Saftey

A common topic for many members of our community is safety. The citizens of Port St. John should know that the Reliant Energy facility in Port St. John has made a commitment to obtain OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Certification.

What is VPP? The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) promotes worksite-based safety and health. The VPP program establishes performance-based, measurable criteria for facility safety and health programs. Workplaces, like the Reliant Facility in Port St. John, apply for VPP certification from OSHA, and they are then assessed against these criteria. Once a facility applies for VPP, they enter a rigorous process that examines management, safety and health training, leadership, employee involvement in safety, work site safety analysis, and hazard prevention and control. There is then a comprehensive onsite review by OSHA to evaluate the workplace safety and health program and to interview employees. Workplaces that are accepted must then submit annual self-evaluations and undergo periodic onsite re-evaluations to remain in the program and at the OSHA certification level.

Why is it important to the citizens of Port St. John to know that Reliant’s Facility in Port St. John is working to become VPP Certified? Statistical evidence for VPP’s success is impressive. The average VPP worksite in the United States has seen a 52% reduction in worker safety incidents. Simply put, VPP certified sites are statistically safer!! The Reliant Energy facility in Port St. John is presently moving through the VPP application process, and they have recently sent seven of their employees to an OSHA VPP workshop. We will keep you posted on their progress as they work towards achieving OSHA VPP certification. If you would like to learn more about the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program, visit OSHA’s VPP website at: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html

Neighbors Working Together

Reliant Energy in Port St. John is involved in many community outreach activities. This month we are highlighting their involvement with our local schools in Port St. John.

Did you know that the Reliant Energy facility in Port St. John has continually donated monies to Atlantis Elementary, Enterprise Elementary and Space Coast Jr/Sr High? Reliant has become business partners with all three of these Port St. John schools. Furthermore, the employee’s of the Reliant Energy facility have become volunteer mentors at Atlantis Elementary and several of them even donated their own time to help out with the recent Atlantis Elementary Fall Festival. And that’s not all – the employee’s of Reliant Energy are teaming up with the students and teachers at Atlantis Elementary to build a parade float for the Port St. John Christmas Parade! The schools of Port St. John sincerely appreciate the financial and volunteer time support they have received so far this year from the employees at the Reliant Energy facility in Port. St. John.

Reliant’s Manatee Plan

Did you know the Reliant Energy Power Plant is instrumental in working to protect the Manatees in the Indian River during the colder months of the year? Manatees are known to congregate in the Reliant facility’s discharge canal during the colder months of the year. During facility operation, the discharge canal is warmed by the discharge of water required in the electricity generating process. Cooling water for the facility is withdrawn from the Indian River Lagoon via an intake canal and returned to the Indian River Lagoon via the facility’s discharge canal. This water temperature increase offers a warm water refuge for manatees.

Reliant’s Manatee Plan requires them to run their facility if the Indian River water temperature drops below 61 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to run their facility long enough to raise the temperature in their discharge canal to 68 degrees, thus providing a warm sanctuary for the Manatees in the river.

An interesting fact about this plan is that it often requires the Reliant Facility to run during times of the year when they would otherwise be shut down due to low demand for power, so sometimes the plant is running for the sole purpose of protecting the manatees!

The Manatee Plan is in effect from November 15th through March 31st of each year. During the time this plan is effective, Reliant also provides the Bureau of Protected Species Management with daily intake and discharge temperature data for their facility.

Oyster Bed Restoration Project

Personnel from the Reliant Energy Plant are participating in an Oyster Bed Restoration Project in the Indian River which will help to re-populate the amount of oysters in the River. This will benefit the ecosystem by filtering water and improving water quality.

Reliant Energy personnel are also partnering with the Girl Scouts to work on a Mangrove Restoration Project. One of the most important roles mangroves play in our environment is to cycle nutrients and remove pollutants and increase oxygen into the water. Mangroves also provide food and habitat for the wildlife in wetland areas. Both of these environmental restoration projects will help improve the quality of the Indian River.

Meet the Community Members of the Reliant Advisory Panel

Doreen Erickson - PSJ resident for 8 years, mother of 2. Volunteer, Mentor and PTO member. PSJ Blog Author.

Justine Flanagan - PSJ resident, mother of 3. PTO President.

Kim Mobley - PSJ resident for 10 years. Secretary for the PSJ Rockets Board of Directors and Cheerleading Coach.

Dawn Niehoff - PSJ resident for 14 years. PSJ Blog Webmaster/Author. PTO member, mother of 2.

Randy Rodriguez - PSJ resident for 24 years. D’man at the Happenings Newspaper

Dori Swift - Lived in PSJ for 19 years, mother of 3. Current VP of the Vipers Football Booster Club at SCHS. Scholastic Management Team member for the Mid Florida Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading Association. Former PR Rep for SCHS Project Graduation Class of 2008.

Welcome!

The Reliant Advisory Panel of Port St. John was started to create an open communication forum between the Port St. John Community and Reliant Energy. Please feel free to post your issues of concern that you would like us to address at our next RAP session.