Larry B. Johnson

Bayview Oyster Reef Workday on Saturday

2012-01-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is delivering 12 cubic yards of oyster shells to Bayview Park this weekend and hosting a workday this Saturday from 9am-noon. Come on out and help restore oyster beds!

TREES: The root of it all - Workshop, Tuesday, July 12th

2011-06-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area Resource Council in partnership with Escambia County Water Quality and Land Management Division, and the Florida Division of Forestry are hosting the workshop: Trees: The root of it all.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 12th from 9:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Sign-in starts at 8:30 am.
WHERE: Saenger Theatre 118 Palafox Pl, Pensacola, FL 32502 Meeting Room A.

Lunch will be provided to all that RSVP prior to Friday, July 8, 2011. To RSVP, email mary.gutierrez@wfrpc.org

Nominations - Zoning Board of Adjustments

2011-06-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Application of Interest for appointment to the Zoning Board of Adjustments must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM, THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011 for consideration at the Committee of the Whole on JULY 18, 2011.

See link below for details.

http://www.cityofpensacola.com/news/?rid=20315

Cecil T. Hunter Swimming Pool - Grand Opening

2011-05-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

JOIN MAYOR ASHTON HAYWARD FOR THE GRAND OPENING CEREMONY
OF THE NEWLY RENOVATED CECIL T. HUNTER SWIMMING POOL
AND RIBBON CUTTING

Date: May 28, 2011
Time: Ceremony begins at 10:00am
Location: Cecil T. Hunter Swimming Pool
200 E. Blount Street
(850)436-5197

The pool will be open from 10:30am -11:30am for free swim
For a full listing of session times please visit
www.playpensacola.com

Nominations - Various Boards

2011-05-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

Application of Interest for the following Boards and Commission must be submitted no later than NOON, FRIDAY, June 3, 2011 for consideration at the Committee of the Whole meeting on June 20, 2011.

Zoning Board of Adjustment

Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission

Civil Service Board

Planning Board

General Pension

See link below for details.

http://www.cityofpensacola.com/news/?rid=19996

Bayou Bash: Get Out The Trash!

2011-05-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Bayou Bash: Get Out The Trash!

Saturday, May 21st from 7:30AM - 11:00AM

Please join us for a fun work day with members from The Bream Fishermen Association, Clean and Green, Emerald Coastkeeper, Escambia County Solid Waste, Pensacola NAS at Corry Field and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Volunteers will be working Saturday, May 21st from 7:30am until 11am to clean up Bayou Chico and Jackson Branch. Those interested in cleaning by water please check in at the Island Cove Marina, 806 Lakewood Road, 850.455.4552. Those interested in cleaning by land please check in at the Corry Field Station main gate, Chiefs Way and Prieto Drive (northeast corner of Corry Station).

Garbage and recycling bags and gloves will be provided. Bring your own canoe, kayak or boat, or simply your willingness to work. Don’t forget your water, sunscreen and close toed shoes if working by land.

For more information contact Chasidy Hobbs, Emerald Coastkeeper, 850.429.8422 or chasidy@emeraldcoastkeeper.org.

City Attorney Position Available

2011-04-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

City Attorney
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Application
Job Description: The City of Pensacola is seeking applicants for the position of City Attorney. As a charter position in a strong Mayor form of government, the City Attorney represents the Mayor, the 9-member City Council, and all departments of the City. Candidates should possess the following qualifications: Member of the Florida Bar, a substantial number of years of local government representation with a thorough knowledge of open government, public records, labor and employment, law enforcement, contract and zoning and land use law in Florida. Although matters involving protracted litigation are handled contractually, a small staff of 2 – 4 attorneys is generally expected to render all services required. The City employs approximately 850 employees in its 16 departments and operates a port, airport and public gas utility.
Location: City Attorney's Office
Job Level: Executive
Salary: Salary and benefits commensurate with experience, to be negotiated.
Position Type: Contract
How To Apply: Submit resume to Mary Ann Stalcup, Human Resources Director, P.O. Box 12910, Pensacola, FL 32521

Nominations - 2011 Districting Commission

2011-04-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

The deadline for Application of Interest is NOON, Friday, May 6, 2011 for consideration at the Committe of the Whole on May 23, 2011.

See link below for more details

http://www.cityofpensacola.com/news/?rid=19822

Nominations - Community Maritime Park Board of Trustees

2011-04-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

The deadline for Application of Interest is NOON, Friday, May 6, 2011 for consideration at the Committee of the Whole Meeting on May 23, 2011.

You must contact a City Council member for a nomination.

For more information follow the link below

http://www.cityofpensacola.com/news/?rid=19804

2nd Annual Prescription Drug Round-Up

2011-04-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 30, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Pensacola Florida

The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) and the Escambia County Sheriff's Office (ECSO) in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will appear at six local Walgreens and four ECSO Precinct locations.

The Prescription Drug Round-Up is a one day effort between local and federal law enforcement to provide the public a site to voluntarily surrender expired, unwanted, unused pharmaceuticaly controlled substances, and other medications for destruction.

The April 30th event will feature ten locations with deputies from Escambia County Sheriff's Office and officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection providing information on the environmental benefits and proper ways citizens should dispose of prescription drugs.

Walgreens Locations:

20 West Nine Mile Road
2237 West Nine Mile Road
4497 Mobile Hwy
5995 Mobile Hwy
870 E Cervantes
6314 North 9th Ave

ECSO Precinct Locations:

Precinct 1, Pensacola Beach
43 Fort Pickens Road

Precinct 2, Big Lagoon
12950 Gulf Beach Hwy

Precinct 5, Cantonment
5844 North Hwy 29

Precinct 6, Century
7995 North Century Blvd

For more information concerning the event, contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (850) 436-9277, the ECUA (850) 476-0480, or visit www.ecua.org.

Bay Area Resource Council Meeting

2011-04-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

WHAT: Bay Area Resource Council Quarterly Meeting

WHERE: City of Pensacola’s Hagler-Mason Conference Room (2nd Floor) 222 West Main Street.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 27, 2011.
Technical Advisory Committee Meeting 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Board Meeting 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

SUBJECT MATTER: Presentation on the Bayou Chico Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) based on Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL’s) for fecal coliform. The presentation will be given during the Board Meeting timeframe.

Please feel free to email Mary Gutierrez at mary.gutierrez@wfrpc.org
with any comments or questions.

Earth Day and BP Memorial Events - April 20, 2011

2011-04-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Earth Day and BP Memorial Events

UWF Conference Center

April 20, 2011

Please join us and help spread the word. For more details contact Chasidy at 850.429.8422Emerald Coastkeeper has many other events happening throughout the spring. Details can be found on our website: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?EmeraldCoastkeeper/1346c08ccc/1fe01c3389/d7f0132045

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida - Annual Baby Shower and Supply Drive

2011-04-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Press Release: Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida 105 North “S” Street Pensacola FL 32505 850-433-9453 Contact: Dorothy Kaufmann, Director Email: ws@wildlife.gccoxmail.com Website: http://pensacolawildlife.com/ Photos available For Immediate Release: April 4, 2011 WOW springtime is finally here… Come join the fun as the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida celebrates spring with our Annual Baby Shower and Supply Drive Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. It’s our 29th year and we are very proud to be part of the community. The Wildlife Sanctuary operates 7 days a week as a wildlife hospital for injured and orphaned wildlife. The facility relies mainly on your donations to support the care of the wonderful animals in need of a second chance Everyone Welcome! Enjoy shopping for wildlife gifts and tee shirts; listen to live music; buy native plants and trees at our plant booth; feed the pelicans; have the children learn about native animals at our two puppet shows; sodas and bake sale items will be available for sale so plan to buy some goodies as you visit with the resident birds of prey. Bring your cameras, bring your kids and bring your friends. You’ll see pelicans, fox, bald eagles, owls, bobcats, opossums, turtles, deer and much, much more. Special guests will be FL. Trail Association, UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Sea Grant, FL Turtle Conservation Trust and Sweet Prospect Celtic Band. And don’t forget that if you want to bring baby shower gifts the Sanctuary can use any of the following items: Paper towels, tissues, liquid laundry soap, bleach, daisy mats, first class stamps, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, suet cakes, peanuts/pecans, fresh or frozen small minnows, canned chicken, Purina puppy and kitten food, grapes, apples and sweet potatoes. For more information http://pensacolawildlife.com/ or call 433-9453 (ext. 5) ***************************** For Immediate Release: April 4, 2011 The Wildlife Sanctuary is getting ready for the baby season with their annual Baby Shower and Supply Drive Saturday, April 16, 2011 from noon to 3:30. The public is invited to stroll around the grounds, meet some of our wild residents and attend our two puppet shows. Check out our gift shop, bake sale, plant sale, feed the pelicans booth, let the kids play wildlife games and see our birds of prey up close with their handlers, learn about area turtles and more. Bring your appetite for some homemade goodies that will be for sale. There will be many photo opportunities for everyone as well as environmental booths for groups of all ages. The Sanctuary was started in 1982 and has been a growing part of the community for 29 years! Open 7 days a week as a wildlife hospital for injured and orphaned wildlife. The facility relies mainly on your donations to support the care of these wonderful animals in need of a second chance. BABY SHOWER WISHLIST ITEMS: Paper towels, tissues, liquid laundry soap, first class stamps, peanut butter, suet cakes, sunflower seeds, fresh or frozen small minnows, Purina puppy or kitten food, pecans, raw peanuts in shell, frozen or fresh berries, daisy mats, canned chicken, Science Diet Puppy or Kitten Growth, apples and sweet potatoes. More information http://pensacolawildlife.com/ or call 433-9453 ext

Nominations - General Pension Board

2011-03-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Currently there are two vacant positions on the General Pension Board. The deadline is 5:30, April 7, 2011 for consideration at the Committee of the Whole on April 18, 2011. http://www.ci.pensacola.fl.us/live/news.asp?rid=19555

Environmental Advisory Board Meeting - March 23, 2011

2011-03-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011
3:30 P.M.
VINCE WHIBBS CONFERENCE ROOM
FIRST FLOOR, CITY HALL

There will be a regular meeting of the Environmental Advisory Board on Wednesday March 23, 2011 from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. in the Vince Whibbs Conference Room, First Floor, City Hall, 180 Governmental Center.

AGENDA:
1. Quorum/Call to Order
2. Approval of Prior Minutes
3. Research on Carpenter’s Creek
4. Investigate the possible use of “Green” Janitorial Supplies for City Buildings and Community Centers
5. Development of an Environmental Strategy

Staff Updates:
6. Environmental Advisory Board Member Comments
7. Public Comments- Open Forum

Nomination - Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals

2011-03-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Currently, the At Large Public position is vacant. See the link below for an Application of Interest.

Deadline is Thursday March 17, 2011 at 5:00 PM for consideration at the Committee of the Whole meeting on April 4, 2011.

http://www.cityofpensacola.com/upload/PDFS/City%20Council/APPLICATION_FOR_BOARDS.pdf

Deepwater BP Oil Spill - Public Restoration Scoping Meeting

2011-03-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

Public Restoration Scoping Meeting

March 16, 2011
Bayview Community Center
2001 Lloyd Street
6:30pm

What is Restoration Scoping?
Get Involved in Restoring the Gulf

Restoration scoping is the first opportunity for your input into the process of restoring the Gulf.

