Coral Reef Restoration Project Underway in Broward County 

DANIA BEACH – Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael W. Sole today joined Timothy Keeney, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, to dive the pilot project to remove tires from the Osborne Reef, located approximately one mile off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale. Recognizing the importance of sensitive coral reefs, the Florida Legislature appropriated $2 million for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 to fund recycling and disposal of the waste tires from the Osborne Reef project.

“The State is proud to partner with local and federal agencies to protect and preserve our marine resources,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “The two million dollars in State funding for the removal of the waste tires will help prevent further damage to our coral reefs and restore natural marine habitats.”

Earlier this month, local, state and federal partners began a month-long pilot project to determine the most efficient way to remove the tire debris from the ocean. Under the direction of Broward County, military divers from the U.S. Army, Navy and Coast Guard gather and bundle the tires and buoy them to the ocean’s surface, serving as a military training exercise. Officials and scientists from NOAA and Nova Southeastern University will evaluate restoration of the injured reef, including the recovery of fish and coral populations.

DEP is working with contractors to explore available recycling opportunities for tires, including being used as fuel for industrial plants. For this pilot project, DEP’s contractor is hauling the tires to a waste tire processing plant in Georgia where they will be processed into tire-derived fuel (TDF) and sold to a recycled paper plant.

In the 1970s, approximately two million tires were placed as an artificial reef in 60-70’ of water on sandy bottom between two natural coral reefs. Intended as good fish habitat, the tires did not support marine life and instead caused harm to nearby living coral reefs as storms forced the tires against the corals. This multi-agency partnership will remove the tires and recycle them while protecting the living coral ecosystem.

For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/tires/default.htm.