>> IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY SPRING MORNING AND THE MIAMI MARINE STADIUM BASIN IN
BISCAYNE BAY IS STARTING TO
FILL UP FAST.
BOATS AND WATER CRAFTS OF ALL
SHAPES AND SIZES.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE ON THEM
OBLIVIOUS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL
FOOTPRINT THEY LEAVE BEHIND.
>> BY THE END OF THE DAY, THE
TRASH STARTS TO ACCUMULATE.
EVERYBODY FINISHES UP, THEY
PACK UP AND GO HOME BUT THE
TRASH STAYS. JUST ONE LOOK, WE’LL TELL YOU
WHY.
ALTHOUGH SOME FOLKS DO BRING
TRASH BAGS, FEW IF ANY
ACTUALLY TAKE THOSE FILLED
BAGS HOME WITH THEM.
THEY LEAVE THEM HERE ON THE
GROUND.
AND WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN,
MUCH OF THE TRASH YOU SEE HERE
GETS SWEPT UP RIGHT INTO THE
BAY.
>> IT’S DISGUSTING.
IT’S TEACHING THE KIDS TO
THROW YOUR TRASH AWAY IN THE
WATER, LEAVE IT ON THE ISLAND.
IT’S JUST NOT A GOOD THING.
>> IT’S CONSUMPTION, NO
CONSCIENCE.
IT’S SOMEBODY ELSE’S PROBLEM.
THAT’S STARTING TO ABSOLUTELY
CRUSH THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> WE ACTUALLY SAW THESE TWO
GUYS PULL UP ON A WAVE RUNNER,
DUMP OUT ALL THEIR TRASH ON
THE SHORE, IGNORING THE
GARBAGE CAN JUST FEET AWAY,
SWITCH PASSENGERS AND THEN
JUST LEAVE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THIS TRASH YOU
JUST DUMPED OVER HERE?
>> WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’LL BE
RIGHT BACK?
WHO PICKS THIS UP BROTHER?
YOU’RE GONNA LEAVE THIS TRASH
RIGHT HERE?
THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
THAT’S THE PROBLEM RIGHT
THERE.
WE REPORT THEM TO MARINE
PATROL WHO’S NOW
INVESTIGATING.
OFFICERS ON THE WATER THAT DAY
CRACKING DOWN ON SPEEDERS AND
RECKLESS BOATERS.
MIAMI MARINE PATROL ONLY HAS
EIGHT BOATS ON THE WATER TO
POLICE OVER 26 MILES OF BAY.
>> IF YOU PHYSICALLY SEE
SOMEBODY LITTERING, WILL YOU
TICKET THEM?
>> YES.
>> HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN?
>> NOT AS OFTEN.
>> WHY IS THAT?
>> IT’S A BIG AREA THAT WE’VE
GOTTA COVER.
>> BY MONDAY MORNING.
>> LOOK AT THIS.
BEER BOTTLES, YOU NAME IT.
IT’S ALL HERE.
>> THE BASIN, THE ISLANDS, THE
SHORELINE ALL LITTERED WITH
TRASH.
AND SO IS THE BOTTOM OF THE
BAY.
>> RED SOLO CUPS, HATE THESE.
PLASTIC BOTTLES FLOATING IN
THE WATER.
PLASTIC BAGS, CHIPS.
>> PEOPLE IN FLORIDA, WE’VE
GOTTA DO BETTER.
THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE ISLAND
RIGHT NOW IS COMPLETELY
DESTROYED.
>> NEAR EDGEWATER, A CLEAN UP
IS HAPPENING.
THIS ONE ON PACE PICNIC
ISLAND, ANOTHER POPULAR SPOT
WITH BOATERS.
BY MONDAY MORNING, THIS TINY
LITTLE ISLAND IS ALSO TRASHED.
>> FROM THE HIGH-RISES ACROSS
THE WATER, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE
BOATS, ALL THE TRASH AND
NOBODY’S BEEN COMING UP HERE
TO PICK UP THE TRASH.
>> VOLUNTEERS FROM CLEAN THIS
BEACH UP WENT TO WORK.
AND WHEN EVERY LAST BIT WAS
COLLECTED, 851 POUNDS OF TRASH
WAS PICKED UP.
>> THIS IS NOT ONLY
DISRESPECTFUL TO US RESIDENTS,
IT’S ALSO DISRESPECTFUL TO OUR
WILD LIFE.
AND I AM SO TIRED OF PICKING
UP YOUR TRASH.
>> IT’S NO WONDER OUR BAY IS
DYING.
A DEADLY COMBINATION OF SEWAGE
FILLS AND SEPTIC LEAKS AND
NUTRIENT RUN OFFS FROM
FERTILIZERS AND STORM DRAINS
AND TONS AND TONS OF GARBAGE.
>> THERE’S FORKS, KNIVES,
BOTTLES, CANS.
ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN
BUY AT A SUPER MARKET OR A
CONVENIENCE STORE IS WHAT’S
WASHING UP ON TO OUR BEACHES
HERE IN THE BAY.
>> LAST SUMMER’S UNPRECEDENTED
MASSIVE FISH KILL AN OMINOUS
ALARM.
BISCAYNE BAY IS AT A DANGEROUS
TIPPING POINT.
IF WE DON’T URGENTLY ADDRESS
HOW WE TAKE CARE OF IT,
SCIENTISTS WARN WE WILL LOSE
IT AND ALL THE MARINE LIFE
THAT INHABITS THESE WATERS.
>> DOLPHINS COME IN HERE WITH
YOUNG ONES AND THEY START
TEACHING THE YOUNG ONES HOW TO
FISH AND HUNT, RIGHT?
WHEN THIS STARTS FILLING UP
WITH TRASH AND EVERYTHING
STARTS DYING, THIS IS JUST
GONNA TURN INTO A CESSPOOL.
>> THE CHOICE IS OURS, THE
MOMENT IS NOW.
>> WE GOTTA GET BETTER.
WE GOTTA START HOLDING EACH
OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.
WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
>> WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND IT’S NOT JUST THE BOATERS
AND WATER CRAFT ENTHUSIASTS
POLLUTING OUR BAY AND OCEAN.
80% OF THE TRASH FOUND IN OUR
WATERWAYS COMES FROM THE LAND.
NEXT WEEK, WE’LL SHOW YOU HOW
EVERYBODY WHO CALLS SOUTH
FLORIDA HOME, NO MATTER WHERE
YOU LIVE, IS CONTRIBUTING TO
THIS PROBLEM.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALSO PLAYS A
BIG PART IN THE SOLUTION.
THIS STATION WIDE CAMPAIGN
WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT
YEAR, MAYBE EVEN LONGER.
WE WANT YOU TO GET INVOLVED.
WE’D LIKE YOU TO DO YOUR PART,
GET INVOLVED IN THE BEACH
CLEAN UP, SEND US STORY IDEAS.
DO YOU SEE AN ENVIRONMENTAL
OFFENDER?
LET US KNOW, WE’LL EXPOSE THAT
STORY.
JOIN US IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT
MISSION.
VISIT Local10.com AND LOOK FOR