environmental protection division annual report · 2012. 9. 13. · letter from the mayor. letter...

Environmental Protection Division

2011

AnnualReport

Serving the Community

Letter from the Mayor

LETTER FROM THE MAYOR

The environment is an important component of a prosperous, healthy community. At Orange County, we recognize this and report on our environmental efforts and trends. Welcome to the

Orange County Environmental Protection Division’s 2011 Annual Report!

This annual report highlights some of the projects and accomplishments completed through the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD). It also paints a picture of where we stand as a community with data on our local air and water quality.

In 2011, EPD opened the Long Branch and Sandhill Preserves, located in east and northwest Orange County, respectively. These natural lands were opened for passive recreational use, such as hiking, and also adds to the County’s inventory of existing natural lands already open for public use, with more to come in the future.

Grant funding continues to be a vital mechanism for extending beneficial community programs. EPD was awarded $400,000 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for community environmental assessments under the Brownfields Assessment Grants. You can read more about this grant and other grants managed by EPD in this report.

At the request of citizens, EPD assisted in creating four new Municipal Service Taxing Units (MSTUs) to provide funds for the improvement and management of neighborhood lakes. EPD supports a total of 34 Lake MSTUs, which enables residents to participate in water quality projects and sustaining vitality of local surface waters.

Finally, you are a fundamental component of EPD and its ability to get things done for our community. Thank you to the many men, women, and children who contributed nearly 2,500 service hours to our community in 2011. Volunteers helped us with lakeshore restoration projects, storm drain labeling efforts, air potato raids and removal of other non-native invasive plants, natural land cleanups, and various technical projects. Your contribution of time has helped in saving the County nearly $45,000. Working together, we can continue to make our community a great place to live, work, and play!

I hope you find this report informative and useful. This report is also in a digital format to reduce resource impacts. It can be found on the Orange County website www.ocfl.net

Sincerely,

Teresa JacobsOrange County Mayor

“Our mission is to serve.Our goal is to give you better access

to open and responsive government services,which you deserve. ”

.

2 | Orange County EPD Annual Report - 2011

www.ocfl.net

Table of Contents 4 Orange County Environmental Work Wins Numerous Awards

6 Air Quality Management

8 Community Engagement 8 Volunteers Make the Difference

9 Orange County Environmental Streamlining Task Force

10 Compliance and Waste Management 10 (P2) Helping Our Community

11 Inspections: Good Business Practices = Healthy Natural Resources

12 Energy Conservation 12 Watt Wise

13 Natural Resource Management 13 Environmental Permitting

14 Protecting Your Water Quality

15 Natural Lands

16 NPDES

17 The Restoration of Lake Holden

19 Petroleum Management 19 Brownfields Program

20 Petroleum Cleanup Program

21 EPD Staff

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Orange County EPD Annual Report - 2011 | 3

✔ Orange County Government received the Milestone Achievement Award from ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) for completing the fifth and final milestone for Climate Protection. The five milestones provide a process for local governments to set and meet their climate and energy goals.

The milestones are: 1. conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast 2. adopt an emissions reduction target for the forecast year 3. develop a local action plan 4. implement policies and measures 5. monitor and verify results.

Orange County is one of the few local governments in Florida and ICLEI’s southeast region to achieve the fifth milestone.

✔ The Central Florida Clean Air Team, sponsored by Metro Plan Orlando, honored Orange County with their Clean Air Award for 2011. The Clean Air Team recognized the County’s contributions to reductions in particulate matter and CO2

emissions through programs addressing the residential, commercial, and public sectors. The Orange County Homeowner Energy Efficiency Program (OCHEEP!) provides workshops and energy efficiency upgrade rebates for homeowners, and the Central Florida Energy Efficiency Alliance (CFEEA), which is spearheaded by Orange County, sponsored an energy efficiency challenge for businesses. Meanwhile, County government has converted four hybrid vehicles into plug-in hybrid vehicles increasing their fuel economy to an average of 70 miles per gallon.

✔ The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Orange County two $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grants. One grant, a community-wide hazardous substances grant, will provide funds to conduct twelve (12) Phase I and ten (10) Phase II environmental site assessments. The other is a petroleum grant to aid in conducting similar tasks where there is potential petroleum contamination. Grant funds will also be used for community outreach,

Orange County Environmental Work Wins Numerous AwardsThe Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) was recognized for advancing the health and safety of the community and conservation of its natural resources, receiving a series of grants and awards in 2011.

MetroPlan Orlando's Clean Air Award, ENERGY STAR Building, 2011 Excellence in Energy Star Promotion Award being presented to Orange County.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS


cleanup planning, and community health monitoring.

