Dumpster Rental in Pahokee, FL

Recycling, Environmental Protection and Pahokee and the Grassy Watters

Pahokee Florida is a City in the center area of Palm Beach County on Lake Okeechobee. Incorporated in in 1920, Pahokee is named after the Seminole Native Americans’ designation for the Everglades or, more literally, “grassy waters.” The State of Florida and the Southern States Land and Timber Company previously owned the land that is now Pahokee. Together, they let farmers produce on the land without the burden of paying rent or purchasing a property.

Environmental Protection in Pahokee

Pahokee’s location on Lake Okeechobee and the oversight of some of the waters that run into the lake has made Pahokee a focus of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Two grants, in particular, have benefited the City’s environmental impact:

• The first is a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Program and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) have financed five and one-half million dollars to improve the Pahokee wastewater collection system. The funds were originally made available through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to assist Florida wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater infrastructure. Funds have been provided as loans that incur interest at rates that are below market rates.
• Pahokee has also benefited from the Brownfields Redevelopment Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has funded many areas of Florida in an effort to rehabilitate formerly contaminated lands. The City has been granted three hundred thousand dollars to research and test areas that may be potential targets of the of the Brownfields Redevelopment program, including the site of the former water plant and the Pakokee high school.

Recycling Special Waste

It is important to remember that special waste is not allowed in dumpster bins and must be disposed of through special means. Asbestos, for example, requires County documentation, authorization, and an escort. Other items require authorization and documentation, such as contaminated soils, expired consumer products, industrial waste, and cleanups from spills. Finally, some items will simply need authorization, such as empty drums, boats, and empty tanks. Other items may be taken to the Home Chemical and Recycling Center located at 6161 N. Jog Road West Palm Beach and can be reached at 561-687-1100. These items generally include:

• Electronics.
• Paints and substances for coating.
• Used cooking and used motor oil.
• Certain batteries.
• Used needles and sharps.
• Prescription drugs.
• Boating materials.

Private Sector Partnerships with the EPA

When businesses in Pahokee or anywhere in the country strive to save energy, it is nice to have some help. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to develop partners through its ENERGY STAR Partners program that save energy in the commercial sector, award and recognize those organizations for their success, and support their continuing efforts. To become an ENERGY STAR partner, organizations must agree to measure and track their energy usage, benchmark their performance, create a strategic plan for energy use reduction, adopt the ENERGY STAR strategy, and educate the public about energy savings with ENERGY STAR. Some of these partners include:

• Ford Motor Company.
• Toyota Motor Corporation.
• Version Wireless.
• FedEx Corporation.
• Cleveland Clinic.
• 3M Company.
• Providence Health & Sciences.
• Merck and Company Inc.
• Whole Foods Market.
• Food Lion, LLC.
• Hines Inc.
• PepsiCo, Inc.
• Target, Inc.

Supporting Good Private Sector Environmental Management

EPA offers its “ENERGY STAR” award for energy saving excellence in a building or plant (or portfolio of buildings and plants) or a new commercial construction project. Organizations can also be recognized with the prestigious ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award.

In addition to recognition, communication is important to energy conservation. The EPA also provides tools to help communication about energy saving and education resources. First, The EPA provides its ENERGY STAR communications toolkit to help share information. Second, ENERGY STAR partners can display the ENERGY STAR label, which is recognized by almost ninety percent of Americans, to demonstrate its superior energy performance and cost savings. And, finally, ENERGY STAR shares the energy efficiency accomplishments of its partners with other partners and the public.