Please see link below for a detailed description on restoration scoping.

http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration/what-is-restoration-scoping/

Scenic Highway Foundation Evening Lecture Series

2011-03-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

City Council To Make Nominations To City Boards

2011-03-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

Nominations to be made for the following Boards:

Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals

Gateway Review Board

Parks and Recreation Board

See the link below for more information.

http://www.ci.pensacola.fl.us/live/news.asp?rid=19325

Environmental Advisory Board Meeting and Agenda

2011-02-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF PENSACOLA ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD
There will be a regular meeting of the Environmental Advisory Board on Wednesday 23, 2011 from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. in the Vince Whibbs Conference Room, First Floor, City Hall, 180 Governmental Center.

AGENDA:
1. Quorum/Call to Order
2. Approval of Prior Minutes
3. Presentation- Al Garza on Bayou Chico Basin Management Action Plan
4. ***Representative Ingram's Fertilizer-Management Bill***
5. ***BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Resolution*****

Staff Updates:
6. Environmental Advisory Board Member Comments
7. Public Comments- Open Forum

If you will be unable to attend or need any other assistance, please contact Terri Kuvach at 435-1673.

Scenic Highway Foundation Evening Lecture Series

2011-02-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Fish Donations Needed

2011-02-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida is asking for donations of fish. If you or someone you know fishes…our injured seabirds and eagles would appreciate you sharing. The Sanctuary is currently caring for five Bald Eagles and lots of injured pelicans and herons. The Sanctuary accepts fresh, frozen, whole or filleted fish seven days a week from 8am to 5pm, located at 105 North “S” Street near the old Gulf Power building. Our freezers are low and your donations would be great!

The Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization taking in over 3000 injured and orphaned animals a year. All are given a thorough exam, fed a diet most resembling the food that they would seek in the wild and are monitored to insure adjustment to temporary captivity. Release back into the wild is the primary goal. All donations are appreciated. A wish list is available on the website, http://Pensacolawildlife.com. For more information call 850-433-9453 Ext 5 or email ws@wildlife.gccoxmail.com

Emerald Coastkeeper Community Meeting

2011-01-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

From the Coastkeeper...
Join us for a community meeting on February 15th, 7pm at Ever'man Natural Foods, 315 West Garden Street, Pensacola. Mr. Christian Wagley will be giving an update on the Escambia County Land Development Code revisions. This meeting is free and open to the public, please help spread the word.
Also, Emerald Coastkeeper has updated our website. We have included a new Report Pollution tool which we hope will be another step toward swimmable, fishable, drinkable water in northwest Florida. Check it out here: http://www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org/
We are planning on offering some training sessions in the spring to help residents learn about local threats to water quality, reduce their impact to waterways, recognize threats to our waterways and drinking water and report those threats to officials. Classes will be free, offered on a variety of days/evening and space will be limited. If you think you might be interested and want to get on the list of participants send me an email.

Chasidy Fisher Hobbs
Coastkeeper

January 29th Scenic Highway Clean Up Day!

2011-01-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

On January 29th City Council District 4 & District 3 combined workday...along Scenic Highway beginning at Sugartree Court and working to the North and South as well. This Scenic Bay Bluffs Clean up is being done with volunteers from Sugartree Condos,Parks and Recreation and 30 volunteers from the Navy. We will be cleaning up underbrush this Saturday from 7 til 9 am as part of the Citywide Beautification project. Please join us and bring a friend. You will need gloves, loppers and some water. We look forward to working with you to beautify our Scenic Bay Bluffs

State Rep. Doug Broxson Meeting Tonight for Denied BP Claimants

2011-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

State Rep. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, is hosting a BP oil spill claims workshop for claimants who were initially denied.

The workshop is set for tonight at 6:00 pm at Oriole Beach Elementary School, 1260 Oriole Beach Road, Gulf Breeze.

Incoming Florida Attorney General, Pam Bond, has agreed to attend the meeting, and independent compensation administrator Ken Feinberg has been invited. Officials with the local Gulf Coast Claims Facility office, which Feinberg leads, will also be on hand.

Scenic Higway Foundation Living History Lecture

2011-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

When: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 from 5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Lectures begin promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Where: IHMC 40 South Alcaniz Street

List of Presenters:

“Scenic Highway: Avenue of Heritage” written by Earle Bowden, presented by Ms. Rhonda Grice.

“A Sunday Afternoon Drive Through History,” presented by Ms. Suzanne Weathers.

“Paving of Scenic Highway (1927)”, presented by Ms. Gena Buchanan.

“Life as a boy living on Scenic Highway in 1916 (and beyond)” written by Fred Howe, presented by Mr. Eric Schade

“A resident of Gaberonne: A conversation with Mr. Gonzalez”, written by Dr. Jack Kichler, presented by Mr. Dan Deanda.

Bayview Park Tennis Courts Repairing and Resurfacing

2010-11-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that repairing and resurfacing on the six tennis courts at Bayview Park began last week. The work should take approximately two weeks depending on the weather.

The Bayview Park Tennis Courts are some of the most beautiful public courts I've had the pleasure of playing on. The Bayview Park Tennis Courts are enjoyed by citizens from all parts of the city. They're located in District 4, but they're only three blocks from District 5 and eight blocks from District 6.

The City Council also recently voted to add courts at Legion Field located in District 7 on the west side of the city of Pensacola.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK!

2010-11-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

I want to wish Derek Cosson a belated Happy Birthday. Derek's birthday was yesterday Monday, November 15th.

Derek's BLOG, Progressive Pensacola is one of the most read political BLOGS in NW Florida.

Derek serves his community on the City Planning Board and spends many hours at City Hall attending City Council meetings.

Derek also serves on the Board of Directors for the Emerald Coastkeeper, Inc.

He continues to work to improve our city and is a champion for progressive ideas.

I am proud to call him a friend and I hope he had a very Happy Birthday!

Benefit Account for Deputy Jeremy Cassady

2010-11-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Council making CMPA nominations

2010-10-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

The City Council is current taking nominations for three seats on the CMPA, the body responsible for managing the Community Maritime Park project. Please see the following information from the city's web site and contact me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us if you have any questions or wish to be nominated.

The Community Maritime Park Associates, Inc. (CMPA) Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the development and operation of the Community Maritime Park and is comprised of twelve (12) members. The City is required to appoint the members of the Board of Directors for the CMPA not-for-profit organization.

At this time three (3) positions require appointments by City Council (and Council will also appoint a City Council Member as their Representative to sit on the Board). Term of office is three (3) years.

ANYONE INTERESTED IN SERVING SHOULD CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK FOR AN APPLICATION OF INTEREST AND CONTACT A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR NOMINATION BY 5:00 P.M. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010 (NOMINATION BY A COUNCIL MEMBER IS REQUIRED).

If you have any questions please contact the City Clerk's office at 435-1606.

Council accepting nominations for Architectural Review Board

2010-09-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

The City Council is currently accepting nominations for vacancies on the Architectural Review Board. If you have an interest in serving, please contact me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us.

ARB

Chamber/TDC offer DeLuna Fest tickets to hotels/rentals

2010-09-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Please see the following message from the Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau:

The Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce/Visit Pensacola and the Tourist Development Council have received 4,000 tickets for the DeLuna Festival, Oct. 15-17 on Pensacola Beach. Each ticket provides free entry into the festival for all three days. The tickets are available at no cost to hotels, condos and vacation rentals to help draw additional visitors by offering multi-night festival packages.

Guidelines for receiving tickets for your property:

Reserve tickets by return e-mail to: eschroeder@visitpensacola.com. We will follow up to confirm your order. Property must identify their representative authorized to sign for and receive tickets. Tickets will not be released to any individuals with whom we are unable to confirm authorization. Property accepts obligation to package festival tickets with room nights.

Pick-up/sign for tickets at the Pensacola Visitor Information Center, Wayside Park, anytime during posted hours of operation.

First round (Sept. 1 – 12)
Limit of 100 tickets per property

Final round (Sept. 13 – Oct. 15)
All remaining tickets available to all properties; first-come, first-serve.

(Please return unused tickets as early as possible, they will be redistributed to other properties)

For more information please call Ed Schroeder at (850) 434-1234.

Early voting starts Monday

2010-08-06T07:58:00.001-07:00

Early voting starts Monday, August 9. There are two early voting locations in the City of Pensacola:

Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor
West Florida Genealogy Library (Formerly Tryon Branch), 5740 N. Ninth Ave

If you need a ride to go vote, contact me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us and I will try to help arrange transportation.

For more information or to view a sample ballot, check out the Supervisor of Elections web site at escambiavotes.com.

BARC meeting tomorrow

2010-07-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the Bay Area Resource Council, on which I serve, will meet tomorrow to discuss several important issues:

The Bay Area Resource Council (BARC) will hold a public forum on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at Pensacola City Hall, Hagler-Mason Conference Room, located at 222 W Main Street. The meeting is being held from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Guest Speakers include the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, Escambia County Department of Health, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, BP and U.S. EPA, Region IV. Speakers will provide an update on how local, state, and federal governments and others are responding to Deepwater Horizon Oil Clean and Clean-up efforts including short-term and long-term goals. In addition, there will be discussion about the environmental and public health effects (air and water) of dispersants being used as well as other areas of concern.

A representative from Florida Emerald Coast Clean Cities Coalition will discuss the Clean Cities Program and lessening our dependency on foreign and domestic oil.

EHNA on Bay Bridge

2010-07-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Please see the following message from David Del Gallo of the East Hill Neighborhood Association:

The City of Gulf Breeze has been trying to find a solution to the traffic on 98 in Gulf Breeze for years and a new bridge to replace the old 3-mile bridge is in included in the long range plan. Exactly where the new bridge would be placed is not decided and may not parallel the existing 3-mile bridge to Gulf Breeze.

The possible landing points are: on the Gulf Breeze side Hwy 98 to about Naval Live Oaks, on the Pensacola side Cervantes St. (Scenic Highway) to 17th, the current location.

The schedule of public meetings is also attached. The Pensacola date is Aug 17 City Hall 11:30-1:30 and Baptist Medical Park on University Parkway 4:30-7:00p.m.

Depending on where the Pensacola side of this bridge is placed, this could significantly change traffic patterns in our neighborhood. If this concerns you please make plans to attend.

BP corporate number/DEP email

2010-07-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

I received the following email with a few pieces of useful information:

We have been able to locate a phone number for the main corporate office of BP
in Houston, TX if any of you would be interested in calling them. The number is
281-366-2000.

Also, if you have any suggestions, products or know of anyone who does that you would like to be considered for a possible use to help clean the oil product up please register online at Innovative.technology@dep.state.fl.us. For anything to be considered it must get DEP approval first.

