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Waste Site Reports: Florida
NOAA trust species in Florida include many economically important estuarine-dependent fish species such as red and black drum, spotted sea trout, snook, sheepshead, southern flounder, Florida pompano, striped mullet, bay anchovy, and gulf menhaden. The snook is an important game fish and is protected by the State of Florida. Invertebrate species include blue crab, stone crab, American oyster, spiny lobster, pink shrimp, and the common rangia. Many federally protected species inhabit Florida's waters. The federally endangered West Indian Manatee frequents Florida waters on a seasonal basis. The threatened loggerhead and green turtles are also found in Florida's waters, as well as the endangered hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, and leatherback turtles. Bottlenose dolphins are found in coastal environments throughout Florida.
Military Sites in Florida
Florida is dotted with 624 military installations and formerly used defense areas. Currently, 50 installations are investigated under EPA's CERCLA (Superfund) or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The nature of defense-related activities involves chemicals that are highly toxic and persistent in the environment. In Florida, military-related contaminants of concern include VOCs, PCBs, PAHs, heavy metals, pesticides, and solvents. NOAA has contributed to the understanding of ecological problems and participated in the decision-making process for Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS), US Naval Air Station Cecil Field, US NAS Jacksonville and US Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The Homestead Air Force Base site, bordering on the Everglades, represents a threat to Florida and NOAA trust resources. Because the base is being shut down, the site is on an accelerated cleanup schedule and NOAA anticipates playing a role in the remedial process. NOAA's input is needed now to ensure Department of Defense (DoD) cleanups that are protective of coastal natural resources as well as human health. NOAA offers technical expertise and a neutral perspective that is valued by both the military and the local public.
Areas of Special Concern in Florida
The NOAA Coastal Resource Coordinator (CRC) program works to protect and restore natural resources throughout Florida. Mangroves, estuaries, and coastal rivers and wetlands are of special concern to NOAA since they provide nursery and adult habitat for fish, invertebrates, and federally threatened and endangered species. The CRC program has been actively involved in the Munisport Landfill site which is adjacent to Biscayne Bay. NOAA played a major role in assessing the potential impact to the bordering mangrove preserve from releases from the landfill. NOAA involvement in the site cleanup resulted in the selection of a remedy to restore the tidal flow to the mangrove stands. Currently the NOAA CRC is working with state agencies to develop a long-term monitoring strategy for the mangrove preserve. Threats to NOAA trust resources, including the federally endangered West Indian manatee, also have been identified in the Tampa Bay area at Stauffer Chemical and Helena Chemical, and along the St. John's River in Jacksonville. The NOAA CRC program is working with other federal agencies and the State of Florida to address the hazardous waste issues and potential impacts to resources from releases at these specific sites and others around the state.
Reports Not Yet Available Online
- Harris Corp. (Palm Bay Plant) (Reviewed 1986); CERCLIS No. = FLD000602334
Waste Site Reports
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- FL: Chem-Form, Inc. (Reviewed 1990); CERCLIS No. = FLD080174402
(Document format: PDF, size: 43.2 K)
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- FL: MRI Corporation (Reviewed 1997); CERCLIS No. = FLD088787585
(Document format: PDF, size: 67.7 K)
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Other pages in this series
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