See something, say something: Protecting Biscayne Bay is economic necessity for Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – When it comes to overall impact, a new study found that Biscayne Bay contributes $64 billion to the local economy, close to a half of a million jobs and $4 billion in tax revenues for the county.

[See the complete study here.]

The bay’s economic impact is significant because the report says it makes up close to 20 percent of the county’s economy; most of that money comes from port activity.

“It’s an environmental jewel but it’s also an economic powerhouse and tying those two together I think is the most important component for making people realize how important it is to invest in its resilience,” said Scott Wagner, vice chair of the South Florida Water Management District.

Most recently, the state of Florida spent $1.5 million, matched by Miami-Dade County, to install new high-tech pollution reduction filters that will treat stormwater before it is discharged into the bay. The system is along Little River where there was a mass fish kill in the Summer of 2020.

Biscayne Bay contributes $8 billion to property values and attracts close to 120 million residents and visitors. Given its economic significance, there’s a lot of concern over the health of the bay.

“We continue to face ecological challenges caused by runoff, septic systems, aging infrastructure and litter,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava

Over the weekend, there was uproar on social media when a video was posted of what looked like construction debris spreading into Biscayne Bay in the Edgewater neighborhood.

“It’s still under investigation and it could be a combination of sources,” said Cava.

[AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI DATED OCT. 17]

“The City of Miami investigated the incident involving a significant leak that seeped into Biscayne Bay. 

Once we were made aware of the situation, we contacted Miami-Dade County officials to thoroughly investigate the source of the pollution. During the City’s inspection and observation, the amount of silt that was seen emanating from the area is not believed to be from the seawall itself, as the abutting street end does not have evidence of soil erosion commensurate with the plume.

The replacement of the seawall with new sheet piles and concrete bulkhead along with a new baywalk at N.E. 30th Street is funded with a grant and the Miami Forever Bond, and it is slated to be replaced in the next 24 to 30 months.

Additional inspections of the seawall are being undertaken to ensure safety. A silt float/screen will be installed at the area to mitigate additional discharge into the bay until the deteriorated areas can be repaired.

The 36″ stormwater drainage outfall pipe located at N.E. 30th Street serves an area from N.E. 32nd Street and Biscayne Boulevard (Florida Department of Transportations) to the north, N.E. 2nd Avenue (Miami-Dade County) on the west, N.E. 28th Street and Biscayne Boulevard to the south, including N.E. 29th Street through N.E. 31st Street.

For an aerial view, click here  https://we.tl/t-BWQV2PkVRB. 

Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works and FDOT have been notified to investigate their systems that connect to the 36″ stormwater drainage outfall pipe at N.E. 30th Street.

We will continue to work tirelessly to enforce regulations, raise awareness, and invest in initiatives that safeguard the integrity of Biscayne Bay for current and future generations. We appreciate the vigilance of our community and reaffirm our dedication to preserving the beauty and ecological balance of Biscayne Bay. Together, we will ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for all.”

It isn’t the first time there have been environmental messes caused and it happens time and time again.

A grand jury report from August of 2019 sounded the alarm warning that Biscayne Bay is at a tipping point and that the declining quality of water may become irreversible.

In July, the board of county commissioners approved stiff higher penalties for anyone caught illegally dumping into the bay, or any body of water, anywhere in the county.

The board of county commissioners unanimously approved the significant increases in fines for all environmental violations that pollute Miami-Dade’s ground and surface waters, especially Biscayne Bay.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa sponsored the ordinance.

“There have been reports that septic companies have been dumping into lakes,” said Sosa. “We have to increase the civil penalties.

The stiffer fines give Miami-Dade’s Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) more muscle to go after big developers and contractors that fail to properly secure construction sediment, debris and other materials on their sites.

Fines that, for decades, were so low, it was cheaper to pay them than comply.

And, it’s not just Biscayne Bay, it’s all Miami-Dade County.

Anything that pollutes any body of water is under scrutiny because in the end all of it dumps into Biscayne Bay.

When reporting violations, it’s important to document what you see with pics or video, officials say.

To report them, email baywatch@maimidade.gov, or click here to submit an environmental complaint.

For more information on reporting environmental complaints, click here.