Emerald Coastkeeper

Emerald Coastkeeper may be the best-kept secret in the Pensacola area.

Sure, you have never heard of it, what they have done or what the group is attempting to accomplish, but you have most likely felt the effects of their achievements.

The Emerald Coastkeeper is the local chapter of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national group that is dedicated to connecting local Waterkeeper groups, such as the Emerald Coastkeeper, to provide a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide.

Emerald Coastkeeper is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1999 and serves to protect the fourth largest estuarine system in Florida. With their headquarters in Pensacola, the Emerald Coastkeeper protects from the Perdido Bay to the St. Andrews Bay, as well as many local rivers.

One recent victory for the group went relatively unnoticed.

When CSX Transportation decided to build new railroad tracks through Bayou Texar in Pensacola, the company decided to not remove its creosote, a carcinogenic that is also linked to stomach pains and burning of the mouth and eyes when someone eats food or drinks water that is contaminated with the substance, pilings from the old tracks in an attempt to save money.

Emerald Coastkeeper stepped in and took the company to court and forced CSX to remove the creosote pilings from the water.

Providing a voice for the local waterways comes crucial, and Coastkeeper and marine biologist Taylor Kirschenfeld feels this area needs it now more than ever.

Kirschenfeld gave the local water quality a C grade, and knows there is still work to be done.

“I still think there is a lot of room for improvement,” Kirschenfeld said.

“We don’t have a sophisticated population,” Kirschenfeld said, “they don’t look at the environment; they look at their job and money.”

The water quality of the area is an ongoing issue for the Emerald Coastkeeper, and they have fought for improvements in storm-water runoff and improvements in the sewer and septic systems.

A major obstacle that the group is ready to face upcoming is offshore drilling. The Coastkeeper is strictly opposed to offshore drilling.

The Coastkeeper argues that the benefit of offshore drilling, a slight relief of prices at the gas pump, is not worth the risk of ruining Florida’s tourism-dependent economy and pristine beaches.

The Emerald Coastkeeper is in its tenth year and continues to push forward for the better of the local waterways, donating all profits to current and future missions.

With around 1,000 members, the group is strong, but continues to grow through the help and awareness of the community.

“We keep up with the environment by the eyes and ears of the community,” Kirschenfeld said.
Kirschenfeld recognizes the awareness level is growing in the area, but still wishes that university students would get more vocal, as well as the general public.

“I am jealous of counties that are progressive towards the environment,” Kirschenfeld said.
But when it boils down, he understands that everyone is in the fight for the same thing, the environment.

“It’s here for our enjoyment,” Kirschenfeld said, “and we make sure it doesn’t get used by any one entity.”