MONROE COUNTY-LED 172 CANAL MARINE DEBRIS CLEANUP PROJECT IS COMPLETE

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County completed the removal of approximately 14,000 cubic yards of vegetative, construction and demolition marine debris from 172 Florida Keys canals impacted by Hurricane Irma ahead of schedule and under budget.

 

The marine debris removal activities cost $19.5 million, which was 43 percent of the $45.8 million agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Monroe County for the Hurricane Irma debris removal project.

 

Monroe County submitted additional information and received approval for sediment removal projects at 10 canals with sedimentation caused by Hurricane Irma. These sediment removal projects fall under the initial funding and extend the schedule 60 days, moving the project to a 280-day revised completion date of May 20, 2019 mandated by the grant details.

 

“The sediment removal of the 10 approved canals will begin after NRCS’ approval of the technical specifications, work plans, quality assurance plans, and construction plans, as well as permitting from the local, state and federal regulatory agencies,” said Rhonda Haag, Director of Sustainability, who oversaw the project. “Work is anticipated to begin in early April.”

 

The project had funding by an Emergency Watershed Protection grant from the NRCS. The NRCS is the entity that approved which canals received the grant funding.

 

Monroe County is working on obtaining additional information for resubmittal of the approximately 145 marine debris and 24 sediment removal canals that were not deemed eligible during the initial evaluation by NRCS.

 

Crews from Adventure Environmental, Inc. cleaned canals on Big Coppitt, Geiger, Saddlebunch, Sugarloaf, Cudjoe, Summerland, Ramrod, Little Torch, Big Pine, Conch, Tavernier, Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon. The hurricane marine debris went to nearby debris management sites before being hauled to the mainland for proper disposal.

 

To read more about the canal marine debris cleanup, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/hurricaneirma.

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