Manatee County leaders crack down on dust from construction sites after resident complaints
BRADENTON, Fla. - Whenever the wind kicks up, Chelsea Jervis said her family’s nursery in Manatee County, H&H Nursery, gets coated in dust and dirt from a construction site that backs up to their business.
"They're also coming from the west over here, and we're just getting completely smothered," she said.
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They even had to close a couple of weeks ago.
"We can't even stay open. We can't breathe it, and even with the masks that we use, it goes right through them. So, and we can't have our customers or employees out here breathing all that stuff, and it's not healthy for anybody. And then the next day we've got our plants have dirt all over them. It's a mess," Jervis said.
It’s business they can’t afford to lose. She said the busy season is from fall to spring, October to May, a season they need even more after the hurricanes in the fall.
Jervis isn’t alone. Residents across Manatee County said dust and dirt from construction sites is affecting air quality, public health and damages their property when the wind whips it up into the air.
"Frankly, we’re not going to let developers run over Manatee County on this," Commissioner Tal Siddique, who represents District 3, said.
Big picture view:
Tuesday, Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved tightening dust control standards. That includes requiring developments of over 100 acres to supply a camera system with live access and recording with access for the county. It also means contractors have to submit weekly reports of dust control measures used and implemented, signed by the project superintendent or higher.
Local leaders said some contractors aren’t following dust control standards already in place.
"I think a fair amount of these land developers are willing to work with us," Siddique said. "For me, the fundamental problem is the people who don’t see this as the cost of doing business. For me, the cost is pushed onto the residents who are now having to deal with it in the form of public health, a number of public health issues that they’re dealing with, and of course damage to property," Siddique said.
Dig deeper:
Commissioners also gave the okay for the Public Works department to work on long-term solutions, and see what other communities are doing.
"There’s no motion that’s going to show up on this screen that’s going to instantly stop dust, but we can better monitor it so we can be aware when there are 25 mile per hour winds e can quickly get out there to the contractor," Commissioner George Kruse, the BOCC Chairperson, said.
"We can require them to submit weekly reports not just reports up front when they submit permits. They have to confirm each and every week that they are adhering to our rules. We can make sure that all contractors on site have the water trucks and all of the other things required to be utilized when there’s dust coming because of high winds. This does not fix the problem. Nobody is implying that this fixes the problem. What this does is monitor and mitigate the problem while we work on longer-term fixes," he said.
Those solutions could include steeper fines for contractors and requiring air quality monitors, staff said. Public Works will bring back those options to commissioners for approval at a later date.
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Local perspective:
Jervis said she wants local leaders to hold contractors accountable.
"I’ll believe it when I see it," she said. "It's frustrating. "We’re all getting frustrated here. Not just us here, but I, I mean, I even have the problem at my house. I just want something to be done."
FOX 13 reached to some contractors in the county and is waiting to hear back.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from residents as well as Manatee County officials.
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