Not long ago, South Orlando was a collection of farms and ranchlands dotted with pristine lakes. Back then, Orlando to the southern end of Florida was the single drainage unit.  When rainfall exceeded capacity of Lake Okeechobee and Kissimmee River floodplain, water emptied in Florida Bay.  Before exploding development in Central Florida, the Everglades reached to the southern portion of Lake Okeechobee flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

Fast forward to today; on any given Sunday, families flock to Lakes Whippoorwill and Mary Jane enjoying outdoor activities from camping on its shores to fishing, waterskiing and swimming. Lake Nona, still, typically enjoys good water quality.  How can waters remain protected in the wake of extreme development? It starts with infrastructure.

Infrastructure is essential for enabling Orlando’s productivity and, although a highly expensive proposition, results of economies of scale are visible in commercial development. Infrastructure is a collection of basic physical systems supporting our population and includes roads, utilities, water and sewage. “People have to understand that storm water management is a large infrastructure; a highly involved treatment system serving a dedicated purpose and has evolved to a high tech and scientific field,” says John Evertson, surface water manager for the city of Orlando.

Throughout developed areas - not designed for recreational use - are a series of retention ponds, used to hold water indefinitely, and detention ponds, low lying areas designed for short-term water holding as it slowly drains into another body of water.  Jim Luebbering, Orlando’s stormwater assistant division manager explained, “These ponds help mimic pre-developed sites, holding runoff.”  With the first inch of runoff from surfaces such as roofs and hard surfaces being the most polluted, these strategically placed ponds are designed to act as filters before water drains into lakes and other waterways.

“As systems get older, stormwater systems need maintenance and inspection,” says Evertson. “Once the systems are buried, they are out of sight and mind.”  Older construction may have corrugated metal pipe systems that may have rusted over time causing inefficiency.  Given soil conditions, the average life of these systems is about seven to 10 years.  Although a good product under many circumstances, more durable products are concrete, that can last fifty or more years, and high density PVC that may have a lifespan of 30 years or more.

Along with assuring stormwater systems are up to date, we should all have an awareness of what’s going down the drain.  A way to protect natural waterways is to be mindful of anything on the pavement - fertilizers, pesticides, dog waste - as these are first to get washed away.  When purchasing fertilizer, be aware that the city does have a phosphorus content ordinance.  The content should be 0 and is located on the product label’s center number. Washing paint brushes on hard surfaces causes their chemical content to be washed away in the first flush of high pollutants.  Grease in commercials drains should also be avoided.

Orlando has learned to mitigate impact of development very quickly.  When building begins, it’s key to immediately install silt fences to begin protecting the environment; avoiding discharges into lakes from the earliest stage of the development process.  Stormwater Management’s job is to get out and begin regulating projects immediately.

“As part of the Clean Water act, the only thing we really want to go down the drain is rainwater,” says Kathryn Kalbaba, stormwater management’s public awareness specialist. Residents and business owners are encouraged to be “Lake Heroes” and report violation such as fertilizer/pesticide overuse and erosion to the hotline at 407.246.2370.

With the proper planning, maintenance and education, officials and residents alike can look forward to cleaner, safer lakes for some time to come.

Article by Monica King

It’s not often that we think of “soil pollution” but consider it as an ecosystem in itself with sensitivity to foreign materials applied to it. When growing a garden, add a little fertilizer and water, and you get nice, healthy plants and a lush green lawn.  However, excess pesticide, fertilizers and solid waste - like cow manure - can have devastating results.

In the Southeast Orlando area, we live on what was mostly agricultural land.  Livestock even still grazes in some remaining pasturelands around our homes and roadways. In respect to environmental impact, this is a good thing in comparison to intensive operations, considered to be feedlots of over 500 head of cattle; these Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) combined with overwintering sites can significantly impact the quality of waterways through pollution through the soil with dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and ammonia concentrations.

