Steube Offers Federal Assistance to Prevent Further Delays in Longboat Key Sewage Spill Recovery
SARASOTA, FLA. – U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Longboat Key Town Manager, Tom Hammer, requesting an update on their progress in rectifying last year’s sewage spill and an explanation on the recent deadline extensions.
“Cleaning up this sewage spill and taking extra steps to prevent future problems is of paramount importance to our communities and environment,” Steube said. “At all levels of government, our united goal is a reliable wastewater system to ensure these problems are not repeated in Longboat Key or elsewhere. I look forward to working with my local, state and federal colleagues to ensure that our community has the resources and federal grants necessary to prevent further extensions or delays.”
In June 2020, a sewage spill began from the central sewer pipe in the Town of Longboat Key. In response, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) placed a Consent Order on the town, which required Longboat Key to:
- Submit a Sewer Overflow Response Plan to address sampling procedures when a discharge occurs into a surface water,
- Submit a Corrective Action Plan to address installation of a redundant force main pipe that transports sewage,
- Perform an Inflow and Infiltration analysis to identify improvements and timeframes to complete improvements,
- Address the impacts to the wetlands and mangrove fringe caused by discharge of wastewater and repair construction,
- And pay penalties or complete an In-Kind environmental project.
Aside from requesting an update, Steube offered to provide extra information or assistance in seeking a federal grant to solve any problems causing the recent delays in Longboat Key’s completion of the Consent Order.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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