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Board hears Ocean Hour cleanup totals, stormwater maintenance and recycling update
Summary
Volunteers reported Ocean Hour collected about 33,500 pounds of trash and engaged 2,700 volunteers; city staff described stormwater cleaning contracts and said the Summit drop-off collections are currently going to landfill rather than recycling. Staff noted 3,800 sign-ups for curbside recycling and a ~90% clean rate for curbside recycling.
At its January meeting the City of Pensacola Environmental Advisory Board received reports on volunteer cleanup efforts, stormwater maintenance and the city's new recycling program.
An Ocean Hour representative told the board the volunteer program collected approximately 33,500 pounds of trash and engaged more than 2,700 volunteers during recent activities. The group stressed that much debris enters bay systems through storm drains, and cited Bayou Chico as a particularly trash-prone location.
City staff described the city's stormwater infrastructure and maintenance approach, noting underground stormwater boxes and a contract for cleaning them out. Staff named Tony McCreary as the municipal lead for stormwater and said the stormwater/engineering teams respond to notifications and clean high-frequency locations.
Board members asked about recycling. A staff member said the Summit drop-off location is currently sending material to the landfill rather than recycling: "None of that is going to recycling. It's all going to the landfill," the staff member told the board, adding that the sanitation director reported roughly 3,800 households had signed up for curbside recycling or a second can and that the program's clean rate was in the neighborhood of 90%. Board members noted Summit is sometimes used as a free drop-off for bulky trash and discussed limiting Summit's intake to cardboard only as a possible near-term change.
Public-comment speakers also highlighted upcoming events and regional advocacy: a Healthy Gulf representative encouraged public comments opposing a federal proposal to expand offshore drilling into the eastern Gulf and announced a film night Jan. 15 at Waterboys Surf Shop and the Mountain Film Festival at the Pensacola Little Theater.
What happens next: staff offered to follow up with engineering or public-works staff (and Escambia County partners) to provide a presentation on stormwater cleaning schedules, vault contents and the city's MS4 permit reporting. The board did not take any formal policy votes on recycling or stormwater at this meeting.