CNN interview

2010-07-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke with CNN's John Zarella on Pensacola Beach about the oil disaster's impact on our 2010 beach season:

Hardball appearance today

2010-06-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I spoke again with Chris Matthews for MSNBC's Hardball about the Gulf oil disaster, how it is affecting our community, and how both BP and the federal government need to be doing more:

Letter from Bayou Texar Foundation

2010-06-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

I received the following letter from the Bayou Texar Foundation concerning the idea of closing Bayou Texar boat ramps:

Dear Mayor Wiggins and Council members,

I am writing to you as the Secretary of the Bayou Texar Foundation as well as a representative for several of my waterfront neighbors. We are all gravely concerned about the possibility of oil in the waters of Bayou Texar, threatening the healthy estuary and the wildlife/sea life that is present. Over the last few years, we have seen our waterfront habitat increase in productivity. Rarely do you look out that you do not see osprey, herons, pelicans, kingfishers, and hundreds of bait fish and mullet. That being said, we need smart decisions about the protection and use of the bayou.

At a recent meeting, a discussion about oil on pleasure boats returning to port prompted a suggestion to close the City-owned boat ramps - two inside the bayou, the third just outside the mouth at the 17th Ave. viaduct. This seems akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and I don't think that we should punish the many for the sins of the few. A better approach might be to educate our citizens, many of whom are very responsible, with a campaign about the sensibility of boating through oil. Signage at the ramps, an "Oil Spill 101" if you will, might inform boaters that going outside Pensacola Pass when oil has been seen offshore is not good for the boat or for the inshore environment. Numbers could be provided for the vessel cleanup station, as well as for the boom movement during incoming tide. As we enter hurricane season (with a storm brewing at this moment), our residents need access to those ramps to be able to pull boats out and take them to safe harbor. We also need them regularly for boat maintenance, and many of us have paid the annual $25 fee for boat ramp access. It is also doubtful that the small pleasure boats launching at these ramps go as far as the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition, perhaps the Coast Guard could issue "small and medium craft advisories" when oil is close to Pensacola Pass, discouraging boating in the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, there are some selfish boaters on the water, but I think most people are open to information about why it is a bad idea. We at least owe that chance to the good boaters of the area, but need to get the details about the boat cleaning need and facilities out to as many local residents as possible. This can be a joint City/County effort, as not all those using our ramps are City residents. I have spoken with Mayor Wiggins and my councilman, Larry Johnson, about further protection of the bayou, to supplement the boom strategy. The possibility of submerged oil floating under those booms is a valid concern, and it seems more and more that the best strategy is skimming both in the Gulf and in Pensacola Bay, long before any oil reaches the bayou. Please help keep the pressure on to provide more skimmers and better coordination between the eye in the sky and the skimmers on the water.

Thank you for your attention. I will be happy to discuss these ideas with any of you, or to work with Staff to design signage for the boat ramps. The Bayou Texar Foundation stands ready to assist in any way we can to protect our valuable waterway.

Sincerely,

Eleanor Godwin
Secretary, Bayou Texar Foundation

Coastkeeper on dispersants

2010-06-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Please see the following message from Emerald Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher Hobbs concerning the dispersants that EPA is allowing BP to use in response the oil in the Gulf:

I wrote to you yesterday about a plan to get dispersants off EPA's approved list of means of dealing with an oil spill. Write your letters TODAY! A postcard will do, just be sure it is hand written! Pass this email to everyone you know. Help us get 1 million letters to EPA by August 1st! Below is a sample letter. Feel free to modify it in any way you see fit. Definitely mail it to Lisa Jackson (address below). If you want to make more of a difference mail her the letter once per week. If you want an even greater impact, mail the letter to all you senators and representatives (don't know who yours are? Need an address? Go here: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml and here: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ (click on your state and then the name to get mailing address)

Lisa Jackson
USEPA Headquarters
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.
Mail Code: 1101A
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Lisa Jackson (or the name of your legislator):

I am gravely concerned about the use of dispersants and EPA's inability to stop BP from using them in the Gulf of Mexico. I implore you to amend the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule to include a process to delist products. Further, you must use this new process to delist, effective immediately, products that contain human health hazards and proprietary compounds, first and foremost dispersants. Fast-tracking this process is essential to the health of our Gulf, the workers on the Deepwater Horizon scene and all of the Gulf Coast residents and their visitors.

Your name
Your address

SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, WE NEED HELP NOW!

Other talking points you may or may not like to add:

1) The use of dispersants has criminally escalated the mortality to marine life from the oil release in the Gulf.

2) The use of dispersants has grievously complicated the clean-up of the oil in the Gulf region.

3) The use of dispersants has shamefully magnified the intergenerational harm of this oil catastrophe.

4) The use of dispersants has injuriously impacted public health and worker safety in the region.

Chasidy Fisher Hobbs
Coastkeeper
Emerald Coastkeeper, Inc.
o: 850-429-8422
chasidy@emeraldcoastkeeper.org
www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org

More on the Jones Act

2010-06-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lynn Bannister, the Director of Outreach for Senator Bill Nelson, shared the following link with me about the Jones Act and how it impacts response efforts:

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/06/oil-spill-foreign-help-and-the-jones-act/

Boat access to bayous

2010-06-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Concerning boats entering and leaving Bayou Texar as well as most waterways in Escambia County, the number to call regarding the moving of booms to allow access is 850-736-2261.

Please e-mail me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us and let me know how your experience with this number is and the if the operation works.

Skimmer boats

2010-06-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've written Carol Browner, the President's top environmental adviser, to tell her and the administration how badly we need skimming boats in the Gulf of Mexico:

Ms. Browner,

I have heard that 13 other countries including the Dutch, have offered us the use of skimming boats. Could you let me know where the White House is on this issue.

These boats need to be in the Gulf of Mexico dealing with the oil there, not in our inland waterways.

There is oil in Pensacola Bay as I write.

Also could you update me on the status of waiving the Jones Act?

Thank you for your assistance.

Larry B. Johnson
City Councilman - District 4

Appearance on Hardball

2010-06-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

I appeared this afternoon on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

One correction: Toward the end where I said "gallons" I meant "barrels."

Bayou Texar partially closed

2010-06-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Bayou Texar is now triple boomed and the mouth of the bayou is being closed when the tide starts in (flow) and opened back up when it starts out (ebb).

Boats needing to travel in and out of the bayou during closures can call 850.736.2261.

Boom has also been placed between the Port of Pensacola and Muscogee Wharf near the Project Greenshores Phase II area.

Senators to BP: cough up $20 billion advance

2010-06-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Please see the following release from Senator Bill Nelson's office:

In advance of the president’s trip to Florida’s Panhandle tomorrow, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson today continued to insist that BP and the White House take steps to keep taxpayers from having to foot the bill for the massive cleanup. The Florida Democrat also stressed that now is the time for the administration to launch a full-scale effort to get the U.S. off its dependence on oil.

Nelson was in Pensacola today for a first-hand look at the impact the oil spill is having on the Panhandle region. President Obama is due to be there tonight and tomorrow as he responds to growing concerns there over the spill. The state’s tourism and commercial fishing industries already are reeling.

To help, Nelson and a number of his Senate Democratic colleagues released a letter they wrote to BP’s boss Tony Hayward asking that he set up a trust fund with a $20 billion advance from the oil behemoth “as an act of good faith and as a first step toward ensuring that there will be no delay in payments or attempt to evade responsibility for damages.”

“The costs associated with the spill are being vastly underestimated by both BP as well as some government officials,” Nelson said today. “We have to fight to ensure that it’s BP, not the taxpayers, bearing the financial brunt of this disaster.”

From the outset, Nelson has pushed to hold BP accountable. He filed legislation to raise the liability the company faced for economic and environmental damages from $75 million to $10 billion. As the spill grew, he said that $10 billion might not even be enough, asserting that BP should be prepared to pay an unlimited amount.

Over the past few weeks, Nelson also has been a vocal critic of the handling of the spill, calling repeatedly for control of cleanup operations to be placed under the supervision of a military-like command and control operation.

Today, while in Pensacola, Nelson said it was time for Obama to step out front – like President Kennedy did in sending Americans to the moon – to launch a full-blown initiative to free

the U.S. from its dependence on oil. “If ever there was a time, this is it,” Nelson said.

For years, the Senator has opposed drilling for oil off Florida’s coast “for reasons,” he said, “are exemplified by this abominable tragedy.”

Street closures

2010-06-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Please see the following information from the Pensacola Police Department:

The following roads will be closed from 5 to 9 p.m. today within the city limits of Pensacola for the Presidential visit: Garden Street to Alcaniz Street and Interstate 110 entrances and exits south of Cervantes Street.

From 8 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, the following streets will be closed: Pensacola Bay Bridge, Gregory Street from the bridge to I110, I110 entrances and exits south of Cervantes Street, and Garden Street from Alcaniz Street through the city limits.

News appearances about BP oil disaster

2010-06-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

I recently did interviews with CBS 4 in Miami and FOX News about how the BP oil disaster is affecting our beautiful beaches here in Pensacola:

Questioning BP

2010-06-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Below are a few clips from last Thursday's City Council meeting where BP representatives showed up to answer questions. I had a few.

May 24 Deepwater Horizon weather briefing

2010-05-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Please see the following weather briefing concerning the Deepwater Horizon oil spill:

DH_Weather_52410[1]

May 24 oil response update from SERT

2010-05-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Please see the latest update from the State Emergency Response Team:

FLORIDA DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE MAY 24, 2010

TALLAHASSEE – Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.

The following is a summary of state and BP response actions to date, as well as tips for residents and visitors to take precautions both pre and post-landfall.

Landfall Predictions:

Winds/currents continue to keep the plume away from the Florida coast for at least the next 72 hours.
Latest observations by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that a small portion of the oil slick has reached the Loop Current in the form of light sheens. NOAA oceanographers release updated trajectory maps showing the predicted trajectory of the oil slick. Learn more at the NOAA website.
Impacts to Florida’s coastline could include tar balls, oil sheen or tar mats. If oil is sighted on Florida’s coastline report it to the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335) or by dialing #DEP from most cell phones.

On Site Actions:

Deepwater Horizon continues to discharge more than 5,000 barrels per day.
BP continues to evaluate numerous options to contain the oil discharge and is continuing efforts to drill a relief well.
On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) directed BP to identify and use a less toxic dispersant from the list of EPA authorized dispersants.
Dispersants are a chemical used to break up oil into small droplets so that they are more easily degraded. This chemical works best on fresh oil, and is most useful at the source of the discharge from Deepwater Horizon.
At this time, there are no plans to use dispersants in Florida. If dispersants are ever considered in state waters, the determination to use the chemical would be evaluated by DEP with input from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Wildlife Research Institute and EPA.

