Recently, Atlanta was one of seven local governments to be recognized by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) for leadership in implementing policies and practices that contribute to efficient and sustainable use of resources in metro Atlanta. Atlanta obtained a silver certification following local work done through the Green Communities Program over the past four years, continually striving to make Atlanta a greener and more economically vibrant place to live, play, and conduct business.
Among Atlanta’s sustainability achievements for 2013:
• In response to solicitations by leading automotive manufacturers seeking markets for the new generation of electric passenger vehicles, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability created the Metro Atlanta Plug-in Electric Vehicle Readiness Task Force. Its focus is to build comprehensive infrastructure for consumers who become electric vehicle owners in Atlanta. The permitting process for electric vehicle supply equipment has been streamlined to aid residents who want to install charging equipment.
• The R.M. Clayton Wastewater Treatment Plant is now equipped with a combustion engine that can convert waste biogas into nearly 13 million kWh of useful energy annually.
• More than 1,100 acres of brownfields exist within the 6,500 acre BeltLine planning area, and the Atlanta BeltLine is working to transform these areas into parks, trails and transit. On the BeltLine Eastside Trail alone, 1,700 tons of contaminated soil were removed over 2.25 miles. The Historic Fourth Ward Park was 17 acres of industrial wasteland until it was converted into the functional and recreational greenspace that it is today. These projects are representative of the work that will take place on the rest of the Atlanta BeltLine corridor.
• The Department of Watershed Management recently updated its Post-Development Stormwater Management Ordinance to promote the use of green infrastructure on new and redevelopment projects in the city.
The city will continue to make green improvements and make living in Atlanta a better thing as time goes by.