✔ EPA also awarded Orange County EPD a $28,000 grant to assist hotels and lodges improve their environmental performance, helping Orange County become a “Green Destination” for travel and tourism. The grant will fund a local partnership with the Florida Green Lodging Program to provide outreach, training, and site audits.

✔ The national WasteWise Program, administered by EPA, honored Orange County with the WasteWise Local Government Partner of the Year Award. The WasteWise Program helps organizations track and reduce their waste while increasing recycled-content purchasing. Orange County was recognized for dramatically increasing the number of participating locations and its paper reuse program, which utilized single-sided copy paper bound into notepads.

✔ ENERGY STAR, a joint program of EPA and the US Department of Energy, recognized two Orange County buildings with the ENERGY STAR label and gave Orange County their 2011 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award for the efforts of OCHEEP! and CFEEA. ENERGY STAR buildings implement energy efficiency

practices that place them in the top 25% of nation-wide energy performers for their building type. Both OCHEEP! and CFEEA used ENERGY STAR resources as the cornerstone for promoting energy efficiency in the residential and commercial sectors, respectively.

✔ Finally, the Multi-Media Program, administered by Orange County EPD, was honored with the national Program Excellence Award by the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association (NAHMMA). The Multi-Media Program is responsible for inspecting businesses that have the potential to generate hazardous waste to ensure proper management and disposal of these wastes. They also respond to environmental complaints with the potential to impact various media (i.e.; air, soil, water), hence the name Multi-Media. The Program was honored for its cutting edge use of technology to dramatically increase the number of inspections per inspector. The Multi-Media Program has pioneered the use of hybrid vehicles and in-vehicle work stations.

Vanessa Cruz accepts NAHMMA Award from Dave Waddell, President.

Kris Stenger and Jane Gregory accept the 2011 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award from Jean Lupinacci, ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch Director

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS

2006

500,000

BaselineYear

13%Reductioncompared

tobaseline

EPD Annual Energy Consumption(2006 to Current)


tobaseline


tobaseline


tobaseline

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

2007 2008 2009 2010

The health and safety of the environmentis a top priority for Orange County

government, and these grants and awards demonstrate the County’s comprehensive

and effective approach to environmental protection.


The Air Quality Management (AQM) section ensures that the air quality for Orange County meets standards set forth

in the Federal Clean Air Act and in the Florida Statutes. The AQM section’s primary duties include:

Permitting – designed to regulate the emissions generated by certain businesses.

Compliance –which involves inspecting regulated facilities to verify they stay in compliance with air regulations.

Compliance Assistance – offers regulatory assistance to permitted business owners to familiarize them with the regulations, so they remain in compliance.

Ambient Air Monitoring – the outside air throughout Orange County is monitored to verify that our ambient air is within expectable limits set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Outreach Campaigns, which are proactive measures designed to reduce air emissions and improve air quality by promoting energy reduction initiatives and projects that support cleaner burning transportation fuels.

The AQM section recently spearheaded Get Ready Central Florida (GRCF) - a coalition of municipalities, utility providers, businesses, and electric vehicle enthusiasts committed to preparing Central Florida for cleaner burning, more efficient - electric transportation. Through the efforts of GRCF, Orlando is now ranked, along with 13 other cities, as a national leader in electric transportation (according to the Rocky Mountain Institute). Currently, nearly 300 public charging stations have been installed within a 70 mile radius of downtown Orlando. Orange County has already installed public charging stations at eleven County buildings. The County plans to install up to eight solar powered charging stations in support of Mayor Jacobs’ sustainability initiative to promote cleaner sources of energy. For more information, visit www.plugandgonow.com

Air Quality Program

Todd Fletcher monitors Orange County’s air quality for fine particulates and other pollutants to verify compliance with EPA regulations.

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT

John Parker inspects a cement silo to verify that fine particulates are not released into the air during truck unloading.

Tom Bessa calibrates Air Monitoring equipment that samples outside air for air toxics and criteria pollutants.


www.plugandgonow.com

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The Air Quality Index (AQI) helps you understand what the current air quality means to your health. Green or “Good” AQI means the air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk. Yellow or “Moderate” means the air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms. Orange or “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”

means although the general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with heart and lung disease,

older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, and particles in the air.

Currently, Orange County is below the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. Ozone occurs naturally near the earth’s surface. However, man-made emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides can cause an increase in ozone concentration, the primary component of urban smog. Even at relatively low levels, ozone may cause inflammation and irritation of the respiratory tract, particularly during physical activity.

