Chattanooga Design Competition Kick-Off Meeting

Don't just meet the EPA's new standard for stormwater management; create a project that will bring residents a better quality of life, Don Green, Chattanooga's water quality supervisor, told a group of planners, architects and engineers this week. "We're looking to be blown away," he said. Times Free Press article

Chattanooga LID Design Challenge

Resource Rain” Kicks Off Low Impact Design Challenge CHATTANOOGA, TENN. – For years Chattanooga residents and businesses have been making great strides to create a cleaner, more environmentally friendly community; Resource Rain: Low Impact Development (LID) Design Challenge is an important next step in the process. A partnership between the City of Chattanooga, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, green|spaces, The Lyndhurst Foundation, River City Company and Hamilton County Water Quality Program, the LID Challenge kicks off March 13. The event will be held at green|spaces, 63 East Main St., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided. LID Design Challenge will accelerate the adoption of green infrastructure in Chattanooga. This infrastructure will be the preferred method of managing storm water and complying with new standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are effective December 2014. “This is an important partnership that can highlight Chattanooga’s commitment to innovative, sustainable practices,” said Mayor Andy Berke. “Through this process, we will empower talented individuals to explore solutions that can ultimately make our neighborhoods stronger and create a positive impact in every district of Chattanooga.” Specifically, Challenge entrants are asked to utilize the City of Chattanooga’s storm water management practices as a guide for their designs. “The Design Competition will be a great tool to introduce the City’s new water quality requirements,” said Bill Payne, the City’s Engineer in Public Works department. “Demonstrating that low impact development and green infrastructure practices can advance innovative, cost-effective site designs that will serve to protect watersheds.” LID Design entrants will focus on conservation of natural resources, development of practical designs and incorporation of urban design and traditional neighborhood development. For more information about Resource Rain, visit chattanooga.gov. Go to www.chattanooga.gov/designchallenge

Companies look for more ways to go green

Construction in the US will increase across the board in 2014 and as Mike Leonard says, "despite many market pressures — and perhaps because of them — the practice of building green also is expected to grow this year." See entire article:

Tennessee Green Jobs

A large project to install a solar power generation site in McNairy County has landed Tennessee on a list of the top states creating green energy jobs this year. Click here for the complete story

New Green Guidelines could put Chattanooga at vanguard

Chattanooga will be the first city in the state and second nationally behind Washington, D.C. to develop a 'development credits' banking credit system. The developer could trade the credit on an open market that's to be created to an entirely different company. These credits are tied to our new LID/Green Infrastructure and stay on volume development requirements in the City. Starting in December 2014, a new development and significant re-development, project in the city will be required to keep/manage the 1st inch of rain fall on site - without releasing it: infiltrate, reuse, store or exfiltrate. If a site can do more than required, they can apply the 'credits' to another site under development or keep that credit and bank and trade or sell it.

Green-LEED Certification Buildings Worth the Cost

"Almost without exception, the building certification process helps businesses evaluate green investments comprehensively and maximize financial returns. Certified new construction has operating costs that are 13.6 percent less than traditional buildings. Existing buildings see an 8.5 percent reduction. (This an article from a friend of mine Mike Leonard) When you can see operating costs reduced this much, LEED, green building certification, becomes money in your pocket, along with user and environmental friendly. See the Article

How Much Water the Earth has?

You'd be surprised of what little water the Earth has and the percentage of clean water!!!

Read more here http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html#.T7EjkVaD-OZ

Williamson County Household Hazardous Waste Colleciton Day

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day May 5th, 2012, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm 1320 West Main Street, Franklin, TN http://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=473

City of Chattanooga's LED Lights to save 2.7 m/year

Smart streetlights got its first citywide project in Chattanooga, Tenn. That’s where city utility EPB and hometown LED maker Global Green Lighting are installing 27,000 streetlights that can be remotely lit, turned off, dimmed or flashed in patterns, all from a utility’s central command center or the laptop in a police car. Jeff St. John: April 18, 2012

Ancient Iceman

New clues have emerged in what could be described as the world's oldest murder case: that of Oetzi the "Iceman", whose 5,300-year-old body was discovered frozen in the Italian Alps in 1991.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17191398

Chattanooga Airport Corporate Flight Center: First Leed Platium in the World

The Chattanooga Airport’s new energy-efficient 9,000-square-foot corporate flight center (FBO) terminal facility has been awarded platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifDesign (LEED) green building certification program. Officials said the FBO terminal, managed by Wilson Air Center, is the only aviation terminal in the world to receive platinum certification representing the highest possible level of energy and environmental performance.
Read more>http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/2/22/220053/Chattanooga-Airports-New-Corporate.aspx

Chattanooga VW Factory: First LEED Platinum in U. S.

