keep blogin’ about activism for biscayne landings. I thought we would see this here also – it has been on eyeonmiami and in local newspapers – which is the news about the unclean fill. Celestine has actually been a hero, as has mr wolland (please no need for personal attacks he’s done a lot of good and I have seen things you say about him but maybe look at positivity this time or you both are on the same side of this issue.)
If you come to the city council meetings or watch them on TV you can see the attention around this issue for months. We all need to pay attention. – so thanks for making it on your blog and for your excellent reporting so others can to. Please keep on reporting and helping!
http://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1594:north-miami-city-council-blindsided-by-oleta&catid=50:community-news&Itemid=223
and
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/26/3653073/contaminants-found-at-biscayne.html
if Celestine is charged with over-seeing this project and he did not STOP them from doing things he knew would be ineffectual, how is he a hero for now trying to cover his ass by admitting to negligence?
You understand that’s an admission of negligence, right?
I thought the same thing when I read this – and comment below says he makes $350k??!! Is this true? That’s insane!! How does the City sign off on something like that? I don’t know what he could possibly be doing to earn this. And if in fact he makes all that money for being site manager, you would expect him to PREVENT situations like this, not just report about it AFTER the fact.
Good reporting as always. The whole Celestin situation is shady. He is in with the contractor on site (IMECO) who obviously does poor work which he selected. And if you really want to look into this, do a public records search to find out what Celestin’s contract is (more than $3500,000 per year) to be the “site manager”. That makes him the highest paid City employee!! Something doesn’t add up. I smell kickbacks all around and probably worth investigating from a keen reporter like Stephanie. Just follow the money trail…..I always liked Wolland, but now I wonder if he is in on it too somehow?
mr. wolland has been helping blow the whistle and make a positive effort – if you have any doubts please come to meeting or go talk with him or watch meetings on tv – or ask around. or go do a records search for the minutes of the orginal meetings refered to in those articles from herald and biscayne times – which someone showed me (at least read part of) and it will change your mind or at least give you some faith. but always follow your truth. thank you.
government officials and regulators can’t blow whistles on their own projects. It is their responsibility to make sure that THEIR projects comply with various levels of official standards. Where was the city attorney when nepotism built this shoddy project on a corrupt foundation?
And if you read that report transcipt you will also see the positive thing celestine has done as far as whistle blow (did you read the two articles I posted above, please do). I am not invested in this anymore- I used to live near enough to BL and now only here half the year, but I care about health and environment or people I care about — and setting record straight and truth — and dialog. please take time to read those articles in the least. thank you.
aReader you don’t understand the concept of whisteblowing. Celestine is the site manager. He is the top of the food chain on this project. He cannot blow a whistle on his own project.
A dog and pony show at the council meeting does not make up for MONTHS of sitting around on his hands, letting these people do BAD WORK.
I dont want to argue. I am indeed too old for that 🙂 I am happy to have other people be right. But if you get ahold of that meeting transciption you may have another idea about the cause and complicated “facts.” you are right about word whistleblower but also please understand he is NOT at top of the food chain as you say, he reports to a boss who in turn has his own issues to deal with — please get ahold of said record to see. I dont want to argue and am happy to be wrong. Thoughts are just thoughts and I think in life we all are a little right and wrong :). I wont be back to reply, just wanted to add this. I wish you well and thank you for your posts.
sorry it is past my bedtime I should have put in one message 🙂 if it werent for mr wolland no one would have known about the fill. (as they say it would have been buried). thank you. good nite to all. I wish everyone sweet dreams and healthy environment for us and our kids and grandkids – that is where we all need to put our focus as stephanie suggests in her post — that we take positive action.
Steph – long time reader. Ex NMB employee.
Fact check:
Ammonia + chlorine = chloramine
Most water utilities (NMB) intentionally add ammonia to the drinking water to mix with the chlorine. Chloramines are less odorous than free chlorine. Swimming pools use free chlorine (smelly) which is converted by pee into cholormines (less smelly – (chloramines not pee)). Chloromines have less disinfecting power than free chlorine. The Biscayne aquifer has natural ammonia due the Everglades. Extra ammonia = free ammonia and less cost to utility. Biscayne landing sits atop salt water. No one drinks enough salt water to matter. Ammonia is biodegradable. Corn farmers inject ammonia directly into the ground as a fertilizer. Google dead zone in Gulf from overfertilization from Mississippi. H2O Lesson for the day. Back to lurk mode.