State Actions:

The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at a Level 2 or Partial activation.
Governor Charlie Crist has issued three Executive Orders since April 30, 2010 declaring a state of emergency in 26 coastal counties that may see impacts from the incident.
On May 14, 2010, Governor Crist announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved disaster loan funds for businesses along Florida’s Gulf coast that have been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident. Learn more at: http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/.
On May 12, 2010, Governor Crist directed DEP to issue an Emergency Final Order to accelerate preparedness and restoration in the counties under the Governor’s state-of-emergency Executive Orders.
BP has opened eight claims offices in Florida. Visit the BP Claims Page to learn more.
DEP conducted water and sediment sampling to use as a baseline and is monitoring air quality data. Statewide air quality monitoring is conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Learn more at http://www.airnow.gov/ or http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/.
Air quality reports for Sunday, May 23, revealed that air quality was considered good for ozone and particulate matter throughout the North Florida coastal area. “Good” means the air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.

Boom Placement:

To date, an estimated 259,950 feet of boom has been placed in Florida and an additional 11,400 is staged.
Placement of boom is based where the oil is threatening, as well as each region’s area contingency plan.
To view the Coast Guard Mobile Area Contingency Plan visit: http://ocean.floridamarine.org/ACP/MOBACP/StartHere.html.
To view the Coast Guard St. Petersburg Area Contingency Plan visit: http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=3482
The Unified Command Operations Group is asking boaters to avoid damaging boom. Boom cut or broken due to boater traffic jeopardizes the protection that has been set up for the environmentally sensitive areas across the coast.
Stolen or misplaced boom should be reported to local authorities.

Health Effects:

At this time, there are no indications of any health risks to Floridians due to the Deepwater Horizon incident. The Department of Health and DEP are closely monitoring health and environmental impacts to Florida’s beaches and will notice an advisory if conditions become unsafe.
For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil, while not recommended, will do no harm. Learn more at: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/files/faq_doh_051010.pdf

Fisheries & Seafood:

The fisheries, wildlife and seafood off of Florida’s coast in state waters are safe and there are no alerts at this time. Press Release Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. Learn more at www.MyFWC.com/Fishing.
On May 21, 2010, NOAA modified and expanded the boundaries of the closed federal fishing area until further notice. More than 80 percent of the fishing area remains open. Learn more at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm
Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call 1-800-440-0858.
FWC urges citizens to report oiled wildlife to the Wildlife Distress Hotline at 1-866-557-1401.
For the safety of the public as well as the safety of animals, rescues should be conducted by trained responders. Learn more at: http://www.myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/statewide/News_10_X_OilSpill2.htm

Tourism:

Currently, there are no impacts to Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline and 825 miles of sandy beaches.
Through www.VISITFLORIDA.com, vacationers are able to view live Twitter feeds and read up-to-the-minute information on the status of any city or region in Florida. Learn more at http://www.visitflorida.com/florida_travel_advisory/.
The Florida State Parks website, http://www.floridastateparks.org, will be updated daily and will list any parks that may be impacted. Visitors with camping or cabin reservations will be notified if their stay will be impacted. Learn more by calling 1-850-245-2157.

Tips for Homeowners:

While the state appreciates the concern expressed by Floridians and the ingenuity of those seeking alternative measures to help protect the state’s shoreline, the following tips are offered to ensure that these measures are helpful and not harmful to Florida’s coasts, wildlife and water resources: Tips for homeowners.

Tips for Businesses and Consumers:

The Attorney General’s fraud hotline is open to receive any reports of fraud or price gouging. The hotline is 1-866-966-7226.
The Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gouging hotline is also operational. The toll-free hotline number is 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).
Florida’s coastal businesses should be prepared to make loss of earnings claims for damages incurred as a result of the oil spill. Affected businesses should file a claim with BP via the hotline number at 1-800-440-0858 or claims office. Learn more at http://www.myfloridacfo.com/ or by calling 1-850-413-3089 or toll-free at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

Volunteer Opportunities:

The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service is encouraging Floridians and visitors to become a Coast Watch volunteer. Learn more at www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.
Report a change in Air Quality to http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/.
For information on scheduled beach cleanups and other volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/.
BP has established a volunteer program and set up a toll-free number for those interested in volunteering. Learn more by calling BP’s community information line at 1-866-448-5816.

Learn More About Florida’s Response:

DEP launched a Twitter account, www.Twitter.com/FLDEPalert, dedicated to providing updates on Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
DEP in coordination with the state Emergency Operations Center established an email sign-up and a comprehensive website at www.deepwaterhorizonflorida.com.
For a list of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm#numbers
The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Additional phone numbers have also been established for persons with disabilities: (800) 955-8771 (TDD) or (800) 955-8770 (voice).

CVB update

2010-05-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Below is the latest from the Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau:

Dear Tourism Stakeholders,

We are working diligently to spread the word to the media and our travelers that we are open for business.

We asked our 2,000+ followers on Twitter and our 2,000+ fans on Facebook to post their beach photos from this week at http://www.Facebook.com/VisitPensacola. Visitor response has been very successful.
We posted a blog, which reaches more than 4,000 readers each month, about Mother's Day weekend at http://visitpensacola.blogspot.com/
We distributed an e-newsletter to our 50,000 visitor subscribers telling them our beaches are open http://www.pensacolachamber.com/Tourism/may2010-beach-open.html
We sent out a statement to our database of travel writers nationwide letting them know our beaches have not been impacted by the oil spill

We have also been sending our tourism partners in Escambia County frequent updates about resources for them, from the special training for fishing charters to messaging for restaurants regarding the safety of seafood.

We have two pages on http://www.VisitPensacola.com for current information targeting our travelers and the industry. We'll continue to keep you informed of our efforts.

Latest factsheet from BP

2010-05-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Below is the latest factsheet from BP on the Deepwater Horizon response:

051110 Deepwater Horizon Response FACT SHEET

Reforms and increased oversight

2010-05-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Below is a press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior detailing planned reforms and tougher oversight of offshore gas operations:

05-10-10 MMS Reform Press Release

Latest oil slick trajectory

2010-05-12T20:31:00.001-07:00

Below is the latest NOAA trajectory/prediction for the oil spill, released today:

NOAA Trajectory for 20100512

Latest BP press release

2010-05-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Below is the latest press release from BP:

BP Press Release
May 10, 2010

UPDATE ON GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL RESPONSE

BP today provided an update on developments in the response to the MC252 oil well incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Subsea Source Control and Containment

Subsea efforts continue to focus on two fronts: first, reducing the flow of oil spilled by physical containment and second, further work on stopping the flow using a “top kill” option.

The containment dome that was deployed last week has been parked away from the spill area on the sea bed. Efforts to place it over the main leak point were suspended at the weekend as a build up of hydrates prevented a successful placement of the dome over the spill area.

A second, smaller containment dome is being readied to lower over the main leak point. The small dome will be connected by drill pipe and riser lines to a drill ship on the surface to collect and treat oil. It is designed to mitigate the formation of large hydrate volumes. This operation has never been done before in 5,000 feet of water.

In addition, further work on the blow out preventer has positioned us to attempt a “top kill” option aimed at stopping the flow of oil from the well. This option will be pursued in parallel with the smaller containment dome over the next two weeks.

All of the techniques being attempted or evaluated to contain the flow of oil on the seabed involve significant uncertainties because they have not been tested in these conditions before.

BP continues to do everything it can, in conjunction with governmental authorities and other industry experts, to find a solution to stem the flow of oil on the seabed.

Work on the first relief well, which began on Sunday May 2, continues. It is expected to take some three months to complete.

Surface Spill Response and Containment

Work continues to collect and disperse oil that has reached the surface of the sea. More than 275 vessels are being used, including skimmers, tugs, barges and recovery vessels.

The volume of dispersant applied to the spill on the surface amounts to over 315,000 gallons since the spill response began.

Intensive operations to skim oil from the surface of the water also continued. Some 90,000 barrels of oily liquid has now been recovered.

The total length of deployed boom is now more than 1 million feet as part of the efforts to stop oil reaching the coast.

The cost to date of the response amounts to about $350 million, including the cost of spill response, containment, relief well drilling, commitments to the Gulf Coast States, settlements and federal costs.

BP Press Office London +44 20 7496 4076
BP Press office, US: +1 281 366 0265
Unified Command Joint Information Center +1 985-902-5231

www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
www.bp.com/gulfofmexico

Oil Spill/Business Owner Information

2010-05-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Please see the following from the Bay County Chamber of Commerce:

In an effort to communicate needed information, we have attached a release from CFO Alex Sink where a statewide helpline has been established for those business owners that may be affected.

In addition, we encourage you to go to this survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LJL23ZJ

The Florida State Emergency Response Team is Florida's official responder for emergency events such as the Deepwater Horizon incident. This team includes business and industry volunteers to help government and business leaders plan for recovery after an event.

This survey is not affiliated with any particular business, and is not a claim for any loss experienced. The information you provide is critical to decisions that will be made to assist businesses that may be affected by this event.

For more information on the Florida State Emergency Response Team, go to www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp

Oil Spill Business Owners

Shorebird/seabird information

2010-05-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Please see this message from the Florida Wildlife Commission about how we can be sure not to impact shorebirds and seabirds while cleaning up beaches:

I am the FWC point of contact for volunteer coordination, and I am aware that many counties and cities are mobilizing to do pre-oil beach clean-ups. I wanted to let you know that FWC has developed a set of shorebird/seabird best management practices (BMPs).

It is shorebird/seabird nesting season, and there is great potential for extensive negative impact on nesting birds if extreme caution is not taken. If you know of groups planning these type of clean-up events, please share with them these BMPs, which can be found on our Web site:
http://www.myfwc.com/OilSpill/OilSpill_Shorebirds_BestPractices.htm.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Jessica Tomasello Ireland
Volunteer Program Manager
Office of Recreation Services
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Phone: (850) 921-1047
Fax: (850) 488-3940

Fishing Closure Modified in Oil-Affected Portions of the Gulf

2010-05-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Please see this message from NOAA about changes to the fishing ban in parts of the Gulf of Mexico:

Dear NOAA Fisheries Stakeholders and Constituents,

NOAA Fisheries Service has modified the boundaries of the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico to better reflect the current extent of oil pollution. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area.

The closure will be in effect for 10 days, from May 7 through May 17, 2010, unless conditions allow NOAA Fisheries to terminate it sooner.

See attached bulletin for details or visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov. Go to the left hand side of the page and click on the Fishery Bulletins Link.

Questions: Contact Cindy Meyer at 727-824-5305 or Cynthia.Meyer@noaa.gov.

FB10-031 Deepwater Horizon Modified Closure

Latest update from State of Florida

2010-05-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Please the the latest Situation Report from the State of Florida:

Situation Report 7 Deepwater Horizon 05 May 2010 1200hrs

Escambia County Local Action Plan accepted

2010-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Escambia's Local Action Plan for responding to the oil spill, which I posted earlier, was accepted yesterday by the unified command.

Weather Briefing May 5

2010-05-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Please see the following weather briefing regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill:

Deepwater Horizon2[1] Weather Brief 5-5

Local Action Plan

2010-05-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Below is the Draft Escambia County Local Action Plan that identifies
proposed locations throughout the area for the placement of oil containment
booms. The Plan is subject to change.

Local Action Plan

Oiled wildlife hotline

2010-05-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Please see the message below from the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge about oiled animals:

Today I have been in contact with incident command in Pensacola, specifically with BP's Wildlife Response coordinator for our area. I (the ECWR) am now their the POC for local response to oiled wildlife. I have also put in a request with BP's training coordinator to conduct volunteer training for the general public in our area, but have not received a response as yet.

