>> IT HAS BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE
THE UNPRECEDENTED FISH KILL
THAT RAVAGED BISCAYNE BAY.
>> THE KEY TO SAVING BISCAYNE
BAY IS TO URGENTLY CLEAN OUR
POLLUTED CANALS AND ADDRESS
THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS
THAT PLAGUE THEM.
WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK IN
TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE.
BISCAYNE BAY HAD NEVER SEEN
THE LIKES OF IT.
FOR FIVE DAYS, MORE THAN 27
THOUSAND FISH AND OTHER MARINE
ANIMALS WOULD DIE.
>> THIS IS WHAT WE’RE LOSING.
>> SUFFOCATING DUE TO A SUDDEN
LACK OF OXYGEN IN POCKETS OF
THE BAY, PRIMARILY CAUSED BY THE OVERLOAD OF DEADLY NEWS
THE OVERLOAD OF DEADLY NEWS
PARTNERS -- NUTRIENTS IN THE
CANALS.
RIGHT BEFORE THE FISH KILL
LAST SUMMER, VERY HIGH FLOWS,
HIGHER THAN ANY TIME OVER THE
PAST 30 YEARS WERE BEING
DISCHARGED FROM THE LITTLE
RIVER CANAL INTO THE BAY.
TROUBLING FOR SCIENTISTS
BECAUSE TODAY THERE ARE STILL
BIG PROBLEMS IN THE LITTLE
RIVER.
>> THE OXYGEN IN THE LITTLE RIVER HAS DROPPED DOWN TO
RIVER HAS DROPPED DOWN TO
AROUND 3 MILLIGRAMS PEARLY
LITTER.
>> DATA CONSISTENTLY SHOWS LOW
OXYGEN READINGS.
IT IS THE DIRTIEST OF
WATERWAYS.
ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF TRASH AND
DEBRIS REGULARLY ACCUMULATE
HERE.
NOW PROMPTING SOUTH FLORIDA
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO
DEPLOY A SCAVENGER VESSEL TO
PATROL THE CANAL EVERY WEEK,
TO SCOOP UP ALL THE GARBAGE AND MUCK ON THE SURFACE.
AND MUCK ON THE SURFACE.
BUT WHAT LIES BENEATH IS EVEN
MORE MENACING.
>> ULTIMATELY, IT COMES DOWN
TO THE POLLUTANTS LIKE
PHOSPHOROUS.
>> RECENT DATA FROM SAMPLES
TAKEN BY MIAMI WATER KEEPER
DURING THE FIRST SIX WEEKS OF
SUMMER SHOWED JUST HOW
POLLUTED THIS CANAL IS.
THE ORANGE SPOTS INDICATE HIGH
FECAL BACTERIA CONTAMINATION.
FOUR OF THE BIGGEST POINTS ARE
ON THE LITTLE RIVER.
>> WE HAVEN’T FUNDAMENTALLY IF
I CANNED THE UNDERLYING
PROBLEM.
>> THE BIGGEST CULPRIT, AGING
SEPTIC TANKS THAT NO LONGER
WORK.
THERE ARE OVER 300 HOMES ALONG
THE LITTLE RIVER CURRENTLY ON
SEPTIC.
MANY OF THE SEPTICS ALONG THE
LITTLE RIVER ARE MORE THAN 80
YEARS OLD.
BACK WHEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND
SEA LEVEL RISE WEREN’T PART OF
OUR VERNACULAR.
THOSE SEPTICS HAVE BECOME DISLODGED, SPEWING ALL THAT
DISLODGED, SPEWING ALL THAT
WASTE AND DEADLY NUTRIENTS
INTO THE GROUND WATER.
MIAMI-DADE WATER SEWER
DEPARTMENT WILL INSTALL SEWER
LATERALS FOR 41 HOMES ON
SEPTIC ALONG THE LITTLE RIVER.
IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS,
APPROXIMATELY 300 HOMES IN THE
AREA ON SEPTIC WILL BE
CONNECTED TO SEWER LINES.
BOTH PROJECTS PARTIALLY FUNDED
BY A STATE GRANT.
ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY
REPORTS OF THE 120,000 SEPTIC
TANKS IN MIAMI-DADE, MORE THAN
57,000 ARE IN THE NORTH BAY
AREA.
56% OF THEM ARE ALREADY
FAILING CHTH 67% ARE
COMPROMISED TO SEA LEVEL RISE.
IT WON’T COME CHEAP, UPWARDS
OF $4 BILLION.
>> WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE TO
LOSE.
OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR PROPERTY
VALUES, OUR WATER SUPPLY AND
OUR ECONOMY.
OUR TOURISM.
>> WE HAVE NO OPTIONS.
WE HAVE TO GET INFRASTRUCTURE
PUT INTO PLACE.
>> THERE’S ALSO THE URGENT
ISSUE OF MODERNIZING ALL THE
STORM DRAINS IN THE COUNTY.
>> REALLY MAKE SURE WE’RE
DOING THINGS LIKE CLEANING THE
STORM WATER SYSTEM SO THAT THE
CHEMICAL THAT IS ARE IN THE
STORM DRAIN SYSTEM AND THE
PLASTICS ARE NOT GETTING INTO
OUR WATER WAYS.
>> A TALL ORDER THAT WON’T
JUST TAKE MONEY BUT YEARS AS
BISCAYNE BAY HANGS AT A
PERILOUS TIPPING POINT WITH
THE THREAT OF ANOTHER FISH
KILL, A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY.
>> FINGERS CROSSED WE’RE IN
BETTER SHAPE. BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY
BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY
TO GO.
>> WHILE FIXING OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE WILL TAKE TIME,
THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL
DO AND MUST DO RIGHT NOW.
IN APRIL, THE COUNTY PASSED
THE -- MAKING IT ILLEGAL TO
FERTILIZE ANYWHERE IN
MIAMI-DADE DURING THE SUMMER
RAINY MONTHS WHEN ALL THAT
FERTILIZER WASHES OFF YOUR LAWN AND SENDS ALL THOSE
LAWN AND SENDS ALL THOSE
DANGERS -- DANGEROUS NEWS
PARTNERS IN OUR WATER INTO THE BAY.
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