Managing Pollution

Pollution is the contamination of our air, land or water in a way that is harmful to life. It can occur naturally such as when an erupting volcano emits sulfur dioxide, but the term usually refers to negative effects from human activities such as industry, agriculture, and a growing population.

Pollution monitoring is especially important because its levels are excellent indicators of ecosystem health and the health of organisms and humans. Pollution monitoring and control is a complicated task, particularly in a large metropolitan area like Miami-Dade County.

In a given area, there can be 2 major sources of pollution. Point source pollution originates from a well-defined source such as discharge from an industrial plant. Non-point source pollution is material that stems from various sources such as agricultural fields or highways.

The Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) is committed to protecting the air, land, and water in Miami-Dade County by monitoring all sources of pollution, making and enforcing pollution laws, and issuing permits to control pollution. Educating businesses, municipalities and residents on pollution prevention has also become an important element in pollution control in Miami-Dade County.

Information about the different types of pollution in Miami-Dade County and what you can do to help can be found under the subject areas below:

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