PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a report of industrial runoff found in a creek at the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens in Punta Gorda.
Opening in 2017, the gardens display carefully curated collections of unique plants and artwork the public can view.
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“We are a 27-acre sanctuary of art and nature,” said Tanna Horner, executive director. “We have five unique ecosystems here on the property, we abut the Peace River and also, our property lines run along Hunter’s Creek.”
Approximately three weeks ago, Horner said staff began noticing an oily substance intermittently appearing on the surface of Hunter’s Creek, which empties into the Peace River.
“We are a beautiful location but we are bordered by an industrial area, an industrial zone that has many businesses and we are experiencing some runoff issues that are a threat to our ecosystem,” said Horner.
Horner contacted the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP), for help with figuring out how to stop the runoff from continuing to contaminate the creek.
“We have gone out there on several different occasions,” said Jennifer Hecker, executive director of CHNEP. “We've seen a very clear distinctive rainbow oily sheen coming down flowing through this creek system.”
Hecker filed a complaint with the DEP, hoping the agency would investigate and find out exactly what could be polluting the creek and where it’s coming from.
“It was of concern to us so we thought we should alert the appropriate agency,” said Hecker. “That doesn't mean that there is necessarily a pollution event, it could be a variety of different things. We want to alert that agency so they can take water samples and investigate and look for sources if it is an anthropogenic pollutant.”
The DEP did confirm to Fox 4 that an inspector will be sent to investigate the potential pollutants.
