Collusion,
corruption, incompetence, complicity, ineptitude or just a party to
outright fraud? Why will the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection not enforce the permits they issue?
Another beach renourishment project and more
bogus data as the contractors circumvent project mandated environmental
permit monitoring and the FDEP turns a blind eye; afraid or unable to
catch the perpetrators as they lay waste to miles of coastal habitat.
This years poster child for ecosystem destruction
is the Hillsboro beach renourishment project. The project permit
requires the contractor to limit the amount of coral-killing silt
generated by monitoring turbidity levels. The standard which they must
not exceed is 29 turbidity units (NTU) above background beyond a point
150 meters from the beach sand placement area, or about 492 feet.
For weeks Reef Rescue, other groups and
individuals have been supplying FDEP with evidence of noncompliance. In
fact, since 2005 Reef Rescue has documented contractor fraud on five
separate beach renourishment projects. But the Sunday, March 27, display
of a total disregard for permit compliance and habitat destruction goes
to Great
Lakes Dredge & Dock Company for creating one of the
worst silt plumes we have witnessed. So expansive, it engulfed two South
Florida coastal counties and stretched from Hillsboro Beach to north of
Boca Raton.
Click on this link to view the Sunday turbidity
slide show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMd9JpZLpS4
Related post:
http://reefrescue.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/mismanagement-of-juno-beach-restoration-project-puts-reefs-in-jeopardy/
Palm Beach County Reef
Rescue
www.reef-rescue.org
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