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Treasure Coast beaches closed due to red tide

Dead fish collect along shoreline.

Treasure Coast beaches closed due to red tide

Dead fish collect along shoreline.

WEBVTT PICK UP MARINE DEBRIS LIKE THIS FROM OFF ITS SHORES. >> AS WE CLEANUP WE ARE MAKING IT SO PEOPLE CAN COME BACK ONCE RED TIDE HAS SUBSIDED. TERACE: A CREW OF FOUR TO FIVE MEMBERS TRAVEL TWO TO THREE MILES EVERY DAY COLLECTING DEAD FISH AND SEAWEED. >> THEY ARE PICKING UP A COUPLE DUMPSTER LOZA DAY WHICH EQUATES TO SEVERAL TONS OF DEBRI
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Treasure Coast beaches closed due to red tide

Dead fish collect along shoreline.

St. Lucie County is working with AshBritt Environmental, they're debris removal contractor, to remove the thousands of dead fish along north Hutchinson Island. The clean-up will be taking place starting Wednesday morning, October 24th. All Indian River County beaches will remain closed too, as officials assign crews to collect marine debris from the red tide-infected beaches.“We’ve really closed the beaches because of the respiratory discomfort that we’ve had,” James Gray, the natural resources manager for Indian County Public Works, said.“But as we clean it up, we are making it more available for the public to come back to our beaches once red tide issues have subsided,” Gray said. A crew consisting of four to five members will travel 2 to 3 miles every day collecting dead fish and seaweed.On average, the workers gather between 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of the dead aquatic material each day Gray said. At the end of each day, they take the contaminated materials to a nearby solid waste facility. Gray said it may take crews up to two weeks to clear all the marine debris across the county, but that will also depend on how long red tide stays in the area.

St. Lucie County is working with AshBritt Environmental, they're debris removal contractor, to remove the thousands of dead fish along north Hutchinson Island. The clean-up will be taking place starting Wednesday morning, October 24th.

WPBF-TV
Crews are working along Indian River County shores to collect marine debris caused by red tide.
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All Indian River County beaches will remain closed too, as officials assign crews to collect marine debris from the red tide-infected beaches.

“We’ve really closed the beaches because of the respiratory discomfort that we’ve had,” James Gray, the natural resources manager for Indian County Public Works, said.

“But as we clean it up, we are making it more available for the public to come back to our beaches once red tide issues have subsided,” Gray said.

WPBF-TV
James Gray, the Natural Resources Manager for Indian County Public Works, says on average crews have been filling up two dumpsters a day, which equals between 10,000-15,000 lbs of marine debris.

A crew consisting of four to five members will travel 2 to 3 miles every day collecting dead fish and seaweed.

On average, the workers gather between 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of the dead aquatic material each day Gray said.

At the end of each day, they take the contaminated materials to a nearby solid waste facility.

WPBF-TV
Here’s a red tide warning at the Tracking Station Beachfront Park.

Gray said it may take crews up to two weeks to clear all the marine debris across the county, but that will also depend on how long red tide stays in the area.