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For more information, contact us via email at mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-361-4850
Fax: 305-361-4755
  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

Pursuant to the “Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Report” Action Item 5f, “Conduct an annual evaluation and report card”, the SSC reviewed the draft “2002 Miami River Stormwater Progress Report”, originally e-mailed to the SSC in February 2003.  SSC agencies have until the April SSC meeting to provide any revisions to the draft progress report, prior to SSC adoption and public distribution in mid-April 2003.

Brett Bibeau stated Johnny Winton, Chairman of the City Commission, is interested in supporting the conversion of right of way (ROW) areas along the River into pocket parks.  The Water and Sewer Department had a scheduling conflict, therefore was unable to attend the SSC meeting to provide the scheduled status report on removing the fence at the NW 2^nd ST WASD site and removing the manhole on the River’s shoreline in the SW 5^th ST site.  The discussion of the ROW sites conversion into pocket parks was re-scheduled for the April SSC meeting.

The SSC had a lengthy discussion regarding the dioxins and bacteria in Wagner Creek.  Jose Lago, City of Miami, provided the SSC with a summary of the Saturday, March 15, 2003 public hearing held on the issue.  David Miller, MRC, stated the Department of Health (DOH) is the responsible agency for posting health risk signs.  DOH has indicated their willingness to post signs, adjacent to Wagner Creek, regarding high levels of bacteria.  The Miami-Dade Dept. of Env. Resource Management (DERM), offered to fund the additional dioxin testing, which DOH requires to fully assess the possible need for any additional signage, pertaining to eating fish from the creek.  The additional testing is estimated to take two months.  The City of Miami is proceeding with permitting Wagner Creek Dredging Phases IV and V.  Jan Rogers, Environmental Protection Agency, stated that from the Wagner Creek contamination testing results he has reviewed, the dredged Creek sediments may still be disposed of in a Class III land fill, since the contamination levels are not high enough to force the sediments to be disposed of in a “Hazardous Land Fill”.  Possible means of remediating the upland contaminants are replacing the top two feet with clean soil, and or capping the contaminated sites with impervious material.  Miller cited the Evans Environmental and Geosciences (City environmental consultant) report, which notes that a source of dioxins is bleaching paper, and there is a big box company located adjacent to Wagner Creek.  Bibeau encouraged the involved agencies to consider the SSC as an existing and operational task force, which will continue addressing the Wagner Creek contamination issues.

The next SSC meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2003, 10 AM, 172-A West Flagler Street.

The meeting adjourned.

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