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Pinellas County Commissioners were taken back by some of the statistics they heard at their latest red tide update; most notably, over 3.65 million pounds of dead fish have been removed – and the number continues to climb.
Kelly Levy, Director of Public Works for Pinellas County, gave a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners on the ongoing red tide crises at their Tuesday meeting. She commended the county for having a plan in place following the last severe red tide event in 2018, crediting the collaboration between the county, local municipalities, and state and federal partners for helping to mitigate the disaster. |
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Levy said the county began seeing red tide effects on area beaches June 16, before it began dissipating around June 28. When Tropical Storm Elsa impacted the Pinellas coast July 6, it pushed the harmful algal blooms back onshore and into the Tampa Bay and area waterways. After inundating the bay, the red tide has now moved back along the coast. In less than two months, more than 1,823 tons of dead fish and debris have been removed – or over 3,650,000 pounds.
“Kudos to our Solid Waste Department because they accepted all of it regardless of where it was coming from,” said Levy. |
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