Charlotte County, Fla. - A $7 million Charlotte County public works project is put on hold after an endangered species is disturbed on county land.

Neighbors on Hillsborough Boulevard say gopher tortoise boroughs were ruined when contractors were clearing land in early December.

Now, they say, Charlotte County officials aren't playing by their own rules.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg. This is just indicative of the kind of attitude that Charlotte County has toward the environment: we don't care .. if there's gopher tortoises or scrub jays or panthers. That's alright, we'll just put asphalt on top of them," says George Flores of Charlotte County.

However, a stop work order has been put on the project, and Charlotte County officials say they're working with Florida Fish and Wildlife on how to protect the species.