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Bridge debris sparks protests

Causeway Isles residents say illegal disposal of materials - some beyond daylight hours - threatens their nearby waterway.

By PAUL SWIDER
Published April 16, 2006

Residents of Causeway Isles say they have seen crews from Johnson Brothers, the contractor for the $50-million drawbridge project, dumping dirt, concrete and steel just north of their waterfront homes. They say they fear the contractor is cutting corners in order to meet a June 10 deadline to qualify for a $1-million bonus for finishing the bridge early.

"It's a safety issue," said Bonnie Sweeney, part of a group keeping constant watch of the dumping. "Somebody's going to go by there on a Jet Ski and get hurt or something."

Sweeney said she and her neighbors have been on the phone to Greenpeace and the Sierra Club because they feel the contractor is dumping debris on top of seagrass beds. Ironically, the so-called dumping is an effort to create seagrass beds, say city officials.

The bridge project may disturb some adjacent seagrasses, so the city's permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District requires it to plant new grass beds. The mitigation project involves using some bridge debris and sand to fill an old dredge hole where the grasses will be planted.

"Seagrasses are not going to grow in a dredge hole," said Michael Molligan, spokesman for the district. "They have to bring it up to get sunlight."

Still, Molligan said, the city has to make sure it completes the project properly. The city can use concrete debris to fill the dredge hole, but it cannot use reinforcing steel or other materials containing "toxic or deleterious substances," according to a letter sent to the city. Furthermore, any filling of the hole must occur during daylight hours on a rising tide and must be finished off with 2 feet of "clean, sandy fill."

The city must also maintain a plastic collar around the dredge hole so filling doesn't create a cloud of mud throughout that part of the bay. Molligan said the city's "turbidity collar" was not working properly and must be fixed. The city must also satisfy the district it is following all other regulations.

"We'll check it out and answer their letter," said Don Hambidge, the city's public works director. "If there's some misunderstanding, we'll change what we're doing."

Sweeney said there is no doubt the contractor is dumping steel and dirt in the bay and is doing so sometimes as late as 1 a.m. Residents are watching the process and taking pictures, but the district says the photos are not clear enough to show any violations.

Hambidge said work records do not show anyone working past 8 p.m. He said he may have to send divers down to take pictures to prove nothing illegal was dumped. He also said the complaints are just frustration with loud construction that disrupts regular transportation.

Molligan said the city has until May 7 to show it is in compliance. Sweeney said the neighborhood may file suit this week to stop the dumping.

Sweeney said she and her neighbors are also concerned about navigation in the bay. The dredge hole is just north of a channel next to their docks.

"We have a 48-foot boat," she said. "If they keep dumping, we're never going to get our boat out of here."

Paul Swider can be reached at 892-2271 or pswider@sptimes.com or by participating in itsyourtimes.com.

[Last modified April 16, 2006, 09:02:01]