150

NumberOf Days

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

GoodModerateUnhealthy for Sensitive GroupsUnhealtyVery Unhealthy

300

350

250

200

100

50

0

Nonattainment is determined by using the 4th highest yearly reading, averaged over a 3 year period. Currently, the 8-hour ozone standard is 0.075ppm.

0.1

0.095

0.09

0.085

0.08

0.075

0.07

0.065

0.06

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Ozone Levels

Old Standard

Current Standard

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Carbon Monoxide

ppm 0.73 0.73 0.66 0.70 0.61 0.44 0.40 0.51 0.50 0.50 0.40 0.20 0.30 0.30 0.60 358

1-hour8-hour

Ozone ppb 24 27 26 26 24 23 23 26 27 30 29 26 28 28 28 12084/75

1-hour8-hour*

84 81 78 76 74 76 86 80 78 70 66 71 78 84 / 75 4th highest8 hour average*

PM10 µg/m3 19.1 23.3 20.6 20.5 20.1 16.8 17.6 18 17.3 20.5 19.5 19 17 17.4 15.6 50150

Arithmetic Mean24-hour

PM2.5 µg/m3 11.28 11.85 10.73 9.51 9.26 9.8 9.67 9.3 8.98 8 7 7.43 7.10 1535

Arithmetic Mean24-hour

Nitrogen Dioxide

ppm 0.0128 0.011 0.0121 0.0123 0.0122 0.0112 0.0109 0.0095 0.008 0.0085 0.0069 0.006 0.006 0.005 0.005 0.10.053

1-hourArithmetic Mean

SulfurDioxide

ppm 0.0017 0.0019 0.0017 0.0025 0.0018 0.0013 0.0013 0.0011 0.0012 0.0012 0.0002 0.0000 0.0001 0.0000 0.0000 0.0750.14

1-hour24-hour

Annual Average

Air Quality Index

Ozone

Pollutant StandardUnit of

Measure

* 8-hour ozone standard dropped to 75ppb in 2007.

Orange County monitors six major air pollutants (carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide) which have been identified as causing health effects at concentrations in the ambient air (the outside air we breathe) above the federally established levels. Currently, Orange County has remained below those levels and is in compliance with the federal standards.

Nonattainment for ozone is determined by a three year average of the 4th highest reading


The environmental Volunteer & Internship Program (eVIP) encourages Orange County residents to become

civically engaged in community projects which benefit the natural environment. This year, eVIP volunteers participated in and spear-headed a variety of activities including:

• 7 Restoration Projects

• 12 Internships with EPD staff

• 15 Water Quality Sampling Sites

• 61 Community Presentations

• 950 Storm Drain labels

• 1834 lbs. of Invasive plants removed

As is evident by the numbers below; an impressive amount of work was accomplished by eVIP Volunteers in 2011. More than 430 volunteers contributed just shy of 2,500 hours through the program. We all know the catch phrase “time is money” – in this case; their combined time is valued at more than $45,000.

With the help of volunteers, EPD was able to conserve tax dollars and improve our local environment.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Volunteers Make the Difference

Adopt-A-Lake

169Community

Presentations

44eVIP

Internships

1120Restoration

Projects

485Storm Drain

Labeling Projects

494

Volunteer Trainings

115

Volunteer Hours Worked Per Activity:


COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Orange County EnvironmentalStreamlining Task Force

Early in 2011, Mayor Jacobs appointed an Environmental Streamlining Task Force (ESTF) to evaluate Orange County’s

environmental regulations in an effort to reduce duplication, simplify permitting processes, and improve customer service. The members of the ESTF were nominated by Orange County District Commissioners and appointed by the Mayor to represent a predetermined list of 5 stakeholder groups.

• Citizens,

• Environmental Community,

• Small Business,

• Private Sector – Planning Consultant/Attorney,

• Home Builders Association (HBA)

The ESTF chose to evaluate several programs within the Environmental Protection Division ranging from Air Quality to Solid Waste.

Each program has been vetted to determine if opportunities for streamlining exist that would decrease unnecessary duplication of environmental regulations and regulatory oversight between the federal, state, regional, and local levels. In addition, the ESTF reviewed processes dealing with permitting, compliance inspections, enforcement, technical assistance, education, outreach, etc. to determine if program effectiveness, efficiency, and customer service can be enhanced.

By October 2011, the ESTF had completed their reviews on the Air Quality, Storage Tanks, and Brownfields Programs and provided several recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. The Natural Resource Program was next on the agenda with ordinances covering wetland impacts, dredging and filling, dock and boat ramps. These ordinances are currently being reviewed and are expected to be completed in 2012.

