Yahoo Movies DeSantis awards $22.7 million to protect Biscayne Bay. Here’s where the money’s going
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that the state will award $22.7 million to support water quality and other protection projects in Biscayne Bay.
The money, divided into seven awards, will be used to improve septic or sewer infrastructure, prevent sewer overflows and increase freshwater inflows to protect marine life and coral reefs, DeSantis said at the press conference in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne.
“These awards are going to help the areas located around Biscayne Bay,” DeSantis said. “It’s a very big populous part of the state. And so there’s just naturally things that you have to deal with.”
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Funded projects details
▪ $14.5 million to Miami-Dade County for water quality and pollution projects
▪ $2.3 million to North Miami for septic-to-sewer conversions
▪ $2 million to Coral Gables for sanitary sewer improvements
▪ $2 million to Miami Springs for stormwater infrastructure
▪ $700,000 to Cutler Bay for wetland restoration
▪ $650,000 to Key Biscayne for stormwater infrastructure
▪ $600,000 to Miami River Fund, Inc., a nonprofit organization that will work with local governments on stormwater and marine debris management
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton said he’s optimistic the projects will preserve and protect the bay in the years to come.
“Biscayne Bay is a treasured resource, not just here in Miami-Dade, but [in the] state as a whole,” he said. “It is a foundation that shows how important it is to make sure that we maintain that equilibrium between our built-out infrastructure and our environment that underpins our economy and our healthy ways of life.”
State Sen. Ileana Garcia also touted the efforts at the Key Biscayne press conference.
“Our motivation is obviously driven by a genuine treasure,” she said. “We all love where we live; therefore, we make this a priority.”
