Digital Stories
20.4 million gallons: Ormond Beach residents, city leaders contest proposed fuel tank farm
Aug. 17, 2023 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — More than 150 residents gathered at the Ormond Beach City Commission meeting Tuesday night to oppose a proposed fuel tank farm and terminal. According to project plans, the site will contain 16 storage tanks that will hold up to 20.4 million gallons of fuel. Six of the tanks are set to be 40 feet tall. “If something happens, we lose our homes, we lose our lives,” Ormond Beach resident Nancy Bates said at the meeting. Bates was one of the 27 audience members who spoke in opposition to the terminal.
Volusia County Council denies heavy industrial development moratorium in final vote
Feb. 6, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — In a 5-2 vote, the Volusia County Council denied a motion to enact a nine-month moratorium on Heavy Industrial (I-2) zoned properties during a packed meeting Tuesday. It’s a reversal of the Council’s November motion, which imposed the moratorium. The decision affects a site near Ormond Beach, where Belevedere Terminals plans to construct a multi-million gallon fuel terminal. In January, Belvedere Terminals sued the county over the moratorium.
How coastal development has affected Florida’s imperiled wildlife
Sept. 9, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
PONCE INLET, Fla. — Even though plans to add developments to Florida’s state parks have been withdrawn, they still prompted conversations about how coastal development has affected the state’s wildlife. Over time, changes to Florida’s coast have led to habitat loss for dozens of species, including those that are threatened and endangered.
Aquatic plants are a sign that Lake Apopka is recovering after decades of pollution
May 14, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — What was once considered Florida’s most polluted lake is making strides in its road to recovery. Agricultural discharge caused Lake Apopka to lose its submerged aquatic vegetation for more than 50 years, but thanks to efforts from the St. Johns River Water Management District, aquatic plants are growing once again. It’s a sign that water quality is improving and that restoration efforts are working.
‘The water looked like river water’ — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gets public input on Daytona Beach flooding
July 16, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held two meetings Tuesday to seek input from Daytona Beach residents about flooding in the Midtown area, including the Fairway Estates neighborhood. While the close-knit area is known for friendly neighbors, it also recently gained national attention for something else — flooding. In 2022, Hurricane Ian brought more than 21 inches of rain to Daytona Beach and left hundreds of homes in Fairway Estates flooded.
Muck-rete: How muck from the Indian River Lagoon is being used in concrete
June 24, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — This month, the Women’s History and Cultural Center in Orlando unveiled a new exhibit showcasing the work of Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award — the organization’s highest honor. On display is the work of Brevard County Girl Scout Sophia Weiner, whose invention helps to protect the Indian River Lagoon. She uses muck dredged from the lagoon to make concrete. Muck is a pollutant that can cause habitat destruction and algal blooms.
UCF researchers develop treatment for deadly mangrove disease
Aug. 19, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Across the state, mangroves are known for protecting our coastlines. However, some of Florida's mangroves are experiencing die-off events and infection due to the increase of a disease scientists are calling “Mangrove CNP.” It’s a fungal disease that can cause infection and death in mangroves. Earlier this year, the disease caused 87% of the young mangrove trees at the Marine Resources Council’s mangrove nursery to die off. Now, however, the mangroves have grown back and are thriving once again. It’s all because of a new treatment created by scientists at the University of Central Florida.
South Daytona residents start to rebuild after flooding from hurricanes twice in two years
Oct. 17, 2024 — Reagan Ryan, Spectrum News 13
SOUTH DAYTONA, Fla. — South Daytona residents are working to rebuild their properties after flooding brought by Hurricane Milton last week. For some residents in the area, it’s the second time their homes have flooded from hurricanes in the past two years.