The Environmental Streamlining Task Force meets twice a month to discuss environmental issues.

Mission: Promote job growth and sustainable economic development to enhance community well-being by streamlining environmental related processes and customer service while

ensuring our commitment to environmental stewardship.


(P2) Helping Our Community

In 2011, the Orange County Pollution Prevention Program (P2) Program was awarded a $28,000 grant to address pollution prevention

in the lodging industry in cooperation with the state’s Florida Green Lodging (FGL) Program. The goals of the grant funded activities include:

Expected outputs

• 12 Local government employees trained in FGL Program

• 12 Students trained in FGL Program• 48 Private sector professionals trained in FGL Program• 21 Existing FGL designated sites assessed for

conformity in addition to the state assessments (18 month period)

• 20 New FGL designated sites

Expected outcomes:

• 24,657 Million metric tons of CO2 equivalent of energy reduced

• 1,335,900 Gallons of water reduced

An Alternative Resolution for Environmental ViolationsIn 2011, Orange County Environmental Protection Division regulatory programs began offering an alternative resolution for businesses that were subject to monetary penalties for environmental

COMPLIANCE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

violations. Instead of simply writing a check for a fine, companies can spend the penalty sum in-house on Pollution Prevention efforts that will reduce the environmental impact of their operations. Businesses opting for this pathway have the P2 Program conduct a site assessment and offer a range of P2 opportunities the business may choose to implement. The business then selects the P2 strategies that they are most interested in and invests the money they would have paid towards a fine on the P2 strategies instead. Many P2 strategies involve upgrading to more energy efficient lighting, installing water conserving appliances, recycling waste, and replacing hazardous materials with less toxic options. Not only are environmental impacts reduced, many P2 strategies also reduce operating costs for the business.

The Pollution Prevention Program offers free site assessments for businesses to help identify strategies to save money through energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction.

A Terrier Tale Acqua Day Spa

Adventist Care CenterBaptist Terrace

Barnies Coffee Office/WarehouseBlank Space

City View Apartments

Comfort InnCourtesy Collision

CentersEat More Produce

Embassy SuitesGlobal Peace Film

FestivalGrace Manor

Private Residences

Health Park CentralMorse MuseumOrange County

CorrectionsOrlando NautiquesOrlando Health &

Rehabilitation CenterParker Boats

Pro Tech Paint and Body

Robinswood Middle School

Scruffy Murphy’sStericycle

Transformation Assisted Living

Woody’s Hairstyling School

Pollution Prevention Coordinator checks recycling performance

Reviewing lighting options during a P2 site assessment

Thank you to the following 2011 P2 Program Participants


COMPLIANCE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

Our economy is vital to our sustainability, but so are our natural resources. Without good natural resources, no one would want to live or work here. Orange County is fortunate to have a beautiful climate and wonderful natural resources, which makes it an ideal place to live, work, and play. We all benefit from good business practices and environmental compliance. The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is tasked each year with verifying compliance of facilities that manage hazardous waste, treat or store solid waste, utilize storage tanks, emit air pollutants, and/or manage stormwater. EPD ensures that these facilities are managing their potential impacts per applicable regulations and that their facilities have appropriate environmental permits.

Inspections

Eyes & Ears in the FieldEvery year, EPD receives thousands of calls from our citizens and businesses. We are grateful to you for adding to our eyes and ears in the field. There are only so few of us, but with a population of more than 1.1 million…that makes for an awful lot of watchdogs in our community. In 2011, EPD investigated 1,200 potential environmental violations provided to us by you…our citizens. This led our inspectors to perform 2,288 inspections necessary to obtain compliance with minimal enforcement effort. EPD investigates multiple environmental impacts such as:

• Vegetation removal from wetlands and shorelines

• Dredging or filling of wetlands

• Shoreline alterations (i.e.; boat dock and seawall construction)

• Mismanagement of solid and hazardous wastes

• Paint overspray

• Illicit discharges

• Industrial noise pollution

HazardousWaste (SQG)Generators

Solid WasteManagement

Facilities

PetroleumStorage

Tanks

AirPollutantFacilities

ConstructionSites

(NPDES)

Stormwater(NPDES)

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

3,717

229

1,4761,043

1,701

2,630

Air Wetlands WaterQuality

Noises SolidWaste

Un-permitted

MultipleTypes

400

300

200

100

084

123

358

31

252

303

49

Good Business Practices = Healthy Natural Resources

Mike Colon takes noise reading.

Environmental Inspections

Types of Complaints Investigated


Watt Wise

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Residential: Orange County Homeowner Energy Efficiency Program (OCHEEP!)

