Grease is the word to fans humming along with the movie musical.
But grease is also the word among Pasco residents who are recycling leftover cooking oil after preparing meals. Several neighborhoods are joining the county crusade to keep the cooking byproducts out of clogged sewers and putting it into the fuel tanks of biodiesel vehicles. "We took it a step further," Farouk El-Shamy, Pasco County environmental manager, said about the project, which originated in 2008. County officials started the pilot project to prevent sewers from becoming plugged with oil poured down kitchen sink drains.
Last year, the program recycled about 1,575 gallons of cooking oil, El-Shamy reports. Heritage Pines paved the way in 2008, becoming the first West Pasco subdivision to agree to set out a grease collection tank near trash bins for the convenience of environmentally minded residents. Now five subdivisions are enlisted in the recycling effort. The Gulf Harbors Civic Association, TAT Clubhouse in Holiday, the Port Richey-area community Westport and Lake Bernadette, in Zephyrhills, have come on board with Heritage Pines.
A little friendly competition also greased the wheels of the program for the first time this year.
The award went to Heritage Pines residents, who accepted the plaque from Commissioner Jack Mariano during a recent presentation.
The county sends the discarded oil to a processor based in Clearwater. The processor converts the spent oil into fuel.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT...
Some of the member's recently received their May Community News, newsletter. There was some changes to the label on the envelope that might have looked quite different. The due date for the membership dues is always listed at the bottom of the label to keep everyone up to date (as a reminder). The due dates have all changed and the President, Dominick Scannavino, explained this in the newsletter...
At the last CONA Member's Meeting held in April it was announced by the board of directors that they unanimously approved all CONA dues will be due in September 2010. The cut off date was April of 2010, so if you paid your dues in April your new anniversary would be September 2011 All dues invoices will be mailed to you in August and will be due September 1.
There were a few members that received a label stating "delinquant account". This means that the member's account is past due. Once the account is brought current then the member will receive a new due date like the rest of the members.
Membership
TO DO List...
FILL OUT THE 2009 SURVEY AND SUBMIT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
IF THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN YOUR BOARD PRESIDENT PLEASE CONTACT US
GET INVOLVED!...
WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, CONA, THE COUNTY, OR AT LEAST KEEP BRAINSTORMING WITH YOUR FELLOW NIEGHBORS AND BRING YOUR IDEAS TO A MEETING
Please note: To update our records, we have no way of knowing accurately unless you contact us!
Special Events & Programs :
Is Plastic Really Biodegradable?
Better to Recycle.
There are many manufacturers that are claiming they are producing biodegradable plastic. A claim that a plastic bag is biodegradable because it breaks down under laboratory conditions should raise a red flag because most consumers would throw that bag into a landfill where it would lie for decades. So what can we do to insure this doesn’t happen? You can take plastic bags back to the grocery store and recycle them there.
A further solution is to recycle as much plastic as you can. There is a strong, growing market for post-consumer plastic (that’s after we use it). Trends are beginning to show some decrease in the demand for virgin plastic resins.* Do we dare hope that this means manufacturers are using more sustainable methods of production?
In Pasco County we recycle # 1 and # 2 grade plastic because there is a good market for that commodity regionally. Much of the plastic in your bathroom, kitchen and laundry room is # 1 or # 2 plastic. As for those yogurt cups and margarine tubs (# 3 - # 7), we currently don’t take those plastics in our Pasco recycling program. Those can go in your regular trash where they will be incinerated to produce electricity that’s sent to over 10,000 homes in our County.
Please use blue bags for your recyclables. We recycle aluminum, metal food cans, plastic coded #1 and #2 and clear, green and brown glass bottles and jars. Rinse and remove caps and lids. Put everything in the same blue bag. Call your hauler for your blue bag pickup schedule.
More questions? Visitwww.pascocountyfl.net. Or call Pasco County Recycling at (727) 847-8041.* Waste & Recycling News, “Slumping Resin Sales Boost Recycling Rates,” Nov. 9, 2009.
Special Guest:
To be announced...
Where:
5919 Main Street, NPR, FL 34652, New Port Richey City Hall
When: 09/15/10
Time: 9:30 AM
RIGHT AROUND THE CONA !
CONA would like to thank all of the candiates that took part in our May Meeting. They showed true compassion for their community. For more information on who is running go to PascoVotes.com for a list of representatives .
Remember the May Meeting is the last meeting for the
Summer. CONA will meet again in September.
