A huge blob of sargassum seaweed is headed to the United States and will have its heaviest impact over the summer. It causes a noxious order so the city plans to remove as much as possible.
It’s a challenging scenario because of several variables. Permitting. Disposal Sites. Costs. But here’s our plan:
- Short Term – the city will contract with a disposal company that already has the equipment & permitting needed for clean up. Using an “aqua gator,” they’ll remove seaweed and transport it out-of-county for disposal. That removal will happen daily and be directed by the city’s Public Works department.
- Long Term – the city will start setting aside money toward the installation of air curtains in each canal. It’s a costly project and its permitting (by DERM, etc.) takes months. But sargassum will unfortunately be an issue every year going forward so we’ll pursue this for next year and beyond.