Will Greenlee

will.greenlee@tcpalm.com

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A woman was arrested after state investigators accused her of operating a landfill without a permit at her property on Orange Avenue in western St. Lucie County, according to records.

Kimberly Hall, 39, of Fort Pierce, was released from the St. Lucie County Jail on $24,500 bail after her arrest last month on charges including unlawful dumping of litter and unlawful storage, processing or disposal of solid waste, according to a jail official and records. She faces a total of two felony and three misdemeanor charges.

Hall’s arrest followed an investigation by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials.

In April, investigators determined a variety of debris was being dumped on land in the 21000 block of Orange Avenue, which Hall owns. A truck seen at the property west of North Header Canal Road was registered to Hall’s husband.

Officials flew over the property in a helicopter and photographed “tons of construction and vegetation/land clearing debris,” records show.

A neighboring property is owned by a man identified as John Garrett Talley, who in September 2011 was arrested after being accused of accepting construction and demolition debris and dumping the items in a pond on his land. Records show Hall is related to a man identified as Talley’s partner.

Investigators in November executed a search warrant at Hall’s property and found nine piles of trash and debris, two of which were more than 135,000 square feet.

According to records, one investigator reported seeing hazardous waste, old televisions with tubes, paint, tires, plastic and demolition and construction debris.

Investigators spoke to five people whose statements “establish a commercial enterprise and that money is being exchanged for services rendered; i.e. dropping off loads of waste or working on the property grinding or processing, storing or moving the waste, which makes this a commercial operation,” records state.

Hall, who has pleaded not guilty, has a March 16 court hearing, according to court records.

Hall's attorney, Brian Bieber, on Tuesday said the property wasn't used as a landfill.

"We are sorting out all the complex zoning issues," he said. "We have been upfront with the county from when the matter arose, and we continue to cooperate in all compliance efforts."

Bieber said they hope to have the matter resolved quickly and said he doesn't believe the evidence demonstrates Hall intentionally violated the law.