Officials in Martin County, Florida are demanding that incinerator ash sitting on a barge in the St. Lucie River be removed. Officials fear that a heavy downpour may force some of the ash off the barge and into the river. Tests conducted by several government agencies established that the ash is not hazardous, but there are concerns that the ash may contain toxic substances like mercury, which could contaminate the water supply and harm wildlife.

Originally there were plans to move the ash to Louisiana and alternative plans to bury it in a landfill, but both of these plans fell through. Officials in Martin County are very concerned that the toxic substance will still be in their backyard when hurricane season begins on June 1st.