ESD Final Fall 2006 Citizens College Presentation

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Presentation To
September 5th, 2007
Presented By Jerry W. Haile P.G. Environmental
Services Director
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Agenda

• Department functions
• Department mandates
• Department structure
• Environmental Division
• Natural Resource Division
• Solid Waste Management Division
• Revenue budget and grants
• Cooperative partners
• Questions/comments

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Evolution of Environmental Services

• 1995 - Initial recognition of environmental
  liability
• 1997 - Environmental functions embedded within
  Facilities Management Department
• January 2001 - Department created
• Mission Statement
• To provide a clean, safe, sustainable, and
  healthy
• environment to enhance the quality of
  life for the
• citizens of El Paso County.
• Consolidation with other departments
• January 2003 - Forestry and Noxious Weeds
• May 2005 - Solid Waste Management

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The Mixed Bag of Mandates
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Department Structure
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Environmental Division

• Compliance Assistance
• Air Emissions and Quality
• Fuel Systems
• Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
• Environmental Response/Investigation and Cleanup
• Property Transactions and Due Diligence
• Programs
• Environmental Management System
• Brownfields Initiative

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Environmental Division (Cont.)

• Air Issues
• Air Emission evaluations and permitting
• Asbestos and lead paint evaluations and
  management
• Employee asbestos and lead paint training
• Indoor air quality investigations

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Environmental Division (Cont.)

• Fuels Systems
• Underground Storage Tanks - 2 Facilities
• Above Ground Storage Tanks - 12 Facilities
• Both Types of Tanks - 2 Facilities
• Technical Assistance
• Compliance testing and system maintenance/repairs
  
• System upgrades and new installations
• Spill Prevention Control and Counter Measures
  Plans

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Environmental Division (Cont.)

• Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
• Day-to-day operations produce waste
• The Division provides
• Waste system maintenance
• Waste management expertise
• Regulatory compliance assistance

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Environmental Division (Cont.)

• Environmental Response/Investigation/Cleanup

• County spills
• Illegal dumping
• Technical support to Sheriffs HazMat Team
• Investigation and remediation associated with
• Above and underground storage tanks
• Historic use of County property
• Contamination of County property by others

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Environmental Division (Cont.)

• Environmental Due Diligence

• Evaluate potential contamination of property
• Phase I Env. Site Assessments and Investigations
• Superfund liability protection

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Environmental Division (Cont.)

• Programs
• Environmental Management System
• A systematic approach to sustained
  environmental
• performance through order and consistency.
• Benefits
• Improve efficiency and compliance
• Identify and resolve environmental gaps
• Clarify environmental issues
• Brownfields Initiative
• to encourage the reuse of property
  stigmatized by
• the presence or potential presence of
  contamination.
• Resources
• Technical assistance/funding

Golden Cycle Mill Fire, 1907
Old Colorado City Historical Society
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Natural Resource Division

• Threatened and Endangered Species

• Wetlands
• Forest Management
• Noxious Weed Management
• Development Review
• Programs
• Conservation Easements
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Threatened and Endangered Species
• Prebles Meadow Jumping Mouse
• Species presence/absence surveys
• Habitat evaluation and ranking
• Habitat Conservation Plan development
• Other Species
• Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
• Mountain Plover
• Mexican Spotted Owl
• Pocket Gopher

Courtesy U.S. Fish Wildlife Service
Courtesy Center for Native Ecosystems
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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Wetlands Delineation and Permitting
• Wetlands Banking Program
• County-wide mitigation program for County
  projects
• Benefits
• Multiple mitigation projects under a single plan
• Pre-mitigation of wetlands impacts
• I.D. Important wetland resources within the County

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Forest Management
• Assists with forest management on County property
• Monitors and maps forest insect infestations
• Assists citizens with proper forest management

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Noxious Weed Management
• Works with other departments to manage noxious
  weeds on County property
• Monitors and maps noxious weed infestations
• Assists citizens with identification and proper
  control of noxious weeds

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Development Reviews
• Review of development submittals consider
• TE species and general wildlife concerns
• Forest health and noxious weed management
• Wetlands
• Encourage applicants to initiate federal
  permitting with
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Programs
• Conservation Easements
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans or CWPPs

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Conservation Easements - A non-development
  easement
• The County holds 27 easements covering 2,200
  acres
• Easements are monitored annually by the Division
• Benefits

• Provide development buffers
• Protect open space and wildlife habitat
• Recreational component such as trail corridors

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Natural Resource Division (Cont.)

• Community Wildfire Protection Plans
• Authorized by Title I of Health Forest
  Restoration Act
• Focuses local interest on wildfire hazards
• A CWPP addresses
• Firefighting needs
• Defensible space
• Fuels treatment
• Projects Include
• Crystal Park
• Black Forest
• Woodmoor
• Ute Pass
• Highway 115

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Solid Waste Management Division

• Division Funding
• Programs
• Household Chemical Waste Collection Program
• El Paso County Recycles
• Black Forest Slash Mulch
• Wildfire Mitigation Program
• Yard Waste Collection Program
• Treecycle Program

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Solid Waste Mgmt. Division (Cont.)

• Solid Waste Fund
• Authorized by CRS 30-20-115
• 1991 - 0.25/cubic yard tipping fee
• Fund Designation
• Mitigate Solid Waste Issues
• Promote Environmental Responsibility
• Encourage Recycling
• Tipping fee summary
• 2006 - 759,388
• June 30, 2007 Fund Balance - 1,250,445
• January - June 2007 - 401,439

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Solid Waste Mgmt. Division (Cont.)

• Household Chemical Waste Collection
• Accepts any waste from citizens of
• El Paso and Teller counties

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Solid Waste Mgmt. Division (Cont.)

• El Paso County Recycles
• Envisioned by Commissioners Clark and Bensberg
• Started July 21, 2005
• Purpose is to promote
• Attention on the importance of recycling
• Conservation of our resources and
• Reduction of new landfills and incinerators

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Solid Waste Mgmt. Division (Cont.)

• Black Forest Slash Mulch Program
• Created in 1994 as a cooperative effort between
• State and local government
• Private sector
• Volunteer and non-profit organizations
• Purpose is to promote
• Proper forest management
• Wildfire mitigation and
• Encourage recycling of biomass

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Solid Waste Mgmt. Division (Cont.)

• Yard Waste Collection Program
• Created in 1997 and is free to citizens of El
  Paso and Teller County every Saturday
• Purpose is to divert organic material from
  landfills and to provide organic elements for
  composting

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Solid Waste Mgmt. Division (Cont.)

• Treecycle Program
• A cooperative effort between
• Public/Private Sectors
• Volunteer and non-profit organizations
• Purpose is to promote
• Community pride
• Recycling of an organic product and
• Energy conservations by providing free mulch

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Staffing By Division
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General Fund Revenues
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Current Revenue Sources
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Historic Grant Funding
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Cooperative Partners
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Questions Comments