There is a bird wash station being set up by Tri-State, the contracted response group, in Pensacola and I have been in contact with them and hope to visit the site soon. We are also actively working to set up our own holding and possibly washing stations locally as well.

I want to re-emphasize that we are ready and able to respond to oiled wildlife, and are on call 24/7. Oiled wildlife will be suffering from shock, hypo or hyperthermia, and stress and is typically stabilized for 24-48 hours before washing begins. Calling us directly at 850-557-1401 will save valuable time in the treatment process.

If you find a suspected oiled animal please call us immediately. We will provide rescue and supportive care until the animal is ready for transport to one of the regional wash and rehab stations. The BP Oiled Wildlife Hotline is not manned and will be checked for messages hourly, thus delaying response time.

Please remember that once the oil is on the beach only individuals with specific training will be allowed onto the beach to conduct rescues, and under no circumstances should you handle a suspected oiled animal. In support of our holding and stabilization areas we are asking for donations of the following items:
- Baby blankets
- Towels
- Heating pads (w/o auto shut off if possible)
- Large Rubbermaid containers with lids
- Heating lamps
- Rubbermaid troughs (can be purchased at Tractor Supply in Crestview or on-line)
- Large backyard portable pools like found at Wal-Mart

I realize that the information about volunteering has been confused and at times inaccurate, for our part we are logging everyone who calls and will forward any solid information as we get it. As our response duties and needs become clearer, we will of course contact you with those needs.

Our biggest need at this time is for people who are willing to answer the phone at the refuge. You will respond to callers' frequently asked questions and add names to the volunteer list. Remember, every effort is important and valuable. Please contact Susan at 850-650-1880 if you are able to come in to answer the phone.

Now more than ever, the ECWR also needs the assistance of our trained volunteers in day-to-day operations. Please check your calendars and give Susan a call if you have some extra time to lend a hand.

Thank you all for your patience and support, I have been in personal contact with a friend that has worked spills all over the world, and she thinks this may be the one of the worst ever...so we will need you.

Patrick Gault
Assistant Director/Biologist
ECWR

Special City Council Meeting tonight

2010-05-04T11:17:00.001-07:00

The Pensacola City Council will have a special meeting tonight at 5:30 PM for a briefing on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The meeting is in the second floor meeting room at City Hall.

Deepwater Horizon update

2010-05-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

State Rep. Matt Gaetz sent out the following update yesterday...

Dear Friends,
I must confess that 3 weeks into my term as State Representative my hope was to be sending you emails about progress made promoting economic freedom and conservative principles. This is an update I never wanted to write.

All evidence suggests that Northwest Florida will see significant ecological and economic impacts from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Below is a summary of the briefing I received from Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole, along with additional information I have received. Please forward this email to all of your local contacts. It is critical that we communicate real-time, accurate information within our community.

In the coming weeks I will be meeting with community groups to coordinate volunteer activity. I will keep you posted via email. If you have any questions whatsoever, please call my office at 833-9328. We will do our best to find answers. For now, here is what we know:

Volunteers are needed

Please visit http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/ and sign up to volunteer if you are able.

Volunteers are mostly needed to traverse beach areas and identify areas of oil sheen or tar mats. Without identification, mitigation efforts will be significantly hindered. Timing is everything.

Immediate On-Shore Conditions

Tar balls and oil sheen on Gulf waters will begin appearing in Northwest Florida as soon as Tuesday.

Winds that have kept the sheen plum at sea will turn North at this time bringing the impact to shore.

Oil "sheen" is different than an oil "slick." A "sheen" is about one millimeter deep which discolors the water and sand. A "slick" is the deep dark crude oil most damaging to wildlife.

Not all impact will be linear (West to East). "Breakouts" in the sheen plume may mean that areas to the East will see an impact as soon as or before areas to the West.

Plans to cap the well

The best option is to effectively close the final five pistons (one has already been closed by BP robots).

Failing that, BP is currently constructing a "dome" that will be placed over the well area. The dome will include piping that will direct the oil out of Gulf waters.

Relief wells are currently being "slant drilled" to cap the well below the surface. This is the ultimate "true" fix, though it may take as long as 8 weeks.

Challenges with "dome" solution

It is expected to take 10 days to 2 weeks

It is a temporary solution that will still require the drilling of relief wells

A dome has never been put into place nearly one mile into the ocean under these conditions.

Mitigation efforts underway

Skimming, dispersants and open-water burns are currently taking place off shore.

Booms are working offshore to corral oil to facilitate ever more burns, though difficult wave action has limited progress.

Environmentally sensitive areas are being identified and protected with "booming."

Burning and costal dispersants are not planning on being done inshore.

The "booming" process

Each County is being asked to identify environmentally sensitive areas in their Area Contingency Plan. The hope is to have all such areas "boomed" within the next 48 hours.

Today, 13,000 feet of boom was put into place.

Booming does not stop oil - it merely diverts it at the surface.

Currents and rough waves significantly reduce the effectiveness of booming.

Booming cannot be done on the Gulf front beaches - only inshore.

Currently the booms out in the ocean are failing.

Openings to bays and estuaries will be given top priority.

Diversion booms have failed at the Pensacola Pass and catchment booms are being installed. The same is likely for the Destin Pass, though there are hopes of leveraging the bridge structures for better results.

Impact to Beaches

Local beaches will be stained by the oil sheen and will see tar balls

Staining can be "solved" with raking and disking

Tar balls mostly need to be cleared by hand. BP is paying for tar ball pickup, though additional volunteer efforts are needed.

If "tar mats" reach shore, they must be identified before they collect sediment and sink or are covered by more sand.

Florida information line activated

2010-05-04T05:38:00.001-07:00

The Florida State Emergency Information Line activated at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, May 3 to provide Floridians a link to informational resources regarding the Deepwater Horizon response.

The Florida Emergency Information Line (FEIL) will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until
further notice. The number for residents to call is: 800-342-3557

The State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee remains activated to a Level 2, or Partial activation, and emergency management officials are continuing to coordinate with local, state and federal partners to ensure Florida’s coastline is protected.

For the most up-to-date information on Florida’s Deepwater Horizon response, as well as health and safety tips, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon.

Curbside glass recycling to start April 12

2010-04-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that the City of Pensacola's curbside recycling containers will begin accepting glass on April 12.

This is another step in the right direction and I appreciate the work of city staff and others in making this happen.

Page5 Neighborhood Services

Moving forward on the Community Maritime Park

2010-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you likely know, I and other city council members recently questioned the most recent appointment to the CMPA and the process used in that appointment, which I felt the circumvented a process previously established by the city council.

While I am disappointed in the outcome of the vote, I hope that moving forward, all involved can come together to work toward a successful Maritime Park project. I plan on taking a more active role, attending more CMPA meetings, and doing all that I can to ensure the project's success while safeguarding the interests of my constituents. To that end, I have reached out to CMPA chair Eddie Todd to discuss the project and extend my offer to help in any way possible.

One aspect of the project I would like to focus on is the Covenant with the Community. The Covenant stresses minority participation in all aspects of the park's planning, design and implementation, and establishes a Contractor Academy to assist all interested parties in learning about the process, explaining the requirements, and boosting the number of minority-owned businesses submitting proposals. I believe that the covenant is an integral part of this project, and moving forward, I want to help ensure that it is properly implemented.

The CMPA's contractor academy committee will meet this Friday, and a public forum on the contractor academy will be held on Saturday. See below for details:

mparkflyer

CMPA appointment issue

2010-03-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

Below is a clip from the March 11 city council meeting where I asked city attorney Rusty Wells about the process for the pending CMPA appointment. The council was in the process of passing a resolution to accept the power to appoint and remove CMPA board members, but as the CMPA was in the process of making an appointment, the Council intended to let the CMPA make the appointment, provided it come back before the Council for approval.

In an effort to make sure I as well as citizens understood the process, I asked City Attorney Rusty Wells to explain.

Mr. Wells explained that the planned arrangement would work assuming the CMPA amended their articles of incorporation and bylaws to implement the resolution. Unfortunately neither I nor City staff anticipated the possibility that the CMPA agenda could be arranged in such a way that the appointment would be made before they amended the bylaws.

Also below the video clip is a copy of the March 12 CMPA meeting agenda.

The Community Maritime Park has been a controversial project in our community. My concern is that the CMPA's recent appointee and the process by which he was appointed further erodes the public confidence in the project and adds another degree of controversy and divisiveness.

Interestingly enough, the four council members who voted in favor of discussing this issue at a special meeting on March 15 all supported the new city charter, while most of those opposing discussion did not. The 2008 city council elections and and the city charter vote made it apparent to me that city residents want change. I've heard again and again that "business as usual" is not acceptable. I want to thank my constituents who have expressed their concerns about the process. I will continue to work to be a strong voice for the people of District 4.

I am sure this issue will come up at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting. I believe that a vote on this appointment will be a vote on who has influence at City Hall — is it the citizens and taxpayers of this community, or is it a select group of well-connected individuals who have long exercised too much clout?

CMPA Board Meeting Agenda 3-12-10

Control of the Maritime Park

2010-03-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Today I received an email from constituent C. C. Elebash about recent changes in the Community Maritime Park plan:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "CELEBASH" celebash@bellsouth.net
To: "Mike Wiggins" , "Megan Pratt" , "Diane Mack" , "P.C. Wu" , "Sam Hall" , "Larry Johnson" , "John Jerralds" , "Jewel Cannada-Wynn" , "Marin DeWeese" , "Ronald Townsend" rtownsend@ci.pensacola.fl.us
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:05:42 -0600Subject: Control of Maritime Park.doc

March 13, 2010

TO: Pensacola City Council

SUBJECT: Control of the Maritime Park

Dear Mr. Mayor and Council Members:

You should promptly take back direct control of the Community Maritime Park. The original proposal has fallen apart. The CMPA management arrangement no longer makes sense. The entire project is in disarray. Too many people and agencies are involved. Responsibility is diffused.

The baseball park is the only major element in the Community Maritime Park now going forward as originally planned. The ballpark has little public support. It has always been the least popular part of the CMP. In view of the poor prospects for State and City revenues, you should revisit your decision to build the stadium.

The Maritime Park is doable on a reduced scale. A smaller City investment could provide a “green field”, an attractive public area, and the amphitheater. You could also provide infrastructure to attract private development.

Above all, Council should be in direct control of the Maritime Park. You are our elected and accountable City leaders. Only you can restore order out of the current organizational morass.

Sincerely yours,

C. C. Elebash

District 4 Beautification Day March 13

2010-03-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Councilwoman Maren DeWeese and I will be hosting a beautification work day on Saturday, March 13 from 7-9 AM at Hyde Park Road and Scenic Highway, where District 4 meets District 3.

Come out to help us beautify our community!

My famous mom is planning on attending and will bring plenty of goodies from J's Bakery.

For more information about the event or past beautification efforts, see http://pensacolabeautification.blogspot.com/ or email me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us.