OCHEEP! is an educational program that provides homeowners with information they can use to make their homes more energy efficient, which also has the benefits of lowering their utility bills and decreasing air pollution.

Those who participate in the program are eligible for rebates of up to $1,000 for an energy rating and a wide range of energy efficiency upgrades. Since the inception of the program on Earth Day 2010, over 1,500 citizens have attended 86 workshops. The $358,532 paid out in rebates through December 31, 2011 has incentivized over $2.8 million in energy efficiency investments by homeowners.

In 2011, EPD launched OCHEEP! Light as a variation of the program targeted to renters and residents of Safe Neighborhoods. Each participant in the OCHEEP! Light program receives a free do-it-yourself kit that they can use to make their home more energy efficient.

In addition, residents of Safe Neighborhoods are eligible to receive a free Class I energy rating with a detailed assessment of their home’s energy

performance and suggestions on what changes would have the greatest impact. EPD has received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from program participants demonstrating the program’s success in meeting its goals of saving energy, stimulating the local economy, and contributing to better air quality—a win, win, win for our citizens, the economy, and the environment.

Commercial: Kilowatt Crackdown Challenge (KWC)

The KWC targets commercial businesses and government entities. Orange County is one of only four communities in the

United States highlighted on EPA’s “Build Your Own Challenge” webpage as a model program for others to emulate. Participants in the KWC pledge to benchmark their buildings using the free ENERGY

STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) tool and to pursue at least a 30% decrease in energy usage over a three-year period.

The challenge is sponsored by the Central Florida Energy Efficiency Alliance (CFEEA), which is a

OCHEEP! Director assists citizens with their rebate application forms

OCHEEP! Energy Efficiency Workshop for a Safe Neighborhood

(Continued on next page)


Environmental Permitting & Compliance

ENERGY CONSERVATION

In an effort to enhance development permitting, in 2011, we made the process easier for customers. At the direction of Mayor

Jacobs, EPD helped to organize a “One-Stop” permitting location at the County Administration Building located at 201 S. Rosalind Avenue. This has helped to eliminate travel and reduce confusion surrounding the permitting process.

In addition, in 2011, EPD began reviewing all natural resource permit applications using ALADIN (Addressing, Land and Development Information Network). The power of this system is that it provides the reviewer all of the tools (checklists, document templates) to provide for an efficient and consistent permit review, and it ties many of the various development processes together, giving a more complete picture of the development record when combined with electronic documents and mapping.

Finally, last year, EPD also began digital scanning and conversion of archive records into the Document Management system. Although this process will take some time to complete, EPD

is looking forward to providing Orange County developers, consultants, and citizens the ability to research, view and print all of this historical permit information online, providing better access, speed, convenience, and transparency.

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

group of local governments, professional organizations, academic institutions, and local utilities committed to making commercial buildings more energy efficient and sustainable.

CFEEA has been spearheaded by EPD since its inception in late 2009 and seeks to make a positive impact in the Central Florida region. In partnership with the University of Central Florida, CFEEA created its Energy Specialist training program, which provides college students with skills they can use to help KWC participants with benchmarking their buildings using ESPM. CFEEA also sponsored training workshops on

water conservation and a faith-based community workshop.

Commercial buildings are a major contributor to overall energy use and represent a substantial portion of the operating costs for businesses and government agencies. CFEEA’s programs have sought to help local businesses save energy, save money, and decrease their impacts on the environment. Orange County Government has sought to lead by example in this effort and anticipate their government operations to become more efficient as a result.

Citizen visits Environmental Protection station of the “One-Stop” permitting location at the County Administration Building.


Numeric Nutrient CriteriaThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established new numeric nutrient criteria which will apply to all lakes, rivers/streams and springs. This criteria is specifically for ensuring that the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus do not exceed specific levels which were not included in the previous rule. Having numeric values in the rule is expected to help water quality and lake managers by providing a specific goal in monitoring and restoration activities.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) ProgramThe Total Maximum Daily Load program regulates the amount of pollutant that a water body can assimilate and still meet its fishable/swimmable use. Currently, the County has 99 impaired water bodies, and of those, 64 are within the unincorporated area of the County. A majority of the impairments, in which the lake or stream is exceeding criteria for a particular pollutant, are nutrients. Nutrients consist of nitrogen and phosphorus and can cause excessive algae blooms, making lakes and streams green or brown in color. These algae blooms can cause undesirable health effects. The Orange County Environmental Protection Division is involved in many projects to help reduce the amount of nutrients in waterways by participating in stakeholder partnerships called Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs). In addition, Orange County joined in participating in the Lake Tohopekaliga (nutrient impaired) Nutrient Reduction Plan, with several other stakeholders in the South Florida basin. This plan will look at all stakeholders projects in the basin, reducing the nutrient load, monitoring water

quality, and researching the link between aquatic plants and the health of the lake.

