Illegal landfill leads to charges for Florida man
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
An illegal Florida landfill piled with trash 40 feet (12 meters) high has led to criminal charges against the property owner.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said in a news release Tuesday that 55-year-old Gelio Justino Hernandez is charged with operating an illegal landfill and failing to obtain proper permits.
Authorities say the site covering more than 3 acres (1 hectare) is piled with wood, concrete, oil buckets, roofing materials, tires, metal, carpet and plant debris that is in danger of catching fire.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
In December 2016 the landfill burned for two weeks, forcing some neighbors to temporarily abandon their homes because of the smoke.
Court records Tuesday did not list an attorney for Hernandez.