300,000 tires found in Wrightsville Beach delays renourishment

AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH FOR THAT

COOL OCEAN BREEZE WILL HELP

YOU ON A HOT EVENING LIKE

TONIGHT. ALSO, BEACH

RE-NOURISHMENT IS FACING SOME

DELAYS AND CHALLENGES AT

WRIGHTSVILLE. OFFICIALS ARE

FORCED TO MOVE OFFSHORE TO FIND

SAND TO FILL IN THE ERODING

BEACH DUE TO A NEW FEDERAL

PROTECTION LAW. BUT THEY

UNCOVERED MUCH MORE THAN SAID

WRAL'S CLIMATE CHANGE. REPORTER

LIZ MCLAUGHLIN EXPLAINS.

WENT FOR SAND.

>> TURNED UP A DAUNTING

DISCOVERY FOR THE ARMY CORPS

OF ENGINEERS.

>> WE FOUND ABOUT

>> 300,000 TIRES OF AN OLD

BRIEF THAT WAS PLACED OUT THERE

IN THE 70'S.

>> HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF

TIRES THAT APPEARED TO HAVE

DRIFTED OUT OF THE DIVISION

OF MARINE FISHERIES, ARTIFICIAL

REEF AREA SPANNING 649 ACRES.

>> WHAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AN

UNDERWATER JUNKYARD WHERE

RECENT SUNKEN SHIPS AND

CONCRETE PIPES ARE ACTING AS

FISH HABITAT WHERE THE TIRES

PLACE THERE DECADES AGO ARE

CAUSING PROBLEMS.

>> THE DIVISION PLACE MORE THAN

600,000 TIRES AND THE WATERS

OFF THE CAROLINA COAST. A

PRACTICE THAT WAS DISCONTINUED

IN 1983. THOSE TIRES OF ROLLED

UP ON SHORES DURING HURRICANES.

>> COSTING TAXPAYERS MORE THAN

A MILLION DOLLARS TO CLEAN UP.

>> THE DIVISION DOES NOT HAVE

A PLAN TO OTHERWISE RETRIEVE

THE THAT HAVE MIGRATED POSSIBLY

FROM THE REEF SITES TO OTHER

AREAS ON THE OCEAN FLOOR.

SIMPLY PUT. WE JUST WE THINK IT

WOULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE.

LEADING A MASSIVE CHALLENGE FOR

THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH.

>> WHO WILL NEED TO WORK AROUND

A SEA OF OBSTACLES TO HARVEST.

SEEN IT.

>> THAT IS FOR IS ITS CLEANING

UP THE MESS THAT THE GOVERNMENT

CREATED THE BACK.

I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT

BECAUSE I KNEW THE CRAFT THAT

BEST. JUST

>> THEY MAY LET THE PEOPLE UPON

WHOM HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE

ACTUAL GOT RICH. THEY LEAVE

US TO BE ABLE TO.

>> WITH A TIGHT TIMELINE AND A

SHRINKING SHORELINE. THE TIRE

LADEN SITE MAY BE THE BEST BET.

A FEW REMAINING OPTIONS FOR

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH.

>> IN DESPERATE NEED OF LIZ

MCLAUGHLIN, WRAL NEWS

>> ENVIRONMENTAL CURRENTLY

UNDERWAY AND AFTER THE ARMY

CORPS OF ENGINEERS COMES UP

WITH A MITIGATION PLAN FOR THE

TIRES IN THE SAND, THE PUBLIC

WILL BE ABLE TO COMMENT IF

APPROVED. OFFICIALS HOPE THE