The EPA considers feedlots to be, “enterprises where animals are kept and raised in confined situations.  Animals are congregated in small spaces, feed brought in, with the area containing manure, urine, dead animals and production operations on a small space of land.”  By comparison, although free range grazing still contributes to environmental pollution, it is not as significant as intensive operations as proven through studies at the University of Missouri.  “You never really think of what you’re doing or where you’re living to have an effect on soil,” says Chuck Casey of Lake Nona. “I know our houses are pretty much next to cow fields, but it’s not my largest environmental concern.”

Still, arsenic pollution in soil occurs naturally in rocks, plants, and animals and released, particularly in Florida through forest fires and human actions.  Mostly commonly found as a wood preservative, arsenic is also readily found in paints, dyes, drug soaps, fertilizers and cattle feeding.  In a natural setting, when water tables fall, arsenic is naturally released from rock.  Linked to cancer and other serious health issues, it is unlikely, according to the EPA, to experience these risks from Orlando’s community water sources, referring to those systems that serve more than 25 year-round residents, as they are EPA compliant. To gauge the water quality in your area visit www.ewg.org/tap-water, enter your zip code and Water Company to see a full report of contaminants in your area.

So, how do we reduce pollutants in soil? A University of Florida study proved that that the Chinese brake fern thrives on arsenic.  The toxic substance is soaked into its leaves at such high concentrations that the leaves can be cut and disposed of or the entire plant removed and destroyed.  The University is also currently conducting a study on the shores of Lake Apopka testing a theory that certain fungi, such as the oyster mushroom, foster the biodegradation of DDT. Simple aeration of soil can also assist in bringing it back to an improved state.

Although significant focus of soil pollution in residential areas focuses on the byproducts of animals, environmentally conscious consumers should take a look in their own medicine cabinets. “Humans utilize an amazingly large array of personal care products and pharmaceuticals that have been marketed for decades,” says Dr. George O’Connor with the University of Florida. These “emerging contaminants of concern” are found in products such as toothpaste, soaps, shampoos and a wide variety of personal care and drug products.

Dr. O’Connor relays that “all kinds of chemicals (inorganic and organic)” have been added to the soil “since time began,” and that “history shows that soils, aquatic systems, and humans are remarkably resilient, adaptive, and assimilative if the insults are managed.”  With this said, the pollution of soil should not be trivialized and the key is to minimize direct insults to the soil and water systems.

Article by Monica King

It sounds like an oxymoron. Of course, garbage trucks aren’t the cleanest things - they’re full of garbage. They wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for a cab to the airport, a ride to the mall and no one asks for one when they turn 16. That’s where garbage goes; it’s supposed to be dirty.

But as the world has gotten greener, garbage trucks have certainly begun to follow suit. Mary O’Brien, chief marketing officer for Advanced Disposal, says that steps are being taken to improve the environment in local communities through Advanced Disposals initiatives. O’Brien says that these steps “are being taken to better manage a heavy-duty truck fleet that is responsible for maintaining clean and healthy communities.”

According to their Greening of the fleet initiative guide, Advanced Disposal has reduced the amount of hydraulic oil used on our trucks by stretching the life of the oil by 200 percent. Instead of going by the scheduled date on a calendar to change their oil, which was still good, Advanced Disposal began doing analytical testing of all hydraulic oil, giving an accurate representation of when the oil needs to be replaced.

The company is also focusing on tire management as another way to reduce their carbon footprint. “Tire Pressure Monitoring Technology uses an electronic pressure sensor that immediately alerts drivers when tire pressure dips below recommended levels,” according the Greening of the fleet statement. “By keeping tire pressure at the correct levels, roll resistance is lessoned, resulting in increased fuel efficiency and economy.”

According to O’Brien, Advanced Disposal is very focused on their green efforts. “Our first and most important goal is maintaining a clean and healthy environment by safely and efficiently collecting, transporting, processing and disposing of the solid waste generated by residents and businesses alike,” she says. “This job requires the hard work and dedication of many Advanced Disposal and other solid waste industry employees who are committed to leaving the world a little cleaner than they found it.”

