ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Johns County commissioners are set to hear a presentation Tuesday, June 2, on a proposal that would replace the open-air biosolids composting operation at the Indianhead site near St. Augustine with a new enclosed treatment facility.
The proposal was submitted as an unsolicited public-private partnership (P3) by Merrell Bros., Inc., a Florida-based company that specializes in biosolids transportation, treatment and reuse. County paperwork says the preferred site is the existing Indianhead Biomass property.
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Supporters say the goal is to modernize the operation as neighborhoods have grown closer to the site and odor complaints have mounted. In June 2025, residents filed a lawsuit against Indianhead Biomass LLC alleging “noxious and foul odors” have affected nearby neighborhoods.
According to Merrell Bros., the project would create a Class AA biosolids facility designed to handle up to 50,000 wet tons per year. The company says the process would use solar-assisted drying followed by pasteurization, and the building would use odor-control systems intended to capture and treat air from inside the facility. The end product would be a fertilizer product, according to the proposal.
The proposal estimates a capital cost of about $34.6 million. Proposal documents say the concept would have the county finance the project with tax-exempt municipal debt and own the facility, while Merrell Bros. would design, build and operate it under a long-term agreement.
The proposal says host fees from non-county biosolids brought to the facility could help offset bond costs, but the detailed pricing is included in a sealed exhibit.
Indianhead officials believe this is an immediate solution to the odor problems local residents have filed a lawsuit against.
According to proposal records, commissioners can reject the proposal, accept it and direct staff to seek competing proposals, or accept it and direct staff to follow the process to move forward without seeking competing proposals under state law and county procedures.