Air Quality

Asbestos

Asbestos must be:

1. sprayed with water until wet,
2. double-bagged,
3. tied off,
4. labeled,
5. placed in a covered container.

Friable Asbestos (any asbestos-containing materials that, when dry, may be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure) — $75/ton.

Non-friable Asbestos (any asbestos-containing materials that remain solid when handled) — $57.56/ton.

Minimum Fee for All Vehicles — $10 each.

Haulers must submit a completed Waste Shipment Record (WSR), available at the following locations:

North County Air and Water Quality Protection
1001 Sarasota Center Blvd., 
Sarasota, FL 34240
941-861-5000

South County Landfill Administration Office
4000 Knights Trail Road, 
Nokomis, FL 34275
941-861-5000

Method of Payment

• Cash, Visa, MasterCard and Discover or a Debit Card with a bank logo on it.
• No business or personal checks

Notes: Haulers must have the proper manifests and call 24 hours in advance. No asbestos will be accepted after 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, on Saturday or on holidays.

Burns

Open Burns

Burn authorizations are issued by the Florida Forest Service (FFS) and has exclusive authority to permit agricultural, silviculture, land clearing and prescribed burns.

• Burning of yard debris, fallen branches, trimmed branches, leaves or debris from routine property cleanup is prohibited in Sarasota County. This material is to be recycled or mulched.
• Cooking with an open fire is allowed if contained in a grill, camping stove, or similar device designed solely for cooking food and only uses approved fuels (i.e. charcoal, natural gas, clean wood).
• Recreational fires are allowed as long as they are safe and meet the restrictions in the code, which are summarized in the open burning pamphlet.
• Ceremonial burning with an open fire is allowed as long as the ceremonial fire is conducted by a recognized organization (for example scouts, schools, etc.).

Please contact the local FFS office at 941-213-6970 to obtain burn authorizations.

Burn Map

The FFS maintains a statewide map, updated daily, with wildfires and all authorized burns.

Please note: you should notify your local fire department unless you have an FSS authorized burn.

Additional Information

• Florida Forest Service (external)
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (interactive map of current active wildfires) (external)

Water Quality

Fertilizer Restricted Season

To help preserve the natural beauty of our waters and the environmental, recreational, cultural, and economic resources they provide for years to come, Sarasota County restricts the application of fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen between June 1 and September 30.

Please contact a County Environmental Specialist to learn more about the fertilizer restricted season at 941‑861‑5000.

Additional Information

• Fertilizer Management
• Fertilizer Best Management Practices (BMP) Training
• See the Document Library below for more information

Delegated Domestic Wastewater Program

Proper treatment and reuse or disposal of domestic wastewater is essential for protecting water. Air and Water Quality has delegated authority over Domestic Wastewater in Sarasota County and works with wastewater utilities and the citizens of Sarasota County to protect and conserve our water resources.

Please contact a County Air and Water Quality Specialist at 941-861-5000 with additional questions.

Rain Barrel Program

Sarasota County partners with UF/IFAS Extension to hold monthly rain barrel workshops and sales events. Classes are about an hour. To register for upcoming classes, visit the UF/IFAS Extension website (external).

Rain Barrels are available for purchase after the monthly workshops for $37 each (including tax). Payment is by check or cash only.

2020 Workshops

Workshops are not currently being held due to COVID-19. Please check back here for updates.

All workshops start at 10 a.m.

Workshop Locations

• Englewood Sports Complex 1300 S River Road, Englewood, FL 34223
• George Mullen Activity Center 1602 Kramer Way, North Port 34286
• Shannon Staub Library 4901 N. Carnberry Blvd., North Port, FL 34286
• Twin Lakes Park 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241
• Woodmere Park 3951 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice, FL 34293

Underground Storage Tank Program

Air and Water Quality administers an underground storage tank program through a contract with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The goal of the program is to ensure that sites contaminated with petroleum products are cleaned in accordance with state requirements in order to protect our drinking water supplies and, if necessary, return those sites to their full potential value.

Under this contract, the county conducts annual inspections of facilities with regulated storage tanks and provides technical and fiscal oversight of site assessment and cleanup.

Please contact a County Air and Water Quality Specialist at 941-861-5000 to learn more about this program.

Pollution Prevention

Help protect our water resources.

Our water resources are one of the reasons that Sarasota is such a special place to live. Every resident and visitor has a role to play in protecting our resources, and what you do on your property does make a difference.

Document Library