Complaint ID 97851 — Public Copy
Report generated October 18, 2024 2:37 AM.
On this Page
Status: Approved/Closed
- Complaint Received
- September 13, 2021 4:00 PM
- Assigned Office
- Coastal District
- Complaint Closed
- October 7, 2021 8:16 AM
- Review Comments
- [Not entered]
Nature of Complaint
Complaint is being added from an email from Mr. Sam Williams with DNR LE to follow up with the permitted facility. The email from Mr. Williams containing details of this complaint are copied below: The incident occurred at the Chesser Island Landfill in Charlton County. I received a call from the Sheriff’s Office about a sick eagle at the landfill. All the caller provided to the dispatcher was the general area where it could be found. He would not provide his name or a call back number and stated to the dispatcher something along the line that he could get into trouble or lose his job for reporting stuff like this. I responded to the area and located the eagle on the ground, standing erect. I approached withing 5 – 6 feet and it seemed to be in a dazed or disoriented state. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Officer Pam Garrison met me at the landfill to assist in capturing it. It allowed me to place a blanket over it and pick it up without any struggle. A recently retired biologist with USFW kept the eagle overnight for observation, given the fact that we were unable to make phone contact with anyone on Friday evening. I transported it to the Sea Turtle Center Saturday morning in a very degraded condition, than it was in 12 hours prior. Surprisingly, I found out that it recovered and was released near the Altamaha River 3 – 4 days later. Blood samples were taken and sent off for testing. The results came back positive for pentobarbital, a drug commonly used by veterinarians to euthanize animals. Officer Garrison had asked to be kept in the loop on any testing that was done. She was interested in the results, because she was aware of at least one, if not two eagles in the past several years that had died due to suspected pentobarbital poisoning. Test results were never provided to her in any previous incidents for official documentation. Once we had received the results of the blood test, we made an impromptu visit to the landfill. Of course the only two employees available were the two ladies operating the scales. They did contact someone by phone that stated he was in a position of management at the facility. Officer Garrison may still have his name, if needed. We spoke with him over speaker phone and obviously got the canned statement that is prepared in advance of any potential wrong doing or negative publicity. The point of his response was that they have no way of knowing if anything of a hazardous nature ends up in the trash and was certain this was an isolated incident. It was Officer Garrison’s concern that there maybe a veterinarian in NE Florida who was disposing of animals improperly and/or the landfill maybe negligent in properly handling any such waste. They also had to throw in the fact of how they took pride knowing that there facility was recognized as a wildlife sanctuary and all they do to provide for the wildlife in the area. Although, that would be the last thing I would consider a landfill and they were unable to point me to the sign that recognized them as a wildlife sanctuary, state what government entity, club, or non-profit organization gave them that designation, or state what exactly they do to positively promote wildlife at the site. If you feel there is a need to look further into this incident, contact me back and we can plan a meeting between myself and Officer Garrison. If you feel this may warrant an inspection of the facility and/or a more formal conversation with person(s) responsible for the operation of the landfill and would like our presence in attendance, let me know and that can be arranged also.
- Primary Concern
- Comprehensive Solid Waste
- Secondary Concern
- [Not entered]
Complaint Location
- Location of Complaint
- Chesser Island Road Landfill
- City of Complaint
- Folkston
- County of Complaint
- Charlton County
Source
- Source Name
- Waste Management - Chesser Island Road Landfill
- Facility ID Number
- 024-006D (SL)
Source Contact
- Contact Name
- Morris Purvis
- Source Address
- 367 Chesser Island Rd
Folkston, Georgia 31537
Actions
Follow-Up Investigation
20‑Sep‑2021 by Brett Berry
Initial Investigation
15‑Sep‑2021 by Brett Berry
Initial Investigation
14‑Sep‑2021 by Brett Berry
Initial Investigation
14‑Sep‑2021 by Brett Berry
Attachments
(Attachments may not be available for complaints resolved before April 2018. Please note that not every complaint has attachments.)
None.