Volkswagen’s Chattanooga auto assembly plant is the first factory in the U.S. to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification, officials said today.

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New Florida Nutrient Propsed Rules

“If adopted, these rules will be the most comprehensive nutrient pollution limitations in the nation, and will serve to protect our rivers, lakes, streams, springs and estuaries,’’ DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard said.
“The proposed rule reflects significant progress in protecting the state’s critical aquatic resources and we are hopeful that it will be fully enacted without modification,’’ said EPA regional administrator Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming.
But environmentalists accused both agencies of “capitulating’’ to powerful industries and political pressure from both parties in Washington and Tallahassee in crafting rules they charge already contain too many loopholes.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/02/2484522/environmentalists-cry-foul-on.html#ixzz1d1quK6GS

Chattanooga' Second LEED Fire Station

Check out Chattanooga's second LEED Gold Fire Station.
Below are some of the Green features of Station 4:

Energy conservation measures include: ultra-efficient mechanical systems, appliances and lighting, heat reflective roofing, natural light and occupancy sensors

Energy efficient measures should equate to a 23 percent savings in utility costs compared to a standard fire station

Water conservation measures include the use of dual flush toilets, low flow faucets, and pint flush urinals. Consumption of potable water was reduced by 47 percent below standard fixtures. Two bioswales and a landscape swale were installed to retain the rainwater. Even the run-off from the truck washing area is channeled into the bioswale.

A cistern is used to capture rainwater from the roof and then pumped to a spigot for the purpose of washing the fire trucks. Using this system is estimated to save more than 14,000 gallons of water each year.

All interior finishes and cabinetry have little-to-no volatile organic compound (VOC) content

Landscaped with native trees and plants to reduce watering needs

The roof has a highly reflective surface and insulation was added to reach a total R value of 30.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_212672.asp

Leaf new motor plants

7-20-11: Nissan Americas confirmed that, starting in early 2013, it will produce the electric motor for the Nissan LEAF – the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission vehicle designed for the mass market – at its Decherd, Tenn., powertrain assembly plant. Preparation of the plant for electric motor production, facilitated by U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program loan funds, will include addition of a new assembly line and will create up to 90 new jobs. When the new assembly line is completed, the plant will have the capacity to produce up to 150,000 electric motors annually for Nissan LEAFs, which will be built at the company’s assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn.
Looks like the motor and the batteries are going to be home grown!

http://nissannews.com/newsrelease.do;jsessionid=7CC1099195CEC4DC76D967AF729E29D6?&id=2685&allImage=1&teaser=nissan-picks-decherd-tenn-plant-make-motor-assemblies&mid=1

USGS Rain Garden Study

A five-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey's Wisconsin Water Science Center has confirmed that even simple, residential-style rain gardens can capture nearly 100 percent of stormwater runoff from the roof of an adjacent building, even in thick clay soils. The key in temperate climates is to use native prairie vegetation, the long roots of which can penetrate the silt/clay layer of the subsoil, according to the study.
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First Leaf electric car in Nashville!

Tuesday, Dec 21st, Nissan turned over the keys to the first Tennessee buyer of its new Leaf at a Nashville dealership to become the world's first automaker to introduce a mass-market, highway-capable electric car. The Heeren family of Nashville were the first to receive a Leaf in Tennessee by virtue of being the first to sign up to buy one on a Nissan website in August.
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Keep Williamson Beautiful plans bigger Green Expo

During a Keep Williamson Beautiful committee meeting in November, members decided to switch the August Green Expo from The Factory at Franklin near downtown to the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park off Long Lane for more space and cost savings. The Expos has out grown the Factory space and this will save cost since the Expo center is county property.
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GM's Chevy Volt wins Green Car of the Year???

I'm not sure how this happened. The Volt can not go but 40 miles on battery then has to use gas engine. It's more like a regular gasoline driven car with a battery back-up. Looks like the Leaf would have been a better choice. Go figure
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State and Local Agencies Observe America Recycles Day Nov. 15

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the following news release:

America Recycles Day is Monday, Nov. 15, and Tennessee's departments of Environment and Conservation and Transportation are joining local county and city agencies across the state, providing several opportunities for citizens to reduce waste and make a difference.
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