NWEMA – Facts and fantasy
To the editor:
There is an amazing quality in letters to the editor that allows anyone who wishes to give opinion regarding subjects of concern to the community. These parts of the discussions are important for all who wish to get involved in community issues. I just wish some would take a little more time to look at the research and try and present facts or scientific beliefs. But alas, this is not always the case.
Recently Ann E. Thomas of Matlacha wrote a letter to The Breeze to persuade readers to join her in supporting the replacement of the dam at the northwest spreader canal. The problems with her comments start almost at the beginning of her letter where she writes, “a sewage system in Cape Coral – was ignored until again nature tried to reclaim its way.”
I point out the problem with this statement because it is completely false. The long-range plans for sewer and centralized city water infrastructure was started nearly two decades ago, and even with the recent temporary halting of the program nobody ever ignored the eventual need for these systems. They were always to be constructed based upon a certain percentage of development in each area so as to make the costs affordable for the property owners. To say it was ignored is but a veiled attempt to rile the residents of Matlacha.
The next paragraph again goes for the emotional heartstrings in lieu of any attempt to show factual data or truth with the words, “With the pollution continuing to pour into our waterways”. It is too bad that there is no data to back up these false statements. None what so ever, as she verifies with her letter.
The writing continues with some language I find difficult to even comprehend that starts with a reference to Ceitus Creek Barrier?; “At this time we are midway into polluted waters. Did you know that right now it extends to Pine Island Sound? This was done over a 3/4 year period.” She goes on after this to say that there are no tests that are close enough to the old dam that support anything. These statements lead to some actual truth in writing where she agrees that her comments are assumptions, and nothing more. Since she did not include any personal background to leave us to believe she has any education in biology, may we assume some reasons for her letter?
The next paragraph is what drove me to write my letter. I cannot know if she intentionally twisted and cherry-picked data in an attempt to support a baseless assumption or if she just writes the way she did. I will tell you that the watershed that she says, “If there are 17,000 septic systems north of Pine Island Road draining over 105,000 square miles of this watershed is it not harmful?” Please reference page #4 of the “Summary of NSEMA Process and Proposed NEB’s” prepared for the subcommittee; CHNEP TAC CAC NSEMA, for July 28, 2010. There in big letters it lists the watershed feeding the northwest spreader as being 655 square miles, a little bit smaller than the 105,000 square miles cited in the letter. And as the report further states the portion of that watershed in Cape Coral only accounts for 48 percent, making the city’s portion only a little less than 27 square miles.
Ms. Thomas chooses to bring into the discussion the south spreader canal, but since there are few comparable features between the two I fail to understand. She even admits that the western bank of the south spreader is stronger, which is correct. The south is stronger because it is made of a different geological structure than the north, thus the lack of comparisons in any of the NSEMA paperwork. But we must look at the little tidbit she slips into this paragraph concerning the Ceitus Dam. She write, “Fourth, it did not have increasing larger boats using the lift, until it broke.” First let’s point out that from its initial installation the lift had a maximum boat restriction (26 feet is I recall correctly), so there was NEVER an increasing number of larger boats. Secondly, the lift didn’t break as Ms. Thomas stated but was dismantled and put in storage in the event it would be re-installed. And to close on this statement, it was never a lock and it will not be a lock anytime in the future, at least as the existing agreements spell out.
Finally, as of today the DEP has not issued a permit for replacement of the dam, as they are still looking at the application. Please do a little research.
The need for central sewers in the watershed feeding Matlacha and Charlotte Harbor is not and never has been argued against by the leaders of Cape Coral. But they should be installed when the residents of Cape Coral can afford to pay for them. The hydrologic studies done to date strongly suggest that not only will a new dam not stop the flows into Matlacha Pass but would continue to erode the existing 7 miles of mangrove shoreline until one day the north spreader has several deep-water cuts that will directly connect the spreader system to Charlotte Harbor. If we ignore the science in favor of emotions and vendettas this could eventually allow the Cape to have several miles of white sand beaches along the eastern wall of Charlotte Harbor and Burnt Store Bar. Maybe not such a bad thing for the largest city in Southwest Florida. Let’s hope science decides the future, not emotion. And please let’s hope future letters contain enough fact to not offend.
D.A. Kenney
Cape Coral