1985: Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, under direction from the USEPA, conducts Water Quality Testing in the Florida Keys.165 site specific waterbodies are tested. The results place No Name Key as the 4th worst polluted waterbody in the Florida Keys based on Nitrogen, Nitrates and Phosphates. No Name Key had a higher P-TOT, higher TKN & higher OrnN than either of the two tested sewage plumes. Only three sites had a higher P-TOT (total phosphorus) than No Name Key. Only three sites had a higher a TKN (Total Nitrogen) than No Name Key. Only three sites had a higher a OrgN (Organic Nitrogen) than No Name Key. No sites had lower Dissolved Oxygen (DO) than No Name Key.
1993:USEPA develops its original list of 88 “hot spots” based on the 1985 test results.TM 4 – HOT SPOTS; Table 4.1 HOT SPOTS Identified by Prior Lists: Phase I Report / Site:No. 44: Location: Bahia Shores, No Name Key
1993:USEPA Table 6-4 “Florida Keys Water Quality HOT SPOTS”: Bahia Shores, No Name Key is ID# 47 of 88.
1996:SWFMD water quality, hot spot report is created. TM 4 – HOT SPOTS; Table 4.1 HOT SPOTS Identified by Prior Lists: Phase I Report / Site: No. 47: Location Bahia Shores, No Name Key
1999:Florida State Mandate HB 99-395 passes, setting water quality standards and mandated implementation of the wastewater plan for Monroe County by July 2010.
1999:WQPP Hot Spots Identified by Prior Lists: TM 4 – HOT SPOTS; Table 4.1 HOT SPOTS Identified by Prior Lists: Phase I Report / Site: No. 44: Location Bahia Shores, No Name Key
2000:Hot Spot Map: No Name Key
2001: Packet from EPA: WQPP Steering Committee Florida Keys Water Quality Plan: Lowers Keys: Water Quality Degradation Sites –MAP:Bahia Shores, No Name Key
2004:Monroe County adopts the Florida Keys 2010 Wastewater Master Plan:No Name Key omitted from entire wastewater master plan.
2005 – 2006USEPA conducts Phase II Water Quality testing for the Florida Keys, Basin 5.These tests are used to compile a list of “verified impaired waterbodies”. Over 44,000 site specific water samples are tested, with over 78 water tests performed on No Name Key alone. The pollution findings for No Name Key result in it being declared as USEPA “Verified Impaired Waterbody ID#6012C for “Nutrients”, “Other” , “Mercury in fish”, having a “Category 5 impairment”; and for violations of Chapters 62-302.530(48)(b) and 62-302.700(12): “Impaired to cause an imbalance in natural population and aquatic flora and fauna”, and declared “Not able to sustain the propagation and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife”. No Name Key is declared a “priority waterbody” by the USEPA.(Note: This 2008 USEPA verified impaired water quality report is not released until December 2008)
2008, May: Monroe County Commission puts No Name Key back into the plans for a central sewer connection based on the scientific tests and reports of pollution (1985, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2001) as a polluted waterbody.
2008, Nov.:Monroe County elections result in new Commissioners.
2008, Dec.:Florida Department of Environmental Regulations, in conjunction with the USEPA, releases its 2008 Florida Keys Water Quality Assessment Report: WBID 6012C, No Name Key, is declared as a “Verified Impaired Waterbody.”
2008, Dec.: Monroe County Commission signs FKRAD (Florida Keys Reasonable Assurance Document) with USEPA promising to provide central sewers to the USEPA listed Verified Impaired Waterbodies, lest Federal Regulations and TMDL’s are imposed on the County.
2009: Newly Seated Monroe County Commissioners Wigington and Carruthers join forces with Murphy to remove No Name Key from the central sewer plans; effectively breaking the USEPA agreed to FKRAD.
These Florida Keys Water Quality Tests, Reports, and “Hot Spots” were supposed to be the priority areas addressed when developing the central sewer system for the Florida Keys ...but, local politics overruled science.
As of today, No Name Key remains removed from the central sewer plans.
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