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FCC Environmental Services will take over Clay County garbage collection on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. | FCC Environmental Services

Decision due on St. Johns County’s trash troubles

Published on August 19, 2024 at 12:46 pm
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St. Johns County will meet with its new trash hauler Monday and expects to reach a decision about whether to cancel the company’s contract. 

FCC Environmental took over trash services Aug. 1, and thousands of residents have complained since then about late pickups and trash scattered near their homes.

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In a video shared by St. Johns County last week, County Commissioner Sarah Arnold said the county is looking for a company to provide interim services to bolster FCC Enviromental’s lackluster performance. FCC will foot the bill.

“The entire board apologizes for the service interruptions you’ve experienced,” Arnold says in the video. “We have a high standard of customer service in St. Johns County, and what we have endured since FCC began serving our community on August 1 is unacceptable.”

Termination of the contract with FCC is “a strong possibility,” Arnold says.

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The County Commission will discuss the future of FCC in St. Johns County during its regular meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The meeting will be at the County Auditorium at 500 San Sebastian View. It will be streamed live on the county’s website.

What’s next for Clay?

While St. Johns County considers tossing FCC Environmental, Clay County is working to smoothly transition to using the company for its own trash services. 

In a statement released last week, Clay County Communications Director Laura Christmas said the county is working closely with the trash company to ensure its experience isn’t a repeat of St. Johns’. 

“As we go through the next several weeks, we will continue to work closely with FCC to make sure all of the steps are completed within the transition plan ahead of the October 1 start date. We’ll continue to keep our community updated as we move through this process,” Christmas said.


author image Reporter email Noah Hertz is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on St. Johns County. From Central Florida, Noah got his start as an intern at WFSU, Tallahassee’s public radio station, and as a reporter at The Wakulla News. He went on to work for three years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The West Volusia Beacon in his hometown, DeLand.

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