Advanced Disposal has 240 operating collection vehicles. All of which have engines equipped with Diesel Particulate Filters that remove the soot of heavy particles from the engines exhaust. Currently, 24 percent of Advanced Disposal’s total fleet is considered Environmental Protection Agency 2007 Certified Clean Diesel Engines, and that number is rising quickly.

According to their Greening of the fleet information sheet, Advanced Disposal has one EPA 2010 collection truck currently operating with 30 units being built right now. By April, all new Advanced Disposal collection vehicles will be EPA 2010 compliant.

Advanced Disposal is moving towards green in other ways as well. Once the trash is in those green trucks, it is then transported to a landfill, rather than a dump. Unlike dumps, which are basically just big holes where garbage is buried, landfills offer some environmental protection and are monitored and maintained. There is even a way to convert landfill gas into energy. Advanced Disposal also emphasizes the importance of recycling on their website and in their marketing materials.

As one of the contracted haulers for Orange County, it’s comforting to know that Advanced Disposal is placing such importance on the green movement. “Along with our employees, our equipment is built and managed to withstand the rigors and hardships of holding, packing and transporting hundreds of tons of waste and recyclables a day to keep the County’s streets and neighborhoods clean,” O’Brien says.

If filthy garbage trucks can clean up their act and go green for the sake of the environment, it’s safe to say anyone can.

Article By Katelyn Schmidt

How close would you live to a landfill or trash dump? Would you live a mile away? A block? How about 20 feet? That’s what many residents of Bithlo on the south side of HWY 50 have done for close to three decades.

If that wasn’t bad enough, what if said dump had numerous reports stretching for years of contaminated water, toxic levels of heavy metals, improperly disposed hazardous waste and who knows what else? Imagine your kids playing in a drainage ditch full of runoff from the 30 foot high piles of trash, stretching for eight acres or drinking well water from a source right next to the very same ditch.

For years residents of Bithlo have dealt with the now condemned and dilapidated A-Z Recycling Center location, begging for help, and receiving nothing more than broken promises from dozens of county officials and staff. But they’ve never had a unified voice before trying to help them.

Tim McKinney, executive vice president of United Global Outreach (UGO), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the community of Bithlo, has taken a vested interest in cleaning up the property. Now overgrown with weeds and with dozens of pieces of fence missing, the property appears to be all but forgotten about to the outside world.

While giving a recent area tour to several county employees, McKinney asked if they knew what the large hills and rusted metal fence were for. Not sure themselves, they suggested McKinney do a public records request to find out. Roughly 50 cases, mounds of paperwork and 60 man hours later, he started to realize the facility is more than just an eye sore.

“I started to dig into the records and realized this is a real problem,” he says. “There’s been numerous lawsuits over the past twenty years and a few estimates on what it would take to clean up the land, but for whatever reason the ball has been dropped numerous times, even with the county knowing the potential harm for residents here.”

Through the documents and court depositions, he has come across numerous studies suggesting the area is unsafe, filled with asbestos-laden material, open paint cans, drums filled with an “unknown liquid substance” and more. A brief history also finds that the property was a sinkhole prior to be filled in so the depths of waste dumped there is unknown. Other documents show a former county staffer suggesting the only reason the county should not put a lien on the property and take ownership is to avoid liability to a contaminated property - that was in the mid 1990’s.  Instead, the county has let a $250 a day fine rise to an accumulated $1,669,000 at last check within the past 30 days.

“One of the things that’s documented in multiple ways to be there is debris from the original Orlando City Hall building that was imploded in 1991 in Lethal Weapon 3,” says McKinney. “To me that really reveals the symbolism of what’s happened to this community - the city of Orlando has literally dumped on Bithlo.”

But all of that is in the past. So are numerous memos from county staffers addressing the problem, suggesting a cleanup should be done immediately - some of which are 15 years old and older. For McKinney and UGO, the next step is to make sure the ball is not dropped again. He has already had multiple meetings and briefings with county staff on the issue. “I understand that April 14 they are going to have a senior level briefing to update everyone again and get a gameplan,” he says. “But county staffers were meeting weekly for years on this issue and they still haven’t gotten the first shovel-full removed.”

