Waste could contaminate Florida's water as seas rise - CNN Video
Sea level rise is causing more than half of Miami-Dade County's septic tanks to fail, impacting thousands who rely on them to flush their toilets and causing bacteria-infested sewage to seep up through the ground.
Flood Gates, Flood Walls and Home Buyouts: Coming Soon To Miami?
Two years ago when Jennifer Cheek and her husband bought their tidy stucco house near the Little River with a rambling backyard - grand even by Miami standards - they thought they'd left behind the threat of devastating sea rise they faced in their Miami Beach neighborhood.
Concern Builds Over Miami-Dade Septic Tanks Impacted by Sea Level Rise | Miami Beach Times
Miami-Dade County's Office of Resilience met with Catalyst Miami and concerned community members on September 12th to discuss the impending threat of widespread septic system failure within the region, and the exacerbating effects that sea level rise will have on the systems.
On August 14, 2019, the State of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal held that the City of Coral Gables’ ordinance regulating polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam, is unenforceable. This news is a blow to the progress made in recent years to address the impacts of marine debris through municipal regulations.
Why is this decision so harmful? Polystyrene is a product that is frequently used in carryout containers. However, because it isn’t biodegradable and persists in the environment, it damages vital marine habitat -- impacting wildlife health, human health, and the economy.
This decision is also a blow to the home rule authority of municipalities across the State of Florida. Historically, the state legislature has worked to preempt local regulation of products like plastic bags and polystyrene containers. Home rule authority allows municipalities to govern on topics unless the state says they cannot by way of a preemption. These preemptions make it near impossible for municipalities to regulate the use or sale of products like single-use plastics and polystyrene. The Court in this decision affirmed the validity of the state’s preemption on these products. The opinion specifically said that the Florida statutes preempting the regulations on these products superseded Coral Gables’ ordinances.
The Toxic World Beneath Your Feet
Rising seas spell doom for tens of thousands of septic tanks Kristen McLean has a mound on her front lawn. It isn't part of some gardening fad. It's a necessity if McLean wants the toilets in her house to keep flushing or the drains in her sinks and bathtub to function.
Miami-Dade's 2020 budget approved, after demands to fix the county's sewer system
A sewer pipe that carries 10 million gallons of sewage every day ruptured in Northeast Dade and leaked at least a million gallons of waste into the Oleta River. Miami-Dade County commissioners narrowly approved higher garbage fees Thursday as part of Mayor Carlos Gimenez's proposed $8.9 billion budget, a spending plan with mostly flat tax rates that goes into effect Oct.
Despite Continual Leaks Into Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade May Slash Sewer Budget
Miami is a worldwide tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches and clean water - but nobody can enjoy it when there is shit spilling into the bay. Aging pipes installed near Oleta River State Park in the 1960s ruptured last month, resulting in 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage leaking into the Oleta River and Biscayne Bay.
You may have heard the term "King Tide" in the news recently. But, what exactly is this tidal event? King tides are the highest high tides of the year and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, they occur when the "orbits and alignment of the Earth, moon, and sun combine to produce the greatest tidal effects of the year." These major tidal events occur once or twice a year and can often cause coastal flooding in low-lying areas of South Florida.
Fertilizer ordinance approved in bid to protect near shore waters
There's such a thing as too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to the harmful effects associated with excess nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, entering the waters. Islamorada Village council members unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance to amend land development regulations related to fertilizer application standards during the...
Join Miami Waterkeeper in welcoming our new Outreach Coordinator, Collin Schladweiler! Collin joined our team in September 2019, and we’re very excited to be working with him!
