MARTA’s board of directors took another step Thursday to maintain progress on construction of the Summerhill BRT project, following last week’s public update on the region’s first bus rapid transit route that’s scheduled to open in late 2024
Tag: Environment
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Tired of yard debris stacked on curbs? Consider repurposing it on site
Solutions to yard debris stacked along curbs in Atlanta include recycling much of the vegetation on site, and discarding only that which is inappropriate to store. Nature will benefit, according to advocates of natural cityscapes.
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Federal judge vows close oversight of DeKalb County’s extension to stop sewer leaks
A federal judge cautioned DeKalb County Wednesday that he intends to closely monitor compliance with the extension he granted to the county’s program to stop the spilling of raw sewage into waterways and comply with the U.S. Clean Water Act.
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Help a symbol of hope: Plant a flower to feed a migrating monarch butterfly
The great migration of monarch butterflies is underway, and the peak season for these symbols of hope to pass through metro Atlanta begins in a few weeks.
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DeKalb County water cutoffs resume after five years, sewer decree advances
DeKalb County water and sewer issues continue to roil, as some residents continue to grapple with unusually high water bills and a federal judge has scheduled a hearing to discuss the $1-plus billion proposal for the county to stop dumping raw sewage into waterways by Dec. 20, 2027.
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Endless water war: Army Corps still an issue in tri-state dispute
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was a factor but not a party in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Georgia’s favor in the water war with Florida. The corps isn’t in the clear and the war isn’t thought to be over.
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Water wars: Metro Atlanta to fund $3.9 million for research to use in legal defenses
The big water war with Florida is over, but funding of a $3.9 million legal and research effort is moving forward to prepare for ongoing litigation over water use by metro Atlanta and Georgia.
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Atlanta pays $500 signing bonus for garbage collectors amid staffing shortfalls
Atlanta has committed to pay a $500 signing bonus for trash collectors who sign on to help the city end service reductions by a department plagued by staffing shortfalls.
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Safe to swim? Georgia’s rivers should be clean enough to play in the water
By RENA ANN PECK, executive director, Georgia River Network
During the last 18 months, as the COVID-19 pandemic closed gyms and other indoor entertainment venues, collectively, we have turned to the outdoors for relief. In particular, interest in water recreation has exploded. Manufacturers of canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and other boats – and associated businesses – have experienced unprecedented demand. More people than ever before are hitting Georgia’s rivers, lakes and streams.
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Coal ash: Georgia mulls first request for permanent disposal in unlined basins
Georgia may create a statewide precedent to manage coal ash by leaving it permanently in an unlined basin under a cap made of plastic that’s covered with grass and legumes.
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Drawdown Georgia shows 50% reduction in carbon emissions possible by 2030
The Drawdown Georgia research team has released its first study and results are stunning. Georgia could reduce climate-warming carbon emissions by 50% by applying known solutions in a holistic fashion.
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Ceylon wilderness a haven for longleaf pine, gopher tortoises, tranquility
A constellation of plants and animals native to Georgia’s coastal plain will have a place to simply exist on 16,083 acres that private partners and the state are protecting from development along the banks of the Satilla River, near Brunswick.
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DeKalb County’s sewage leaks: Federal judge fed up with EPA delays
A federal judge is fed up with the EPA’s delays regarding the pending update to DeKalb County’s mandate to stop leaking untreated sewage into waterways. The judge on July 16 ordered a final report by mid August, or a full accounting of the delay.
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Cumberland Island: Preservation becomes personal
At some point, environmental issues can become personal. That’s become the case at Cumberland Island, where Karen Grainey has declared her opposition to a dock that her allies think could be a precursor for a 10-house subdivision on the nationally protected island.
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Titanium – A fantastic mineral the U.S. doesn’t need from near Okefenokee Swamp
By Guest Columnist JOE COOK, Georgia River Network guidebook author and freelance journalist
Titanium. When a German scientist isolated the element in 1795, he named it to honor the fanciful tales of the Titans, the giants that once ruled the Earth in Greek mythology.
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Three women named to lead schools in Georgia Tech’s College of Design
The three women who this summer take office as chairs of three schools at Georgia Tech’s College of Design continue both a tradition of academic excellence and the growing role of women in fields that once had been the domains of men, according to the dean of the college.
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New Plant Vogtle credit rating says electricity prices could be higher than forecast
Additional construction delays forecast at Plant Vogtle could cause its customers to face higher electricity rates than currently envisioned, according to three credit rating actions issued Monday by Moody’s Investors Service.
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Plant Vogtle milestone: A rate hike request related to pending start of reactor
A new chapter in the saga of Plant Vogtle has commenced. The issue is whether Georgia Power customers will or won’t pay an extra $235 million a year in capital costs to build the nuclear plant, or if the rate hike request will be delayed.
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Plant Vogtle: Georgia’s shame
By Guest Columnist PATTY DURAND, president of Cool Planet Solutions
Georgia Power has the only nuclear plant under construction in the United States, which I call “Georgia’s Shame.” It is shameful that the timeline the utility provided to regulators, investors and the public – those of us paying for this plant – is now six years behind schedule. And it is shameful that the utility’s cost estimates for this plant were off by a shocking 100%: The original cost estimate for the two new units was $14 billion, and 2021 costs are near or at $30 billion.
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Chattahoochee Nature Center: New CEO sees path to link more people with nature
The waiting list of 800 children for summer camp at the Chattahoochee Nature Center is a good problem to have, by any typical management metric. Natasha Rice doesn’t see it that way.