Coastkeeper event tomorrow night

2010-03-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

Please join us tomorrow night, Thursday, March 4, from 6-9 PM at Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen and Taproom, to support Emerald Coastkeeper and the fight for clean water.

ECK_MarchEvent_021810

Vacancies on city boards

2010-03-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

There are currently vacancies on three city boards: the Zoning Board of Adjustments, the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and the Parks & Recreation Board.

Anyone interested in serving may contact me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us. Applications are due by Friday, March 12.

For more information on the boards' responsibilities and membership requirements see the news release on the city web site: http://www.cityofpensacola.com/live/news.asp?rid=16091

Environmental Advisory Board vacancies

2010-02-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Please see the below information about vacancies on the city's Environmental Advisory Board. Anyone interested in serving may contact me at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us.

The Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) provides policy advice and recommendation on environmental matters to the City Council and staff as follows:

Requests to designate sites as Brownfields
Proposed remediation plans for Superfund Sites
Proposed ordinances and codes of an environmental nature
Other environmental matter referred to the Board by City Council or staff

The EAB shall be comprised of up to eleven (11) members appointed by City Council as follows: one member who is employed with an academic institution in research, writing, and instruction in an environmental field; one member who is an employee of a Federal, State or local environmental agency; one member who is a member of a local environmental organization; one member who is employed in real estate sales or development; one member who is a member of a neighborhood or civic association; one member who is a member of a business organization; one member who is a resident of the City; and up to four (4) additional at-large members may be appointed.

At this time up to eleven (11) positions are required to be appointed by City Council. To the extent practicable, members of the EAB shall be City residents. This term will expire on March 1, 2012.

ANYONE INTERESTED IN SERVING SHOULD CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK FOR AN APPLICATION OF INTEREST AND CONTACT A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2010 (NOMINATION BY A COUNCIL MEMBER IS REQUIRED).

If you have any questions please contact the City Clerk's office at 435-1606.

Recycling slideshow

2010-02-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

Please check out a great photo slideshow from the Pensacola News Journal about the recycling process:

http://www.pnj.com/article/99999999/NEWS01/100122015&referrer=PHOTOFEATURE

Pensacola Promise Committee

2010-02-03T09:20:00.001-08:00

Please see the following news item from the city web site:

The Pensacola City Council recently established the Pensacola's Promise Committee to explore education opportunities for City residents. The Committee shall meet for 90 days and report their proposal to the Committee of the Whole on April 19, 2010. The Committee is comprised of (9) members from the following community organizations:

(1) Member of City Council
(1) Pensacola Junior College Foundation Member
(1) Pensacola Junior College staff member
(1) University of West Florida staff member
(1) University of West Florida intern
(1) Escambia County School District Member
(1) Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Member
(1) Gulf coast African American Chamber of Commerce Member
(1) School Advisory Council/Parent Teacher Association Member

The Pensacola's Promise Committee meetings are scheduled to begin at 4:00 P.M. with the first meeting set for this afternoon. You can view the meeting schedule at http://www.cityofpensacola.com/live/news.asp?rid=15801

Escambia County's Urban Tree and Landscape Workshop

2010-01-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

WHAT: Planning for the Future: Escambia County’s Urban Trees and Landscape Workshop
WHERE: Pensacola Civic Center Room C-1
WHEN: Wednesday, February 10th: from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Escambia Co Urban Tree flyer rev3 -

The Belmont presents “Fulfilling Lincoln’s Dream”

2010-01-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

The Belmont Presents Sparky and Rhonda Rucker's “Fulfilling Lincoln’s Dream” on Saturday, February 13

PENSACOLA, FLA - In honor of Black History Month, the Belmont proudly presents internationally acclaimed artists James "Sparky" and Rhonda Rucker and their show “Fulfilling Lincoln’s Dream.”

The title is from Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Speech. This speech is considered by most scholars to be his best speech.... even surpassing his Gettysburg Address. Lincoln concluded his speech with these words, "With malice toward none: with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

James "Sparky" Rucker is recognized as a leading folklorist, historian, musician, storyteller and author. He has been singing songs and telling stories in the American tradition for over forty years. Sparky accompanies himself on guitar, banjo and spoons. He has released over fourteen recordings. Rhonda adds sweet sounding vocal harmonies, a mean, gutsy blues harmonica, old time banjo and rhythmic bones to their music. The duo will be performing at the Belmont Arts and Cultural Center beginning at 7 pm on Saturday, February 13. Admission is $5 and all proceeds benefit the Belmont Youth Band.

Come join the Belmont in celebrating Black History Month with this unique and moving performance.

For more information, contact 429-1222 or visit www.belmontartscenter.com.

LuTimothy May video

2010-01-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

Please check out the video below from Pastor LuTimothy May about his exciting project in the Brownsville community. I have the deepest respect for LuTimothy May, his brother Lumon, and the entire May family. They are truly leaders in the community and I will do whatever I can to help them succeed.

Arbor Day activities

2010-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "To exist as a nation, to prosper as a state, and to live as people, we must have trees."

I agree! Please see the flyer below about the City's Arbor Day celebration, which will be held beginning at 9:00 AM on Friday, January 15. Trees will be planted at Greenwood Park (next to the Garden Center at 9th/Fairnie/Mallory) and a reception will be held at the Garden Center afterward.

Arbor Day

Food for Thought: Stormwater

2010-01-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

Please see this information on stormwater from Mary Gutierrez, Environmental Planner with the West Florida Regional Planning Council:

WHAT HAPPENS TO RAIN (AND SNOW) WATER?
Before urbanization, water recharge happened when precipitation fell on pervious surfaces (including grassland and woods) and infiltration occurred. When cities developed and the amount of pervious surfaces decreased, leading to less ground water recharge and a huge increase in surface runoff.

Impermeable surfaces tend to become fully saturated very quickly and thereafter all of the precipitation becomes runoff, though some of that runoff may be absorbed by adjacent permeable areas and may not enter any drainage network. Once these impermeable surfaces have been wetted the percentage of runoff does not vary greatly. With the increase in impervious surfaces (roads, rooftops, parking lots and other hard surfaces that do not allow stormwater to soak into the ground), the rate of stormwater runoff increases. This means more water reaches the waterway faster and less water infiltrates into the ground. In streams, more erosion of stream banks and scouring of channels occurs because of runoff. This degrades habitat for plants and animals that depend on clear water. Sediment in the water clogs the gills of fish and blocks light needed for plants. The sediment also settles to fill in channels of streams, lakes, and reservoirs.

Rainwater will carry chemicals, nutrients, sediments and other substances into local streams (either directly or through storm sewers) if the water is not absorbed by soil and vegetation. The increased runoff can also carry along debris such as litter, cigarette butts, motor oil poured down the storm sewer, air pollutants that settle from car exhaust, and fertilizers, and pesticides from lawn care. The reduced amount of infiltrating water can lower ground water levels, which in turn can stress downstream environments which depend on steadier flows of water. New sources of groundwater can also develop in urban areas, although they are not from the most desirable places (septic tanks, percolation basins, industrial waste injection wells, agricultural and residential irrigation).

IMPACTS OF IMPERVIOUSNESS
Once an area is cleared of vegetation, graded and compacted, and an impervious surface or partially pervious surface is constructed or installed, the area generally will not return to a naturally vegetated state. New impervious surfaces change natural drainage patterns and impact the environment by affecting the way that stormwater and, in some cases, tidal water moves over the landscape and through the soil. New impervious surfaces can affect the quantity, velocity, and quality of stormwater resulting in impacts to nearby land and water bodies.

Permeable surfaces react differently. As the storm progresses the upper layers of the soil become wetter and wetter and when the rainfall exceeds the rate at which it can soak into the ground the rainfall is turned into runoff. When the rainfall intensity drops below the soakage rate the runoff ceases even though rainfall may still continue. Therefore the percentage runoff varies throughout the duration of the storm.

PERMEABLE PAVING SURFACES
One method of reducing stormwater runoff is to minimize the amount of impervious surfaces such as concrete sidewalks, roads, and asphalt driveways. These surfaces do not allow runoff to seep into the ground; they are not pervious. Use pervious surfaces instead. A paving surface that allows water to soak in may seem impossible, but there are many materials that provide the durability of concrete while allowing rainwater to filter down into the ground. If you are planning a new patio, walkway or driveway, there are several attractive alternatives to concrete such as wood decking, bricks, interlocking pavers, or flat stones. If used properly these can create a permeable paving surface that is not as harmful to the environment.

STORMWATER BASICS
Stormwater flows into the stormwater system through storm drains, which are frequently located along the curbs of parking lots and roadways. The grate and holding tank that prevents larger objects from flowing into the storm sewer system are called a catch basin. Once below ground, the stormwater flows through pipes that lead to an outfall where the stormwater enters a stream, river or lake.

In some areas, the outfall may lead to a stormwater management basin. These basins control the flow of stormwater and can also improve water quality, depending on how they are designed.

In some urban areas, the stormwater and sanitary sewer systems may be combined (not here). In this situation, both stormwater and sewage from households and businesses travel together in the same pipes. Both stormwater and sewage are treated at sewage treatment plants except during heavy rains. During these occasions, both the stormwater and untreated sewage exceed the capacity of the treatment plant and this overflow is directed into local waterways untreated.

Message from Emerald Coastkeeper

2010-01-08T09:07:00.001-08:00

Please see the following message from Emerald Coastkeeper regarding the recent report on ECUA water quality:

Dear Friends of Emerald Coastkeeper:

A recent study conducted by the Environmental Working Group revealed the Emerald Coast Utility Authority distributes to the citizens of Escambia County the worst drinking water in the nation. In response to this study and in an effort to shed light on this serious issue, Emerald Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher Hobbs issued an opinion article which can be found on the Emerald Coastkeeper website, (www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org). Additionally, Coastkeeper Hobbs has authored a viewpoint on this issue which was published by the Pensacola News Journal and the Indpendent News and can be found on their websites: www.pnj.com, and www.inweekly.net.

The Emerald Coastkeeper is committed to standing up for the citizens of Escambia County and to pursue the truth about our drinking water. The Coastkeeper will address this issue and other water quality issues at the Coastkeeper membership meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. to be held at Dharma Blue Restaurant at 300 South Alcaniz Street, Pensacola, FL 32502. The meeting is free and open to the public. We encourage you to bring friends, family members and interested neighbors.

If safe drinking water is an important issue for you, we encourage you to attend the City of Pensacola Citizens Advisory Board's Meeting on Monday, January 11, 2010, at 3:15 p.m. to be held on the second floor of the Pensacola City Hall, located at 222 West Main Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502. ECUA will be presenting a response to the EWG report at the meeting. Emerald Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher Hobbs will address the Citizens Advisory Board and seek their support to encourage the Escambia County Utility Authority to improve the drinking water in Escambia County. Do not miss this opportunity to learn more from the Emerald Coastkeeper on how the City Council can encourage the ECUA to improve water quality. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The Emerald Coastkeeper is also planning a Drinking Water Forum on February 10th from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Hagler Auditorium at PJC (building 2A, room 252, adjacent to the Registration Center). Representatives from the United States E.P.A., Florida Department of Environmental Protection Agency, Emerald Coast Utility Authority, Florida Department of Health, Escambia County Commissioners and other elected officials have expressed interest in attending this forum and sitting on the panel. We are also waiting for a commitment from the Environmental Working Group. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the drinking water issues and will provide a time for questions to be answered by those who are responsible for the well being of the citizens of Escambia County.

