![]() ![]() "It's salt in the wound, because yeah, that, you know, private industry, governments, citizens, we've all stepped up and taken responsibility to improve water quality around Tampa Bay," Burke said. But, according to Maya Burke, the Assistant Director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the result was roughly 205 tons of nitrogen going into lower Tampa Bay. The release was to keep the ponds on top of the gypsum stack from failing. Starting on March 31 and lasting ten days, 215 million gallons of polluted water was released from Piney Point, an abandoned phosphate mine and fertilizer plant located north of Palmetto. And when it rains, whatever pollutants are lingering on land end up in our aquifers, rivers, streams, and bays. Florida growers are now facing a situation where they need to implement best management practices to keep crops growing and stop their nutrients from flowing into the water system. And agricultural fertilizers play a role in polluting our waterways. The bridges also obstruct natural flows, creating areas more susceptible to the buildup of pollutants impacting ecosystems. Toxic vehicle emissions from NOxor Nitrogen Oxides flow freely from our tailpipes to the atmosphere and into our waterways. In doing so, they also have a direct impact on our water quality. ![]() These bridges make it possible for millions of vehicles each year to cross vast expanses of waterways to reach their final destinations. Some of the most notable are the Sunshine Skyway, Gandy Howard Frankland, and Courtney Campbell Causeway. In the Tampa Bay Area, there are several bridges and causeways over water that connect our counties. A recent law tasked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to track the worst offenders and issue fines or penalties. Raw sewage from local municipalities is also pouring into streams, estuaries, back bays, canals, lagoons, and neighborhoods. Take just one home along our canals, shorelines, and sprawling cities multiple it by the hundreds of thousands across the state, and the pollution multiplies exponentially. Residential fertilizers that keep yards green along our waterways add even more nitrogen into an already stressed system. There are leaky and outdated septic tanks that need to be updated or switched over to sewer. With that being said, some industries, people, and local municipalities do pollute more than others. And we have to take appropriate actions to reduce our collective input of nutrients." "So, it's not one individual, I don't think you can point the finger at the ag industry, for example, and say, if we get rid of all ag the world is going to be better, I don't think that's the case. Tom Frazer, Dean of the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida, said. "So, if you live in Florida, if you work in Florida, if you play in Florida, you're part of the problem," Dr. No person is less innocent or guilty than the other, and scientists hope that we recognize and fix the problem before it's too late. The question concerned citizens, charter boat captains, some politicians, and environmentalists are asking? How many tons of dead fish, how many manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, and majestic tarpons do we have to clean up before Florida implements a systemic change from the top down.Įveryone who lives in Florida or visits Florida is part of the problem. TAMPA - Florida's water pollution crisis is reaching a breaking point, and the race to pass comprehensive legislation to fix our statewide problems is moving as slow as the environmental catastrophe unfolding in our bays, rivers, natural springs, and lagoons every day. ![]()
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