Monday, December 21, 2015

Need some Environmental Corrective Action? This is how to report it. By Geniusofdespair

I found this advice on Facebook on How to make an Environmental violation complaint in Miami Dade County:

This is a way to increase the chance of getting a compliance officer on the scene while the problem is occurring, and maybe the responsible party is there too.

Miami Dade Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) has an Environmental Complaint call-in number: 305-372-6955. Put this number in your contacts.

There is also an email address to report things like a plume of silty (turbid) water, or other types of environmental problems you might witness (tree cutting, dumping, sewage overflows). They work most efficiently during normal business hours, but the call-in number is monitored 24/7, and serious emergencies are passed to Pollution Control inspectors. Since reorganizations of the County's departments and websites, many folks do not know about this service. It is fine to contact elected officials, department heads, post on social media etc., but your message may not be seen immediately, or the person who sees it may not know where to send it. That adds time to get your report into the hands of people in the field who may be able to remedy a problem or even initiate some type of enforcement action if necessary.

So first, call that hotline, email them a photo, and include as much information as possible about the exact time, location of the incident. Here is a link to DERMs Environmental Complaint web page, which has more info.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is in the water Miami Beach pumps into the bay? Do I report this or do I ask for the data first from the city of Miami Beach?

Anonymous said...

Ok great. I'd like to call in a violation ahead of time - the DERM approved Miami Boat Show. This saves everyone the trouble of apologizing for destroying seagrass beds, running over manatees etc... Deal?

Anonymous said...

If you see turbid water, dumping or suspect a release of hazardous materials, call it in right away. Don't worry about obtaining all the details first, just provide as much information as you can... What you are seeing, where, time, date, etc... Time is of the essence in responding to pollution.