November 18th Member's Meeting, Penny for Pasco!
FEATURED
PRESENTATION...
Holiday
Appreciation
Breakfast!
PASCO COUNTY...
Council Of Neighborhood Associations
PASCO COUNTY RECYCLING...
Tips, Drop-offs and Events
SANCTUARY NEEDS DONATIONS for a possible impact on Florida's beaches from the Gulf Oil Spill: The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and Avian Hospital's trained staff is on stand-by to assist with the Gulf Oil Spill Crisis, with over 700 volunteers on call if needed. We are asking for more volunteers to be on emergency call.
The sanctuary is the largest wild bird hospital in the U.S. based on the admission of over 8,000 injured birds each year. It is set up to immediately triage, stabilize and administer fluids to, malnourished, or injured birds. The Sanctuary has received thousand's of emails and calls from around the world from concerned groups and individuals.
The Sanctuary staff and volunteers were a significant workforce in the disastrous Tampa Bay 1993 oil spill and has experienced avian care staff on standby to assist Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. To report oiled wildlife affected by the Gulf oil spill please call the Wildlife reporting hotline at 1-866-557-1401.
The nonprofit Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, Inc. is the largest wild bird hospital and bird sanctuary in the United States, based on the admission of up to 8,000 birds per year. For over 38 years, the Sanctuary has helped injured wild birds. The Sanctuary's mission is dedicated to the rescue, repair & rehabilitation of injured birds and then their release back into nature.
FLORIDA DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE JUNE 21, 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 Reports and Predictions:
•
Dime to five inch-sized tar balls and tar patties continue to be found in northwest Florida.
Dime to five inch-sized tar balls and tar patties continue to be found in northwest Florida. •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.
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. •Perdido Pass, Pensacola Pass and Destin Pass will be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil from entering inland waters. Boom will be deployed across each Pass at flood tide (water coming in) and removed at ebb tide (water going out).
Perdido Pass, Pensacola Pass and Destin Pass will be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil from entering inland waters. Boom will be deployed across each Pass at flood tide (water coming in) and removed at ebb tide (water going out).•Boaters in areas where skimming is being conducted, or where boom has been set, have been requested to maintain no-wake speeds.
Boaters in areas where skimming is being conducted, or where boom has been set, have been requested to maintain no-wake speeds.•These waterways will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.
These waterways will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.•According to NOAA projections, additional impacts are expected throughout northwest Florida within the next 72 hours due to onshore winds.
According to NOAA projections, additional impacts are expected throughout northwest Florida within the next 72 hours due to onshore winds.•The majority of impacts to Florida’s shoreline will likely be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse – a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color.
The majority of impacts to Florida’s shoreline will likely be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse – a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color.•Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current. The Loop Current Ring, a circular current, has reattached to the main Loop Current after previously detaching itself.
Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current. The Loop Current Ring, a circular current, has reattached to the main Loop Current after previously detaching itself. •There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.
There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.On Site Actions:
•Current projections estimate Deepwater Horizon’s discharge at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Learn more.
Current projections estimate Deepwater Horizon’s discharge at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Learn more.•BP has placed a Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap Containment System in an attempt to contain the leak and capture a substantial amount of the leaking oil. On June 20, approximately 14,570 barrels of oil were collected, 8,720 barrels of oil were flared and 48.3 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. BP is continuing efforts to drill two relief wells.
BP has placed a Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap Containment System in an attempt to contain the leak and capture a substantial amount of the leaking oil. On June 20, approximately 14,570 barrels of oil were collected, 8,720 barrels of oil were flared and 48.3 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. BP is continuing efforts to drill two relief wells.The county gets about one-fifth of the processed fuel to help power its fleet of trucks.
Other counties now want to duplicate Pasco's success. They took notice after Pasco officials delivered a presentation at the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association annual conference.
Any subdivision with 500 homes or more could have their own drop-off location or grease recycling tank that the county maintained.
"County staff takes care of the containers, we make and post the signs, we schedule the pump out, and we collect the stats, and make sure the site remains well managed," El-Shamy elaborated. "The community does not have to do anything but recycle the cooking oil."
Other government leaders are aware of Pasco's track record with innovation because of its electronics recycling program.
"Pasco County staff started it and now everybody is doing it; we take the lead," El-Shamy commented.
People in Heritage Pines won a competition earlier this month in Pasco County's recycled cooking oil program.
By CARL ORTH |
The Suncoast News
Published: May 14, 2010
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2010
HURRICANE GUIDE