Water Atlas School CurriculumThe Water Atlas now features an online curriculum for educators and students to complete with inquiry-based lesson plans, FCAT

exercises, and field explorations. Subjects include Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies and

focus on topics such as Orange County’s aquatic resources, sustainability, and climate change. The Watershed Excursion Page includes

an interactive tour of each watershed basin and allows the user to submit their field trip story online and upload photos. This allows others visitors to the Atlas to share in their experience. During the year, staff trained school board staff and several teachers to begin using the site in their classroom. Check it out at www.orange.wateratlas.org

Protecting Your Water QualityEcological Assessment Team


Windy Ridge School Science Class alligator researchers use the Water Atlas curriculum.


www.orange.wateratlas.org

The Green PLACE (Park Land Acquisition for Conservation & Environmental Protection) program preserves and manages environmentally sensitive lands, protects water resource lands and provides quality passive recreational opportunities to residents. Green PLACE opened two (2) more properties

for passive recreation to the community. Green PLACE managed many acres of natural lands and conducted outreach and educational programs for citizens across Orange County.

On August 5, 2011, District 5 Commissioner Ted Edwards and District 4 Commissioner Jennifer Thompson officially opened Long Branch Preserve for hiking, wildlife observation and equestrian activities. This property is located off County Road 13 in East Orange County and it is directly adjacent to Hal Scott Preserve and Pine Lily Preserve.

Natural Lands


Sandhill Preserve Opening

On December 2, 2011, Mayor Teresa Jacobs and District 2 Commissioner Fred Brummer officially opened Sandhill Preserve for hiking and wildlife observation. The Holder family, who sold the property to the County, was present to help the Mayor and Commissioner cut the ribbon. Sandhill Preserve is located off Haas Road in Northwest Orange County.

Lastly, the 5th Annual National Public Lands Day event was held on Savage/Christmas Creek Preserve and the participants helped maintain the trail system, and removed old fencing from the site. This event continues to grow in popularity every year and we are looking forward to next year’s event.

We are looking forward to opening additional Green PLACE properties in 2012 and providing quality outdoor educational events for the citizens of Orange County. Watch for the opening of Eagles Roost which includes the new Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge facility.

Long Branch Opening

Savage/Christmas Creek

Preserve

42

Pine LilyPreserve

34Long

Branch

35Hal

Scott

32

Butterfly SurveysIn June 2011 Green PLACE started Butterfly surveys

and identified different species of butterflieson these properties:

Surveys will continue through May 2012.

Orange County EPD Annual Report - 2011 | 1515 | Orange County EPD Annual Report - 2011

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail photo by Greg Thompson


A) Unmaintained dry detention pond with excessive vegetation. B) Dry detention pond following maintenance

A) Unmaintained wet detention pond with excessive vegetation. B) Wet detention pond following maintenance

A) Unmaintained dry detention pond with excessive vegetation. B) Dry detention pond following maintenance

A) Drainage flume requiring repair. B) Repaired drainage flume

A

A

A

A

B

B

B

B

NPDES The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) team is charged with implementing the conditions of the NPDES Stormwater Permit that was issued to Orange County by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The primary focus of the permit is to minimize pollution entering the County owned stormwater collection and treatment system, as well as the waters of the State. NPDES staff conduct inspections of public and private construction sites, industrial facilities and stormwater ponds to confirm compliance with NPDES criteria. In addition, EPD’s staff conducts educational programs for other County staff, private facility operators, contractors and citizens to encourage the use of good housekeeping practices and the implementation of best management practices to reduce pollution sources.

Proper Storm Pond Maintenance Improves Water Quality


Over time the nutrients associated with its watershed have negatively affected the lake’s water quality resulting in a

dramatic shift in the lake to a green algae system. Laboratory data revealed that a rapid decline of water quality was occurring. Lake Holden was at one time referred to as one of the worst lakes in Orange County.

Since that time many restoration efforts have been put in place. This first step in correcting a declining lake is to recognize the problem

and get organized. The citizens around Lake Holden organized a Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU). The MSTU is administered by Orange County and is a tool that can be used to generate funds to address water quality and plant management issues.

Several studies have been conducted on Lake Holden.

