Mar. 12 - City of Melbourne, Florida

Industrial pretreatment seeks to
prevent the discharge of pollution
(Continued from Front Page)
operating costs while reducing their
environmental liability and employee
exposure to hazardous materials.
Greer, who is active in statewide
organizations that focus on industrial
pollution prevention, played a key role
in a recent revision of the Melbourne
ordinance that is designed to protect
the reclamation plants. The ordinance
was updated to ensure that the local law
reflects changes in federal standards.
The ordinance applies to all nonresidental
wastewater discharges to the
City’s treatment system and specifies
which activities require permits.
“It is important to note that all businesses
are expected to comply with the
requirements of the ordinance and meet
the local limits,” Greer said. The level of
monitoring that is required for area businesses
varies depending on the nature of
the industry and the risk of pollution that
is posed by their operations.
“My main focus with industrial
wastewater is the metals content,” Greer
explained. “Metals that we typically see
when sampling include copper, chromium,
lead, nickel, and zinc.
“Probably the most common form of
pretreatment in Melbourne and across
the country is pH neutralization.” pH is
a measurement of water that indicates a
level of acidity.
Greer is available to assist local businesses
and other pretreatment programs
with pollution prevention information
and regulatory assistance. He recommends
a voluntary certification program
offered by the Florida Industrial Pretreatment
Association. A ‘FOG’ (fats, oils
& grease) management course is also
available for grease trap inspectors and
those in the food industry.
PUBLICATION of a book
about ‘Melbourne’s Logging
Era: 1912-1932,’ has provided
an addition to local history
references. Melbourne
author Ed Vosakta provides
details and photos about
the railroad and lumber mill
that moved the area into
the industrial age. The book is the second
about Melbourne in an ‘Images of America’
series published by Arcadia Publishing. The
publication is available at local retailers and
online at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Area history information is available at
melbourneflorida.org/history.
Arbor Day ceremony encourages tree plantings
The recent celebration of Arbor Day
in Melbourne provided an opportunity for
renewed attention to the numerous benefits
of trees, reflected in a proclamation read by
Vice Mayor Mike Nowlin.
‘Trees increase property values, enhance
economic vitality of business areas, and
beautify our community,’ the proclamation
notes, also pointing to the importance of
foliage in moderating temperatures, producing
oxygen,
and providing
wildlife
habitat.
The ceremony
was
hosted by
Melbourne’s
Environmental
and
Sally Scalera, horticulturist
with the Brevard County Extension
Service, described
popular trees during a presentation
in Melbourne.
Beautification
Advisory
Committee, a
group of volunteers
that
make recommendations to the City Council.
The committee’s activities, along with the
City’s tree ordinance, contribute to Melbourne’s
recognition as a ‘Tree City U.S.A.’
by the national Arbor Day Foundation.
The tree ordinance establishes guidelines
for the protection and addition of trees when
The VALUE OF TREES was
the topic for Melbourne's Arbor
Day, with a ceremonial planting
at Wells Park by (from left), Ronald
Strandjord, City Manager
Jack Schluckebier, City Council
Member Mark LaRusso, Vice
Mayor Mike Nowlin, City Council
Member Kathy Meehan, and
Celeste Henry, vice chair of the
committee hosting the event.
Mr. Strandjord also serves on
the committee. The annual ceremony
included distribution of
free tree seedlings.
(Continued from the Front Page)
reflects the intent of the state law, which requires
motorists to take action to prevent collisions
with emergency vehicles stopped along roadways.
It is an effort to help protect motorists as
well as police and emergency workers
Motorists are expected to slow down and
continue driving at a safe speed, and are directed
to avoid stopping in the roadway or blocking the
flow of traffic.
On a two-lane roadway, when approaching
an emergency vehicle parked on the side of
the road with lights flashing, a driver must slow
down to 20 miles per hour below the posted
property is developed. Dan Porsi, the City’s
Code Enforcement Administrator, explained
that careful selection of trees allows both
developers and homeowners to maximize
benefits.
“We recommend that trees be selected
that are indigenous, native species,” Porsi
said. “One important factor is the choice of
trees that will thrive with average rainfall
after they are established, so you can avoid
ongoing irrigation.
“We also encourage the careful placement
of the plants so that they are not too
close to structures or power lines. That could
result in the need to remove them later, or
severely prune them,” Porsi said.
Questions about tree selections and
cultivation are often answered by Sally Scalera,
Horticulture Agent II with the Brevard
County Extension Service office in Cocoa.
Scalera divides the recommended tree
species into three groups according to their
eventual size.
The tree lists and links to other information
from the extension service are available
through the City’s website (melbourneflorida.
org/leisure/arborday.htm).
The information includes recommendations
on which trees to select for particular
locations, developed by the Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences at the University
of Florida.
State’s ‘Move Over’ law seeks to make highways safer
speed limit unless directed to do otherwise by an
emergency worker on the scene.
On an interstate highway or roadway with
multiple lanes of travel in the same direction, a
driver who is approaching an emergency vehicle
with lights flashing must vacate the lane closest
to that vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
A driver who is unable to safely move over
must slow to a speed of 20 miles per hour below
the posted speed limit, unless directed otherwise
by a law enforcement officer.
Additional information is available online
from the Florida Highway Patrol website at
www.flhsmv.gov/safetytips/MoveOverTips.htm.