Emerald Coastkeeper Laurie Murphy followed up with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on the violations the agency found at the City’s Government Street Stormwater Project in the Tanyard neighborhood two blocks from Pensacola City Hall.
After the heavy rain storm two weeks ago, Murphy emailed Elizabeth Orr with DEP: “The conditions at the Corinne Jones Stormwater Pond have deteriorated significantly. I have not seen any activity to address these conditions by either the City of Pensacola or Utility Services Company (the contractor). I am attaching current pictures below.”
She asked, “Is there a specific time frame in which these deficiencies were to be resolved by the FDEP? The residents are having to wear waterproof boots just to get into their vehicles.”
Orr replied that a DEP conducted a follow-up inspection on 1/12/17. Street sweeping, trackout pad installation, hydraulic fluid leak clean-up, and dewatering record keeping had been corrected. The issues that still needed correction/response were updating the SWPPP to include the dewatering plan and BMP description, diesel fuel tank without a drip pan, silt fence maintenance, silt fence not installed on perimeter, and unstabilized soil.
“I visited the site yesterday (1/25/17) and spoke with the contractor and city representatives,” Orr told Murphy. “Remaining issues are SWPP updates, silt fence maintenance, silt fence not installed on perimeter, and unstabilized soil. I’ve asked the contractor for a timeline for resolution of these issues. I will share it with you when I receive it.”