The studies were designed to locate the boundaries of the watershed and identify potential sources of the algae producing

nutrients. Once the initial investigations were completed, recommendations for corrective actions were made. Projects were then prioritized based on several factors such as: budget, land availability, and maintenance requirements. The projects began by addressing nutrients associated with stormwater runoff.


The Restoration of Lake HoldenThe 266 acre Lake Holden is a highly developed urbanized watershed located in central Orange County just south of downtown Orlando.

Previous Condition

(Continued on next page)

Current Condition



The list of restoration efforts on Lake Holden is quite extensive and has occurred over several years, such as: aeration systems, wet detention ponds, stormwater alum injection systems, a stormwater sediment trap, street sweeping, and curb inlet baskets. Many of the best management practices (BMP’s) that have been implemented in the lakes’ watershed are still functioning today. The work is not over yet and improvements are still being made to existing BMP’s.

One project that will be completed in 2012 is a whole lake alum treatment designed to chemically bind nutrients released by the lake sediments. The treatment permanently binds phosphorus and

Lake Holden Water Quality Trends

Lake Holden Feet of water clarity

Trends

TSI

1998

165 165 165 61 59 60 55 47 44 48 47 38 30

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

1998

165 165 165 61 59 60 55 47 44 48 47 38 30

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

gg

TSI is the Trophic State Index. TSI is a measure of the productivity of a lake. It is used as single value expression of several different water quality parameters. If someone were to ask if a lake is healthy, the TSI is commonly used as an indicator for the overall health. Typically a lower TSI value or a declining trend in TSI is an indicator that water quality is improving.

prevents it from being released into the water. The lake has made a significant recovery and these effects can visibly be seen. The health of the lake continues to improve to this day. The efforts that have been made to improve Lake Holden are an excellent example of a combined effort of the Lake Holden residents and County staff working together for the good of the lake.

(Continued from page 17)

The Chart at right illustrates how the water clarity of Lake Holden has improved over time.



Redeveloping Orange CountyCommunities - Brownfields Program

PETROLEUM MANAGEMENT

Orange County supports the Brownfields redevelopment program by actively designating areas to address and reduce perceived or actual public health and environmental

hazards on existing commercial and industrial sites, or other properties that are abandoned or underused due to these hazards.

What are Brownfields?

A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The Orange County Brownfields Designation creates financial and regulatory incentives to encourage voluntary cleanup and redevelopment of sites. This program is a voluntary state cleanup and incentive program.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Orange County two $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grants. One grant, a community-wide hazardous substances grant, will provide funds to conduct twelve (12) Phase I and ten (10) Phase II environmental site assessments. The other is a petroleum cleanup grant to aid in conducting similar tasks where there is potential petroleum contamination. Grant funds will also be used for community outreach, cleanup planning, and community health monitoring.

The focus of assessments will be the Pine Hills community (population 41,764), which is an older suburb of Orlando. Many of Pine Hills’ residents have moved to newer neighborhoods, leaving the community in a state of decline. Brownfield assessments are expected to facilitate the cleanup and redevelopment of properties into more economically sustainable mixed-use commercial and residential development.

A total of5,977.76 acres

have been designated as Brownfields in unincorporated

Orange County.

The brownfields areas are:1. Holden Heights- August 28, 2007;

(322.58 acres)

2. Baratta: November 13, 2007; (29.36 acres)

3. Innovation Way: September 19, 2008; (5,527.36 acres)

4. Orlando Commerce Park: November 11, 2008; (51.36 acres)

5. Bonita Fountains Phase 2 : August 4, 2009; (44.77 acres)

6. C.L. Industries: November 1, 2011; (2.33 acres)

For a complete list of the latest designated brownfield areas or copies of resolutions, access the link at: www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/brownfields/pages/processes.htm

For the complete latest list of executed BSRAs, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/brownfields/pages/BSRA.htm.

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment is a report that studies if a site may have the presence or potential presence of hazardous substance or petroleum product releases into the soil and/or groundwater, as well as, into structures, which can migrate through the floor to the subsurface. The purpose of the Phase 1 Environmental Audit is to determine if a “Recognized Environmental Conditions” exist at a subject property.

Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment reports are sometimes required when a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) is found during the Phase 1 Environmental Assessment process. Phase 2 Environmental Assessments consist of collecting soil samples and groundwater sampling to screen for chemical or metal contamination in order to determine if there is contamination on the property and to identify if further site characterization is required. In general, previous uses that can typically create the need for a Phase 2 Environmental Study include: gas stations, dry cleaners, machine shops, manufacturing, hazardous waste storage areas.


www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/brownfields/pages/processes.htm

www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/brownfields/pages/BSRA.htm

PETROLEUM MANAGEMENT

Petroleum Cleanup Program

The Orange County Environmental Protection Division’s Petroleum Cleanup Program encompasses the technical oversight, management, and administrative activities necessary to prioritize, assess, and clean up sites contaminated by discharges of petroleum and petroleum

products from stationary petroleum storage systems.

