Okaloosa County BOCC — July 19, 2016 — Award Presentation - Okaloosa County Recycling Office — agenda request

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: July 19, 2016 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Jason Autrey SUBJECT: Award Presentation - Okaloosa County Recycling Office DEPARTMENT: Public Works BCC DISTRICT: ALL The Okaloosa County Recycling Office was selected as the “HHW Program of the Year” by the Florida Chapter of the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association (NAHMMA) at its May 2016 Workshop In Jacksonville. The North America Hazardous Materials Management Association (NAHMMA) is a professional organization established in November of 1993, dedicated to pollution prevention and reducing the hazardous constituents entering municipal waste streams from households, small businesses and other entities that may be exempt from local, regional or national regulations. In 1991 Okaloosa County received $100,000 from the Hazardous Waste Collection Center Grant managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Since that time the County has grown its program by participating in as many as ten Cooperative Collection Center Arrangement Grants supporting ten neighboring Counties throughout the Florida Panhandle. Under this arrangement amnesty day type events have been offered annually to a population base of about 500,000 residents. In order to better manage hazardous waste generated in the county while reducing exposure to the environment, students, farmers, and emergency responders the County has also participated in the following services:  Inventorying selected High Schools’ and Middle Schools’ chemistry labs to catalog, identify, and dispose of chemicals that were outdated under the School Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) sponsored by FDEP.  Participated in Operation Cleansweep sponsored by FDEP and The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (DACS) to collect and properly dispose of Cancelled, Suspended, and Unused Pesticides (CSUPs).  Through Innovative Technology Grants from FDEP, experimented with and promoted research for methods of disposing of latex paint in concrete and in a patented roofing system. Aside from providing free drop-off of Household Hazardous Waste to residential customers, the Recycling Office obtained approval from FDEP to accept Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG) Waste from small businesses for a fee utilizing its existing contract with its licensed hauler. In FY 14 the Board of County Commissioners approved hiring two full time Hazardous Material Technicians in FY 15. The new employees have implemented cost saving measures while improving operational efficiencies. Our permanent facility in Fort Walton Beach is now open every Tuesday through Saturday, 7 am to 3 pm, while the satellite drop-off facility in Crestview is open behind the County Public Works Building, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 4:30 pm. In receiving this award we would like to recognize the two individuals who deserve the credit for Okaloosa County being selected as Household Hazardous Waste Program of the Year:  Jay Shartz, Hazardous Material Technician II  Chauncey King, Hazardous Materials Technician I RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: John Hofstad, County Administrator