JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kenneth Cheeks spends his days fishing.
On Thursday, the Atlantic Beach native said he always checks the water before he casts his line.
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“I care about the water as far as what I eat out of it and whether it’s polluted and how much it’s polluted,” Cheeks explained.
Action News Jax has reported algae in local waterways since April.
According to a petition created by the St. Johns Riverkeeper, 89,000 tons of sewage sludge could be partially to blame for the toxic blooms.
The petition, which has more than 9,000 signatures, says a law is in place protecting South Florida’s waterways.
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It claims the sludge is being dumped in the St. Johns upper basin and spreading through the river.
Sewage sludge is treated, and the government deems it safe to use as commercial fertilizer.
The riverkeeper said the enormous amount being released in the St. Johns every year is the problem.
Action News Jax reached out to the Department of Environmental Protection about the dumping.
A spokesperson sent the following statement:
Cheeks said he’ll be looking into the effects on his own.
The fisherman explained: “Respect the waterway. You know, we eat fish out of here.”