Brian Skoloff, Associated Press Jacksonville.com 30 May 08
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - An effort to remove some 700,000 old tires from the ocean floor about a mile offshore of Fort Lauderdale has ended for the season.
The well-intentioned attempt in 1972 to create what was touted as the world's largest artificial reef made of tires became an ecological disaster.
Little sea life formed on them. Some of the bundles bound together with nylon and steel also broke loose and have been scouring the ocean floor across a swath the size of 31 football fields.
Thousands have also wedged up against the nearby natural reef, blocking coral growth and devastating marine life.
In a joint effort between the U.S. Army, Florida and Broward County, officials have been trying to clean up the mess. Army divers, using the project as a training exercise, have been retrieving the tires since April.
They concluded for the year on May 24 after bringing up about 43,900 tires in 26 days of diving, said Pat Quinn, a Broward County marine biologist.
Weather and sea conditions kept them from diving more often.
About 10,000 tires were brought up last year during the initial pilot phase of the project.
"This year they were really able to increase productivity," Quinn said Friday.
The entire project was initially expected to run through 2010, but plans may be altered depending on the Army's availability to continue participation and how much more productive they can be in coming years. If Broward County had to hire commercial crews, the project could cost millions.
Quinn said he expected the Army to return for several months again next year and hoped to nearly double the amount of tires retrieved.
The state spent roughly $140,000 on the project this year, including transporting the tires to a facility in Georgia where they will be shredded and burned as fuel at a paper mill, Quinn said.
The county plans an underwater assessment this summer to determine which tires should come up next.
"A lot of these tires are half buried in the sand, so there's much less chance of them coming loose and hurting the reef," Quinn said.