The Emerald Coastkeeper has compiled the email addresses for those individuals who are responsible for safe drinking water. Go to our "Issues" page at www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org and take a moment to email your concerns.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth McWilliams
Director of Development
www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org
info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org
o: 850.429.8422

Bayou Blvd resurfacing to start as soon as weather improves

2010-01-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

The contractor responsible for resurfacing Bayou Boulevard has advised me that they have been delayed due to cold weather but will begin work as soon as it warms up a bit:

The project was scheduled to start this past Monday however due to the weather we have not been able to start. The FDOT specifications will not allow us to start paving until the temperature is 45 degrees and rising and if the temperature starts to fall below 45 we have to stop. The specifications also will not permit the contractor to place asphalt if it is raining or on wet pavement. Due to the current weather pattern I can not give you a definite start date at this time. We will start the paving at the first opportunity that we have a window of weather that meets with the specifications for a period of eight hours or more. I can assure you that we want to start and finish this project as soon as possible and will do so at the first opportunity.

Tree planting volunteer opportunity

2010-01-06T05:08:00.000-08:00

Those looking for volunteer opportunities can help plant trees in the Eglin Air Force Base area over the coming weeks. See the following email from Erica Laine of Eglin AFB Natural Resources:

All,

Volunteers are needed to help plant trees!!! Every year community volunteers join with Jackson Guard to plant trees within our watersheds. The trees stabilize the soil and reduce the erosion that enters our streams and smothers fragile habitat. The trees also help restore degraded areas to natural, forested conditions.

What you can expect to do on a tree planting day:

Plant 10+ trees each that come in 1 or 3 gallon buckets
Spread pine bark mulch around the planted tree
Walk over rough and uneven terrain
Kneel and bend repetitively
Lift/carry up to 25 pounds

What you will need to bring with you for the day:

Dress in layers (depending on the weather)
Long pants and close-toed shoes are required!!!
Hat and sunglasses
Chapstick – you’ll thank me for this reminder!
Bug Spray (for the occasional gnat, mosquito or chigger)
Lunch
Water container (we will provide ice water)
Work gloves – if you have them, if not, you can borrow ours

Time: 0800 – 1400 for each planting

Dates:
Friday – 15 January – Florida Arbor Day
Monday – 18 January – MLK Holiday
Friday – 12 February
Wednesday – 24 February

Where: Meet at Jackson Guard (directions will be provided upon request)

We need anywhere between 15 – 25 volunteers per tree planting. These plantings make excellent team building projects. You can volunteer for all or just one planting – your choice!

If you are interested in volunteering for this project, please email me at erica.laine.ctr@eglin.af.mil to sign up.

Roger Scott grand opening postponed

2010-01-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

The grand opening of the new clay courts at the Roger Scott Tennis Center, originally scheduled for this Friday, has been postponed due to unseasonably cold weather.

See the following email from David Flaherty, Parks & Recreation Director:

We had scheduled to have a ribbon cutting ceremony this Friday for the new Clay Courts at the Roger Scott Tennis Center.

However, due to the unseasonably Cold Weather expected throughout the week, and with the daytime high for Friday predicted to be 32 degrees (which means it will be colder by 4 pm that day) the Grand Opening of the new courts is being postponed until Friday, January 22nd.

The event will still start at 4 pm.

More on ECUA water quality

2009-12-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

A constituent recently emailed myself and other City Council members concerning recent reports about ECUA water quality (see the email below). In response, City Manager Al Coby advised me that ECUA Director Steve Sorrell will appear before the City Council at our January 11 committee meetings to make a presentation.

I will, of course, continue to do everything possible to ensure the best water quality possible and encourage ECUA to resolve any issues that may exist.

The constituent's email:

I have lived in Pensacola for over 46 years and at one time, we did have the purest water in the state. As a pharmacist, we told our mother's to use the tap water in their baby's antibiotics when mixing, because the water was so good.

What an embarrassment for all of us who take pride in our city to see the way things have degraded, air, pollution, sick bays, PCU's and now chemicals that you have allowed in our wells, just because the EPA hasn't taken the time or initiative to set guidelines and limits for all these chemicals yet. So, since you are not legally bound by law to follow set guidelines, you are giving your neighbors, friends, and citizens dozens upon dozens of chemicals through our water that humans are not supposed to take into their bodies. You are supposed to protect us and our health!

I demand that you publish for all to read, the list of chemicals and pollutants, and their strengths for each well, so that each person can decide for themselves if they want to place these unregulated chemicals into their bodies. Pensacola has a high number of scientific, medical, and educated people that will take the time to investigate something so important as the purity of life giving water. We have a legal and moral right to know what goes into our bodies.

And to our elected officials; why are you not protecting your constituency from one of the most basic rights a citizen has; to trust in the water one drinks not to cause harm.

Roger Scott clay courts to open

2009-12-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that the Roger Scott Tennis Center will debut its new clay courts on January 8.

Large tree on Creighton Road

2009-12-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

Recently, a resident contacted me about a large tree on Creighton Road that was apparently removed by the Florida Department of Transportation in the course of improvements to that road. I contacted Mr. Jim DeVries at FDOT about the issue. He responded:

Larry, I have talked with Kelli Baxley, our project manager and she is getting a
written response from the design engineer. If you have it put on a TPO agenda I will try to have our district design engineer there to explain the design and SAFETY considerations that must be considered when we are working on the state system. If you have any questions please give me a call. I will provide you the designers explanation as soon as I receive it.

I look forward to the response and have requested that this item be placed on the agenda for the next TPO meeting.

Latest from Emerald Coastkeeper

2009-12-23T07:42:00.000-08:00

Please see the latest from Emerald Coastkeeper:

As many of you have read in both the Pensacola News Journal as well as the New York Times, Pensacola's drinking water is ranked the lowest in the country. Emerald Coastkeeper is appalled by this report, but wants you to know there are many ways to read these types of reports. Our Emerald Coastkeeper, Chasidy Hobbs, has written a viewpoint that we have included at the bottom of this email for those of you who are interested in Emerald Coastkeeper's position.

It is incredibly important that Pensacola's citizens and those of us served by E.C.U.A. take the time to make our concerns and thoughts known. One way to do this is to take a few minutes of your time and write an email or write a letter to your City Council, E.C.U.A., Escambia County Commissioners and other elected officials expressing your concerns. We have all the email addresses listed at the bottom of this email for those of you who would like to take a more active role in this issue.

Emerald Coastkeeper is hosting a Member Meeting on Wednesday, January 13th at Dharma Blue at 5:30. Though we had planned to focus on the issue of offshore drilling at this meeting, we are prepared to discuss any issues or concerns you may have about our water quality in Northwest Florida. Chasidy is excited to meet our members, and to learn what ways we can best serve you! Dharma Blue is located at 300 S. Alcaniz St. in downtown Pensacola.

If you have any last minute stocking stuffer needs, please consider giving the gift of water advocacy to your friends and family this year. Emerald Coastkeeper memberships start as low as $25. Please email us at info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org to ask us about this special offer. We can send out our brochure and a welcome note to anyone you choose, and you can send the check in at your convenience.

Emerald Coastkeeper's 2010 Gala is coming up on Saturday, February 20th, from 6:30-9. We will have auctions, music, food, a cash bar- the works! Tickets will be $30 per person, $50 per couple. By purchasing a ticket, you are supporting Emerald Coastkeeper's fight for cleaner water. Last year we had over 300 attendees, it is always a great party for a wonderful cause! The Gala will be at the Sanders Beach Community Center in Pensacola located at 913 South I. Street in Pensacola. If you are interested in volunteering your time, please email us at info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org.

Another fabulous upcoming event is Hands Across the Sand. This event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends, family and neighbors. Come show you do not support offshore drilling. We will all join on Pensacola Beach at the pier and hold hands across the sand showing we want to keep our beaches oil-free! Hands Across the Sand is on Saturday, February 13th, 2010. We will be at the pier starting at 11:00 a.m. and will leave at 1:00 p.m. The official time to hold hands is 12:30 CST.

EMERALD COASTKEEPER CHASIDY HOBBS' VIEWPOINT ON TAP WATER:

I drink filtered tap water; I am not fooled by the myth that bottled water is safer (in fact it is far less regulated than tap water!) I was, therefore, disturbed to read a report which ranked our drinking water at the very bottom of a national list for drinking water quality.
The Environmental Working Group recently analyzed nearly 20 million water quality records obtained from 45 states and the District of Columbia over a three year period. They found 316 pollutants in tap water throughout the United States; over half of these pollutants are not regulated by the EPA. What this means is that these unregulated chemicals can legally be present at any amounts in our drinking water.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit, non-partisan team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers whose sole mission is to shed light on environmental and human health issues. EWG rated "big city (population over 250,000)" water utilities based on three factors: 1. the total number of chemicals found between 2004 and 2008; 2. the percentage of chemicals found of those tested; and 3. the highest average level for an individual pollutant.

Our water ranked 100th on the list of 100 largest utilities rated; that is dead last. EWG found 45 chemicals in ECUA provided drinking water (the national average was 8!); only 13 of those 45 pollutants are naturally occurring; the others are from industry, agriculture, urbanism, etc.
This information has confused many ECUA customers. Didn't they just win an award for their water quality? Actually, yes, they did. ECUA won "Best Tasting Water", three times actually. And, ECUA did not have a single drinking water quality standard violation during the period of the EWG study.

In fact, ECUA has done an excellent job as stewards of our water resources including being a big proponent of moving the Main Street wastewater treatment plant away from Pensacola Bay. They have diligently provided what EPA deems to be safe and healthy drinking water to their customers.

So, why the contradiction between ECUA reports and the EWG report? Frankly, there isn't one. ECUA's response to the EWG report is like saying the sky is blue because birds fly. Both are true.

The purpose of EWG's study was not to panic communities into thinking their drinking water was poisoned. The point was to shed light on the following facts: 1. there are hundreds of chemicals being discharged into the environmental which did not exist when EPA created drinking water standards; 2. there are dozens of chemicals in our drinking water which we have no idea what the safe limits are; 3. these chemicals are in our water legally and utilities are under no obligation to report them to us; and, most importantly 4. EPA must do a better job at protecting and regulating our drinking water, period.

If there are no health limits for particular chemicals found in drinking water then there are no legal standards for them either. This means that utilities can legally call the water they deliver safe and healthy regardless of how much of each unregulated chemical is delivered along with that water. The state of Florida and ECUA are under no legal obligation to remove these chemicals from our water or even to tell us they present. They also are under no obligation to wait for the EPA to begin removing these chemicals from our water; of course then you would have resist complaining about paying more for the only thing you cannot live without for more than a week. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Larry Caton memorial dedication

2009-12-18T07:55:00.000-08:00

Join friends and family members as a Memorial Plaque will be dedicated to the memory of Larry Caton on Monday, December 28th at Bayview Park Tennis Courts, starting at 3:30pm.

