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Canoe Association Drops Final Consent Degree Against Buckman
Jacksonville, FL (March 25, 2004) - Having received official notification that a Consent Decree against the Buckman Waste Treatment Facility has been dismissed early by the American Canoe Association (ACA), JEA CEO Walt Bussells joined with representatives of the Stewards of the St. Johns River and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) in congratulating employees for a job well done.
Shortly after JEA took over plant operations from the City of Jacksonville in 1997, the ACA took legal action against the utility for environmental non-compliance issues. The dismissal of the consent decree represents the last legal action against JEA over Buckman Plant operational deficiencies.
The plant, which processes 95 percent of the industrial waste generated in the Jacksonville area and is JEA's largest treatment facility, had experienced permit compliance problems before JEA began making more than $100 million in capital improvements. JEA also implemented aggressive operational and maintenance initiatives at the plant.
Bussells also commended the Buckman staff for several awards the plant received late last year.Buckman received the EPA's 2003 National Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Excellence Award for Large Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant. The EPA based its selection on Buckman's "demonstrated creative and cost-effective operations and maintenance practices." In addition the facility received the FDEP 2003 Operations & Maintenance Excellence Award, The American Metropolitan Sewerage Agency (AMSA) Gold Award for regulatory compliance and just received notification that it is receiving in April one of the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) Phelps Awards for outstanding wastewater treatment facilities.
JEA is the eighth largest community owned electric utility in America providing electricity, water and sewer services to more than 750,000 accounts in Northeast Florida.
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