Safer Cleaner Ships

05/29/2026

What do YOU want at the Outer Mole? Read our latest newsletter and tell the Navy:

Friends: You are likely aware that the City's lease for the Outer Mole Pier was recently terminated — effective August 3, just fifteen days before the Key West election. The day after it was terminated, the Navy issued a Request for Interest asking the public what the pier should be used for next...

05/20/2026

REPORT FROM THE OUTER MOLE. Our latest newsletter 👇

Friends: This morning, members of our Committee participated in an Industry Forum and site inspection of the U.S. Navy's Outer Mole property. Also participating were several individuals representing cruise ship industry and real estate development interests. A full roster of participants is below. T...

05/15/2026

More spending by City Hall = Less testing in our harbor. Our latest newsletter 👇
https://mailchi.mp/safercleanerships.com/less-for-more

05/06/2026

Big Changes for the outer Mole and the City’s lease with the navy. Read about it here👇.

Friends: In a surprise development, City Manager Brian Barroso notified Commissioners yesterday afternoon that the United States Navy will terminate the City’s lease agreement for the Outer Mole on August 6. The City has leased the Outer Mole from the Navy since 2003. Until 2020, it was one of t.....

05/05/2026

It's been over a year without Water Quality monitoring. On Thursday, the city will discuss the issue again. Read more in our latest newsletter.

Friends: Water quality is back on the agenda this week, as the City Commission meets Thursday to discuss its stalled monitoring agreement with Stantec. The contract parameters remain murky in a quagmire that began 15 months ago when Mote Marine and Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez first raised concerns abou...

04/09/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲𝐬. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝. The failure to test for cruise pollution is a reckless act by a City Commission majority that threatens our economy and our way of life. Read more at the link below.

Friends: Last week, the City Commission voted 4-3 to reject testing for cruise ship pollution in Key West Harbor. The cruise industry is a notorious polluter worldwide and the City is required by law to monitor the harbor for pollutants discharged by cruise ships. But the City has refused to test th...

08/18/2025

Tonight, Mon. Aug. 18 — 5pm at VFW Post 3911, 2200 North Roosevelt Blvd. See you there.

Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman is inviting the community to a District II Town Hall meeting entitled “Water Quality, Data, and Strategic Planning for Our Future” on Monday, August 18th from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Southernmost VFW Post 3911, 2200 North Roosevelt Blvd.
This event will feature presentations from experts on nearshore water quality testing, a review of the latest data, and a community discussion on actionable steps for a strategic plan to protect our waters.
The entire community is encouraged to attend.

06/26/2025

What really happened with the City’s water-quality partnership with the College? Read below for the full timeline:

Friends: The City Commission meets tonight at 5pm to review the recent report of the Monroe County Grand Jury. The report describes “a pervasive culture of negligence, nepotism, manipulation, and abdication of duty at the highest levels of city leadership.” This is a serious time for our City. F...

06/24/2025

On US1 Radio yesterday Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez said the College of the Florida Keys ended the water-quality partnership with the City, citing 2 letters the College sent on December 16 and December 20.
HOWEVER, THESE ARE THE FACTS:
---Mayor Henriquez voted NO to the partnership on December 12.
---She voted NO to the partnership on February 4.
---She voted NO to allowing the College to keep its monitoring equipment in place on February 4 as well.

Watch the tape and decide for yourself.

06/24/2025

Here's our latest update on the Water Quality Monitoring conflicts with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, the cruise operations at Pier B and City of Key West -- Government

Friends: Two weeks ago we reported on Mote Marine’s financial interest in the cruise ship operation at Pier B.  The City of Key West recently made Mote the frontrunner to perform legally required monitoring for water-quality violations by cruise ships. This is a textbook definition of conflict of...