For many long-time Pensacola area tennis players, Larry Caton was synonymous with the Bayview Park Tennis Courts. His presence as both teacher and player was an almost daily occurrence for 50 years. Although an accomplished Nation Level Junior, Collegian and Adult Competitor, Larry was willing to share a tennis court at Bayview with virtually anyone at any level of play. His sense of humor and spirit of camaraderie made him a joy to be around – most of the time! For Bayview Tennis regulars, Larry will be forever missed. Larry passed away on February 25th, 2009. For more information, contact the Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department at 436-5670 or visit www.playpensacola.com.

Bayview Park Flea Market

2009-12-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to say that beginning in March, Bayview Park will host a weekly Saturday flea market. The weekly market will run through September. Thanks to our Parks & Recreation Department for this exciting program.

Vendors needed! For $10 a day or $65 for the entire season (1st Saturday of
the month March-September) tables will be available for vendors to set up and
display merchandise to sale to the public in Bayview Park. If you are interested
in becoming a vendor please call Addie Quina at 436-5190 or e-mail at aquina@ci.pensacola.fl.us

ECUA water quality

2009-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

By now, many of you have probably heard about a report claiming Pensacola's tap water (from ECUA) ranked last in water quality out of 100 water systems across the country.

You can read more about the report at Yahoo Green. Local media has also started reporting on the issue.

I have asked City Manager Al Coby to see how the City of Pensacola can help improve this situation. Also, the City Council plans to ask ECUA to send a representative to an upcoming council meeting to address the report. The Emerald Coastkeepers are also aware of this issue.

Bayou Boulevard work postponed

2009-12-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Resurfacing work on Bayou Boulevard was set to begin next week. Unfortunately, the contractor and FDOT have decided, for several reasons, to push the project back until after the New Year. I am disappointed in the delay but hopeful that this long-needed work on an important roadway will be completed soon.

Please see the below email from the contractor:

Mr. Johnson,

The schedule for the milling and resurfacing on Bayou Blvd. has been changed. Due to the current weather conditions and patterns along with the close proximity to Cordova Mall the start date will be pushed out until this first week after New Years. After meeting with FDOT we decided this would be better time frame than what we had looked at before due to the additional traffic prior to Christmas in this area. This should cause the least inconvenience to the traveling public. I will keep you informed and provide you an updated schedule after the first of the year.

Regards,
Butch

Bayview Park lights

2009-12-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was made aware of an issue with non-working lights at Bayview Park, and asked the Parks and Recreation Department to look into it. Mr. Charles Morgan of Parks and Recreation reported to Mr. David Flaherty, the Director of Parks and Recreation the below email. I have also asked Mr. Al Coby, City Manager, to put the repairs into the next fiscal year budget.

David,

We have looked into this problem earlier and have determined the problem to be shorts or breaks in the underground electrical wiring to these lights. To repair or replace the wiring will require the excavation of the parking lot and the estimated cost will be $20,000. as funding was not available in the present budget to address this problem it is our intent to ask for the funding in the upcoming 2011 budget.

Thanks, Charlie

In the future, if anyone sees any problems in District 4, please let me know at ljohnson@ci.pensacola.fl.us so that I can make sure they are addressed.

Roger Scott pool progress

2009-12-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest update from Parks & Recreation director David Flaherty on the upgrades to the pool at Roger Scott Athletic Complex:

The Roger Scott Pool PFP project is going out to bid next week. Allowing time for selection and approval of a contractor by Council, the project should be under construction by late January, early Feb. Completion of the project is planned for end of April, early May. The pool will re-open on Memorial Day 2010.

While the three month construction time may seem to be a short time frame, the major construction components of the project are to raise the diving tank from 12 feet to 3.5 feet, remove the existing concrete decking and to replace with new concrete decking.

All other components of the project are not that difficult (construction wise) and should easily be installed within the planned time frame.

For example, the water slide is a pre-constructed item of equipment, shipped to the site and then put together very much like a playground structure. The building of the waterside when placed on site would be no more than a week or so.

The other components of the project are not difficult in nature to install. They include deck shade covers, piping for the water spray features and the installation of a sand filter tank which will be purchased and installed near the renovated dive tank.

MSW Source Reduction, Recycling, and Composting

2009-12-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

Please take a minute to read the following from Mary Gutierrez with the West Florida Regional Planning Council. Her message contains some valuable tips on how we can all reduce our environmental impact.

Source reduction: Altering the design, manufacture, or use of products and materials to reduce the amount and toxicity of what gets thrown away. Between 1960 and 2008 the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.5 pounds per day. The most effective way to stop this trend is by preventing waste in the first place.

Waste prevention, also know as "source reduction," is the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, or using materials (such as products and packaging) in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created. Reusing items is another way to stop waste at the source because it delays or avoids that item's entry in the waste collection and disposal system.

Source reduction, including reuse, can help reduce waste disposal and handling costs, because it avoids the costs of recycling, municipal composting, landfilling, and combustion. Source reduction also conserves resources and reduces pollution, including greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. More specifically, Source Reduction refers to any change in the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (including packaging) to reduce their amount or toxicity before they become municipal solid waste. Source reduction also refers to the reuse of products or materials.

Source Reduction and Reuse Facts
More than 55 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) were source reduced in the United States in 2000, the latest year for which these figures are available. Containers and packaging represented approximately 28 percent of the materials source reduced in 2000, in addition to nondurable goods (e.g., newspapers, clothing) at 17 percent, durable goods (e.g., appliances, furniture, tires) at 10 percent, and other MSW (e.g., yard trimmings, food scraps) at 45 percent.

There are more than 6,000 reuse centers around the country, ranging from specialized programs for building materials or unneeded materials in schools to local programs such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, according to the Reuse Development Organization. Between two and five percent of the waste stream is potentially reusable according to local studies in Berkeley, California, and Leverett, Massachusetts.

Since 1977, the weight of 2-liter plastic soft drink bottles has been reduced from 68 grams each to 51 grams. That means that 250 million pounds of plastic per year has been kept out of the waste stream.

Benefits of Reduction
Saves natural resources. Waste is not just created when consumers throw items away. Throughout the life cycle of a product from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use waste is generated. Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically. Ultimately, less materials will need to be recycled or sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities.
Reduces toxicity of waste. Selecting nonhazardous or less hazardous items is another important component of source reduction. Using less hazardous alternatives for certain items (e.g., cleaning products and pesticides), sharing products that contain hazardous chemicals instead of throwing out leftovers, reading label directions carefully, and using the smallest amount necessary are ways to reduce waste toxicity.

Reduces costs. The benefits of preventing waste go beyond reducing reliance on other forms of waste disposal. Preventing waste also can mean economic savings for communities, businesses, schools, and individual consumers.

Communities. More than 7,000 communities have instituted "pay-as-you-throw" programs where citizens pay for each can or bag of trash they set out for disposal rather than through the tax base or a flat fee. When these households reduce waste at the source, they dispose of less trash and pay lower trash bills.

Businesses. Industry also has an economic incentive to practice source reduction. When businesses manufacture their products with less packaging, they are buying less raw material. A decrease in manufacturing costs can mean a larger profit margin, with savings that can be passed on to the consumer.

Consumers. Consumers also can share in the economic benefits of source reduction. Buying products in bulk, with less packaging, or that are reusable (not single-use) frequently means a cost savings. What is good for the environment can be good for the pocketbook as well.

Recycling: Sorting, collecting, and processing materials to manufacture and sell them as new products. Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility is just the first in a series of steps that generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns. Some of these benefits accrue locally as well as globally.

Benefits of Recycling

Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials. Recycling saves energy.
Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.

Steps to Recycling a Product
Recycling includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials such as fibers, manufacturing raw materials into new products, and purchasing recycled products. Collecting and processing secondary materials, manufacturing recycled-content products, and then buying recycled products creates a circle or loop that ensures the overall success and value of recycling.

Step 1. Collection and Processing Collecting recyclables varies from community to community, but there are four primary methods: curbside, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit/refund programs.

Regardless of the method used to collect the recyclables, the next leg of their journey is usually the same. Recyclables are sent to a materials recovery facility to be sorted and prepared into marketable commodities for manufacturing. Recyclables are bought and sold just like any other commodity, and prices for the materials change and fluctuate with the market.

Step 2. Manufacturing Once cleaned and separated, the recyclables are ready to undergo the second part of the recycling loop. More and more of today's products are being manufactured with total or partial recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include newspapers and paper towels; aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers; steel cans; and plastic laundry detergent bottles. Recycled materials also are used in innovative applications such as recovered glass in roadway asphalt (glassphalt) or recovered plastic in carpeting, park benches, and pedestrian bridges.

Step 3. Purchasing Recycled ProductsPurchasing recycled products completes the recycling loop. By "buying recycled," governments, as well as businesses and individual consumers, each play an important role in making the recycling process a success. As consumers demand more environmentally sound products, manufacturers will continue to meet that demand by producing high-quality recycled products. Learn more about recycling terminology and to find tips on identifying recycled products.

Composting: Decomposing organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, with microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) to produce compost. Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants.

Black Lab found in East Hill

2009-12-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

The East Hill Neighborhood Association forwarded me the following email:

Good morning!
I found a male black lab jogging down 12th around 5 am this morning. I picked him up at 12th & Mallory, right by Sacred Heart Church. If anyone knows who's dog this may be, please have them call me at 850-637-8161 so he can go home.

Thanks,
Renee

Bayou Texar dredging

2009-12-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

I received the following update from Al Garza, the City's Public Works director, on the Bayou Texar dredging project:

Councilman Johnson,

The Bayou Texar Channel Dredging Project is approximately 80% complete and it is anticipated that the work should be complete before the Christmas holidays with the exemption of channel marker pile. To date approximately 30,000 cubic yards of material of sand has been removed from subject channel area; thereby reestablishing the channel depth of 10 feet and an operational with of 60 feet at MLW. The addition of 15 channel marker piling between the CSX trestle and the Cervantes Street Bridge will greatly aid boaters with navigating the channel along with providing additional information with regard to subject area being a NO WAKE ZONE.

This very exciting project will open up the channel and should maximize the daily tidal exchange of water within Bayou Texar, improving overall water quality.

Running for reelection

2009-11-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already heard, I filed today to run for reelection as your District 4 representative on the Pensacola City Council. I'll kick off my campaign after the New Year, but I wanted to make my intentions known to my constituents.

It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Pensacola on the City Council for the past year, and I feel like we've accomplished a lot. We've implemented citywide recycling, expanded the Roger Scott tennis complex, and have worked to make our neighborhoods more family-friendly. But there's a lot more that we need to do. I want to keep working to develop our waterfront, create incentives for businesses to locate or expand here, and encourage sustainable growth and green building practices where possible.

I look forward to the campaign, and as always, feel free to contact me with your feedback and concerns.