I just received your September issue and was shocked to read your front-page article on “Suffering summer of sargassum” full of inaccurate information. I and South Florida would appreciate the honest truth be published regarding our beaches and sargassum/human waste handling.
Even though FDEP, FWC, the town of Highland Beach and both tractor companies all use the words “clean the beach,” the beach has never been mechanically cleaned by either tractor company since they started operating 40 years ago.
No one should be using the word “clean.” Nothing is removed from our beach. There are not two teams working, with one clearing large debris and trash from the seaweed, and nothing is buried — and should not be since the weed is intermingled with human garbage.
Both weed and human garbage are just rearranged and raked under to rot and smolder, creating more and longer-term gases along with the accumulation of garbage.
The tractor operations consist of one tractor with a simple rake and roller attached to the back and a front bucket. The weeds and garbage are left in disarranged mounds amid tractor ruts, partially covered with sand to fester.
The tractor companies sign the FDEP permit to clean the beach, they advertise they clean the beach, and they bill their clients for cleaning the beach — and clean nothing? All the while trespassing and rutting up all beachfront property owners’ property, causing damage to the dune system and sand loss.
You are more than welcome to sit on my beachfront patio and watch the tractor operations. I also have hours of video and hundreds of photos.
I enjoy reading your newspaper and it shows the research and knowledge that goes into most articles, and I believe that your group works for a better Florida and its beaches. Please research anything to do with any tractor company’s statements. They have been lying for 40 years and I honestly think that they have convinced themselves and now believe they are providing a good environmental service.
Robert Patek
Highland Beach
Comments