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TRYING TO SAVE OUR WATER QUALITY?
By Chris Falkowski, Staff Writer
Water quality is an important issue, especially in Osceola County,
Florida, where the area enjoys the benefits of year-round fishing that is
rivaled by few areas across the United States. The Kissimmee Chain of
Lakes is a vast source of fresh-water fishing opportunities that are
enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
Recently, property-owner and Licensed Coast Guard Captain, Al Bernetti,
began a project on his property which would make a change in runoff and
point source pollution from directly flowing from the bay on his property
into the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. When Bernetti received a Code
Enforcement Violation Notice, he immediately applied for a permit through
the Osceola County offices to continue the improvements to the bay and
roadway.
The runoff and non- point source pollution is impacting a public
roadway adjacent to Bernetti’s property that was constructed in 1955 and
had no swales or design in place to address storm water runoff.
Keith Jackson, of the Osceola County Engineering Department said,
"The natural flow is directly to the bay and that’s what we
want." Bernetti received the following comment from Osceola County
Lakes Management Specialist, Kimberly Lawrence, "If that’s what
(county) engineering wants, then that’s the way it will be."
Although Bernetti wanted to replace unstable material with a more
stable material for the roadway and redirect the water flow, at his
expense, the county notified Bernetti in a letter dated March 1, 2007 that
he must submit "a grading plan that would provide for storm water
runoff and the proposed direction of the runoff after final grading and
correct existing fill to match the approved grading plan." If the
condition was not met by March 30, 2007, Bernetti may be facing fines
daily "not to exceed $500.00 per day." Further, Bernetti was
told to return the roadway to its original grade.
Bernetti, past president of the Alligator Lake Homeowners Association,
and current President of the Teen Anglers, was stunned that Osceola County
officials, who had not maintained the roadway for over 30 years, would
find the polluting flow of storm water runoff and drainage into the bay,
and ultimately into the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, as the proper way to
manage state-wide water purity. "This goes against everything we
stand for, and teach the young adults in our program". "Living
in South Florida on the Indian River I see the damage that dirty water
does" Bernetti said.
Bernetti then contacted the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) and received conflicting instructions on how to handle
the project and the polluting runoff. After several attempts to coordinate
between to two governmental agencies, Bernetti finally received the
following email from Tara Urbank, Florida State Department of
Environmental Protection, "Mr. Bernetti, since there is no current
violation on your property, DEP will not be issuing any fines. A
representative of the Department of Environmental Protection from
Tallahassee has been in contact with Bernetti and will assist in coming up
with a plan that benefits the Lake Chain.
Although no official testing of the water in the bay on Bernetti’s
property, that had been completely weed choked, and is now open water, has
been done, St. Cloud In The News visited the site and noted
that the water was clear and that the bay was filled with young bass and
other fish species. Bedding areas where bass lay their eggs was free of
intrusive weeds and clearly being put to use. Bernetti plans on using this
site for an environmental learning center for the Teen Anglers.
Although Bernetti’s efforts to effect a positive change to the
pollution flow into the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are currently at a
stand-still, St. Cloud In The News will continue to follow
this story as further details emerge.
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