Large tank removal

Small tank removal

Bulk fuel utility

New tank install

These sites include those determined eligible for state funded clean up using preapproved contractors designated by the property owner or responsible party and state lead contractors under direct contract with the Department of Environmental Protection as well as non-program or voluntary clean up sites that are funded by responsible parties. The primary goal of the Cleanup Program is to clean up petroleum contaminated sites in Orange County.

When petroleum discharges occur, EPD’s Petroleum Cleanup Program seeks to ensure that prompt action is taken to clean up soil and groundwater that is impacted by fuel spills. First, a site assessment is performed to determine what contaminants are present and how widespread they are in the soil and groundwater. Then, the most feasible, reliable and cost-effective technologies are selected to clean up the contamination and protect human health and the environment.

• To date there are 1526 open petroleum discharges requiring clean up in Orange County

• 702 discharges have been cleaned up or determined to require no clean up following an evaluation of the data.

• At any given time the EPD staff is overseeing work on over 234 sites across Orange County in various stages of the clean up process.

• From October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011, 40 discharges were successfully remediated.


AdministrationLori Cunniff Michelle Narvaez Dennis Weatherford

Administrative Support Daisy ArusMichelle BenjaminTerri Brinson

Marie GodetteWilliam Taylor

Environmental Protection Division Staff

Petroleum, Air, Sustainability, & Energy (PASE) Norma AliGlen BeckerTom BessaIlka BundyBarbara Cochrane-Olvetrea Jodi DittellTodd FletcherJames (Mike) GirtonCarlos GonzalezJose Gonzalez

Matt GreenAssefa HailemariamJane HeppnerBetty HillDavid Jones John JowettJohn KasperMerle KrugerDarrell LobinSeth Moorhead

John ParkerRenee ParkerJackie PerryRuth RauenzahnBill RhodesKevin ScharlauDamon TaylorKevin ThorntonKaren WaltonCarol White

Compliance & Waste Management Sarah BernierDavid BromfieldMike ColonVanessa CruzJohn GeigerCynthia GosiewskiJohn Harris

Laura LordAlan MarshallArnaldo MercadoCarrie MohannaRicardo Moore Mark OverstreetNancy Rodlun

Larry RossChris SchroettingerRichard StephensScott TessShana ThomasMartha Worland

Natural Resource Management Marcia AndersonRuth ArmstrongEdna ArroyoJulie BortlesBrian CatanzaroChristina Curtiss Jeff DarrLynn DenahanSergio DuarteGreg EwanitzAnna FullenKristin Harbin

Dan HombletteBeth JacksonGary JacobsCatherine Johnson Elizabeth JohnsonFranky Jorczak Aimee KrivanMark KromerAllison MatosAlejandro MedinaAaron MurrellMark Naughton

Ron NovyRyan PatrickJustin PrinceJohn PierceSteve RichCarolyn RidgwayMark RizzoJason RootRobert SheridanJulee SimsNeal ThomasEfren Vazquez

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Miles ArchabalChris Castro Jane Gregory

Omar HortaSarah HuberAlexandra Kennedy

Chris KueblerAndrea MarzulloKris Stenger

EPD STAFF


District 1 Commissioner

S. Scott Boyd


Fred C. Brummer

District 3 CommissionerJohn Martinez


Jennifer Thompson

District 5 CommissionerTed B. Edwards


Tiffany Moore Russell

County AdministratorAjit Lalchandani

Deputy County Administrator, Acting Ray Hanson

Community & Environmental Services Department DirectorMelvin Pittman

Environmental Protection Division ManagerLori Cunniff

Environmental Protection CommissionH. Fred Dietrich: Agricultural Interests Representative

Jennifer M. Bray: At Large Citizen RepresentativeJoel A. Thomson: Environmental Specialist

Richard W. Lemke: Professional Environmental EngineerJohn Miklos: Environmental Conservation Organization Representative

Charles A. White: Regulated Business RepresentativeMichael L. Kyhos: Regulated Business or Municipality Representative

Orange County Environmental Protection Division

800 Mercy Drive, Suite 4, Orlando, Florida 32808407-836-1400

www.ocfl.net/epd

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs

www.ocfl.net/epd

environmental protection division annual report · 2012. 9. 13. · letter from the mayor. letter...

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