The goal for McKinney is simple: get the former recycling center/landfill cleaned up as soon as possible. “As an organization, we want to continue moving this community forward,” he says. “We want government to say, ‘We dropped the ball and here is how we’re going to make things right.’ If they say we need 10 dump trucks, I’ll find 10 dump trucks. Whatever the answer is, we want to be a part of it.”

McKinney believes the difference this time around is his organization and mission. “I think they need an organization like ours to hold them accountable or help find private solutions or bridge the communication gap,” he says. “We need to find a plan and work the plan - obviously that hasn’t happened in the past.”

He contends that if this were going on in any other part of the county it would be on the evening news immediately. “If the property is potentially contaminated, it needs to be cleaned up because it’s the right thing to do, not ignored to avoid liability,” says McKinney. “All I want the county to do is the right thing. If they haven’t done the right thing up to this point, they need to make up for it and help resolve this issue.”

Article by Corey Gehrold

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As summer rapidly approaches, and temperatures start rising - the sun can oftentimes be considered the enemy. But the sun is, in fact is our friend, and it will soon become an even closer one as solar energy is moving into the neighborhood.

The Orlando Utilities Commission’s (OUC) Stanton Energy Center is set to be the home of the first solar farm in Orange County by the end of 2011. According to Tim Trudell, OUC spokesperson, the project has been in the works for several years, but about two years ago it really started gaining momentum.

The panels will spread out across more than 35 acres of the Stanton Energy Center along Alafaya Trail, and will generate enough power to serve about 600 homes. “This is opening doors to sustainability and allowing OUC to harness the power of the sun while studying its impact on our electrical grid,” says Trudell. “One of the great things about solar is that there are no by-products. We’re literally just taking the power of the sun and putting it into the electrical grid.”

OUC partnered with Duke Energy and Regenesis Power LLC to install, operate and maintain the system. OUC will purchase the power generated by the system for the next 20 years.

OUC, which has solar photovoltaic and solar hot water arrays atop its own downtown headquarters, also helped Orange County build a 1 Megawatt solar array on top of the Orange County Convention Center. At six times the size, the new solar farm would be the largest in Orange County. According to Trudell, sustainability is a top priority at OUC, “We’re here in Central Florida and we can harness the power of the sun and use it to help out so many people,” he says.

The near 3,000-acre Stanton Energy Center is home to a diverse fleet of generation, including two coal-powered plants, two state-of-the-art natural gas plants and a unique landfill gas energy source, a renewable fuel that is piped over from the Orange County landfill. The solar farm will further add to the clean generation. The panels will also be designed so that in case of a storm, they can be stowed away and safe in hurricane-force winds.

The solar farm will consist of 25,172 solar modules, and according to Trudell, the solar farm’s influence will be evident once it’s turned on and in the grid. “There will be an immediate impact,” he says. “And there will be a long-term impact as we’ll be doing research and development as the project goes along.”

OUC, which had its start in 1923, has grown from having about 5,000 customers to serving a population of more than 383,000 residents. The company is municipally run - meaning it’s owned by the citizens of Orlando. “We want to lead the way and to set the tone,” says Trudell. “It’s important for us to do the right thing and the right thing is to look toward the environment. What can we do to ensure that we provide not only reliable and affordable power, but also green power?”

The company also encourages it’s customers to be environmentally savvy in many ways. Through their two websites - www.OUC.com and ReliablyGreen.com - the OUC shows customers things they can do to help sustain power in their own homes. “We all have to be mindful of energy consumption,” says Trudell. “So we encourage our customers to use less.”

With the solar farm being implemented sometime this year, the OUC is in fact proving that they’ve got their eyes on a better environment here in Central Florida. “It’s more than just the 600 homes that are impacted by the power,” says Trudell. “It’s an identifier - it showcases that this is something that’s important to us and we hope it’s important to our customers too.”

Article By Katelyn Schmidt