Biscayne Bay pollution sighting stirs new concern as waterway's economic benefits touted
MIAMI -- Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Monday that the county still has not yet identified the source of pollution that alarmed residents in several neighborhoods but it has been halted.
The mayor's remarks came during a news conference to tout the economic boon from Biscayne Bay.
Residents in the Edgewater neighborhood said they knew something wasn't right when they saw a large plume of white floating on Biscayne Bay over the weekend .
CBS News Miami spoke to three activists working on cleaning up the bay, which has been in declining health for decades. They said they believe the current pollution could be runoff from construction projects in the area.
"It's another example of profiting off the bay," said Dave Doebler, who volunteers with CleanUp.org. "Not treating it with the kindness it deserves."
"It's been 20 years of decline (and) we've lost 60 percent of the seagrass," said Laura Reynolds, a member of Friends of Biscayne Bay.
The latest warning sign occurred just ahead of a major announcement Monday that the bay is responsible for $64 billion in Miami-Dade's economy. And the economic windfall is the result of recreation, Port of Miami activity, fishing and property values
The county has been spending tens of millions of dollars to cleanup the bay, including:
- Identifying sources of pollution;
- Preventing fertilizer from going into the bay during the rainy season; and
- Converting septic systems into sewer systems to limit wastewater from seeping into the bay
"We've been converting the top 1,200 most vulnerable and we have 9,000 to change out over the next decade," Cava said.
Still stakeholders believe the news that the bay is a driving force in the economy will spur greater action to restore and preserve the bay
"People are getting more cognizant that if you put stuff upstream on land it will wind up in the bay," said Scott Wagner of the South Florida Water Management District. "And the bay is tied to their way of life and livelihoods."