Enviro: Fresh Loaf, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Could Proctor Creek - and northwest Atlanta - be revitalized by a greenway project?

Thomas Wheatley — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:20:00 -0400

For years, community members, environmental groups, and the city have tried to clean up Proctor Creek, the troubled waterway that flows from downtown to the Chattahoochee River. What should be an asset for the community and surrounding northwest Atlanta area has instead been plagued by illegally dumped tires, high bacteria levels, pollution, and flooding.…

DeKalb County river advocate says city violates permit

David Schick — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:50:00 -0400

A DeKalb County environmental group that advocates for the South River claims that Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management is violating a state permit that sets standards on the amount of pollutants that the city can discharge from its water quality control facility into the waterway.

In addition, the South River Watershed Alliance is protesting the city's effort to convince the state to remove the performance requirements from the permit.…

Nuke opponents protest Plant Vogtle on Fukushima disaster anniversary

Joeff Davis — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:50:00 -0400

About 30 people gathered outside the 10th Street MARTA station in the rain yesterday, banging drums and holding signs protesting nuclear power. Yesterday marked the second anniversary of a tsunami that led to the meltdown of three reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, causing the second-worst nuclear accident in history.…

State lawmakers look at Georgia-Tennessee border dispute... again

Max Blau — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:59:00 -0500

State lawmakers have once again decided to take another look at the contentious Georgia-Tennessee border in hopes of finally gaining access to the flowing waters of the Tennessee River.

The dispute over Georgia's northern boundary dates back to 1818, when state surveyors inaccurately determined that the border was 1.1 miles south of where it should actually be located on the 35th Parallel.…

PSC candidate Steve Oppenheimer joins TV airwaves

Thomas Wheatley — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:28:11 -0400

You don't hear much about the Georgia Public Service Commission. That's a shame.…

Georgia Power goes cuckoo for solar

Thomas Wheatley — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:24:00 -0400

Georgia Power says it's getting serious about solar power, a source of clean energy that for years it's called too expensive and risky. (I'll never forget a meeting when one executive told a state committee meeting solar would never work in Georgia because of humidity.)

The utility today told the Georgia Public Service Commission, the state agency that decides how much we pay to turn on our lights and heat up our ovens, that it plans to purchase 210 megawatts of additional solar power over three years.…

Atlanta homeowners, your puny, laughable recycling bins are being replaced by big blue beasts

Thomas Wheatley — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:27:00 -0400

In a few weeks, the tiny plastic recycling bins that have frustrated Earth-loving Atlantans will be replaced by 96-gallon beasts on wheels that will accommodate all the paper, plastic, and glass bottles you can imagine — and, Mayor Kasim Reed hopes, save the city some cash and make Atlanta more sustainable.

On Oct. 15, city workers will start switching out the diminutive 18-gallon bins with rolling, blue 96-gallon "carts."…

Beltline's Eastside Trail dedication scheduled for Oct. 15

Thomas Wheatley — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:04:00 -0400

After more than a year of delays thanks largely to construction issues, Atlanta Beltline officials say they've nailed down a date to officially dedicate the 2.25-mile trail snaking between Piedmont Park and Inman Park. From the Beltline's blog:

The official dedication for the new trail will be held on Monday, October 15 at 10 a.m.…
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Protesters picket utility's Midtown film premiere, blast construction of new nuclear reactors

Joeff Davis — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:33:00 -0400

On the same day that tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Tokyo against the restart of Japan's nuclear reactors, roughly 30 protesters chanted, marched, and handed out flyers today in Midtown to protest against Georgia Power's construction of two new nuclear reactors in eastern Georgia. The two units, which are located about 175 miles from downtown Atlanta, are the first to be built in the United States in nearly three decades.…

Eco advocates, Occupy Atlanta to protest nukes outside Southern Company documentary's premiere in Midtown

Thomas Wheatley — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 11:28:00 -0400

Looking to cap your lunchtime break with a good-ole-fashioned protest? Head to the Fox Theatre, where eco-advocates, Occupiers, and students will rail against Southern Company, the parent company of Georgia Power.…

Proposal to transform vacant Vine City lots into ambitious 16-acre park gets greenlight from Atlanta City Council committee

Thomas Wheatley — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:57:00 -0400

Last December, CL looked at two different and ambitious plans aimed at revitalizing Vine City and English Avenue, two historic and beleaguered intown neighborhoods just a few blocks from downtown Atlanta, with parks.

One of those two proposals — transforming 16 acres of city-owned, mostly vacant land along Joseph E. Boone Boulevard into Historic Mims Park, a majestic $55 million greenspace celebrating Atlanta's role in civil rights — took a major step yesterday toward becoming a reality.…

APD to create special unit to patrol Atlanta Beltline

Thomas Wheatley — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:28:00 -0400

Residents' concerns about security on the Atlanta Beltline have grown louder as the once-overgrown abandoned railroad corridor has been cleared for use by cyclists and urban hikers.

Sure, there was talk some years ago of mounted police patrolling the 22-mile loop of parks, trails, and (one day) transit.…

U.S. Supreme Court tells Alabama, Florida it won't review 'water war' dispute with Georgia over Lake Lanier

Thomas Wheatley — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:03:00 -0400

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it won't review the 22-year "water war" between Alabama, Florida, and Georgia over whether the Peach State was authorized to use water from Lake Lanier.

The neighboring states had appealed a lower court's ruling that said Georgia could use the massive reservoir, which was created by the federal government in the 1950s, as a source for water supply.…

Atlanta's only public, retail biodiesel pump opens for business

Thomas Wheatley — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:10:53 -0400

After several years without a fueling station, Atlanta biodiesel aficionados can smile once again. Motorists who drive cars that run on the alternative fuel can now fill up in Edgewood at the city's only public, retail biodiesel fueling station.…

Friendly reminder: Ponce de Leon Avenue to close for Beltline work

Thomas Wheatley — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:01:21 -0400

Plan your weekend commutes accordingly: Work crews will shut down a sliver of Ponce de Leon Avenue near Ponce City Market this weekend to continue the construction of the Atlanta Beltline trail on the bridge spanning the busy street. From Atlanta Beltline Inc.:

The section of road between Ponce de Leon Place and the Midtown Place Shopping Center (across from Ponce City Market) will be closed from June 9 through 11 and again from June 16 through June 18, 2012.…
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Kudzu-eating sheep to feast at Chastain Park, other local greenspaces

Bryan Cronan — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:09:00 -0400

Imagine being placed in a field that's covered with the most delicious culinary treats you could possibly want. The kind you crave but know you shouldn't eat in large quantities.…

Design for City Hall's urban farm has been selected, but...

Thomas Wheatley — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:37:00 -0400

... city officials aren't prepared just yet to announce what will take shape across the street from 55 Trinity Avenue.

Dave Bennett, a senior policy adviser to Mayor Kasim Reed, told CL last week that the city wants to determine how much it'll cost to turn the proposal into reality - and operate it - before revealing the winner.…

Pam Davidson launches bid to unseat PSC Commissioner Stan Wise

Thomas Wheatley — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:44:40 -0400

Public Service Commissioner Chuck Eaton isn't the only member of the regulatory agency that decides how much you pay to turn on the lights and heat up your oven, among other things, to face opposition this election season.

Pam Davidson today announced her campaign to unseat longtime PSC Commissioner (and Golden Sleaze award winner) Stan Wise in the Republican primary.…

Should the public pay to help retrofit downtown's skyscrapers and buildings?

Thomas Wheatley — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:08:43 -0400

The board members of Invest Atlanta, the city's economic development arm, OKed a program this morning that would allow owners of private buildings in downtown to tap up to $8 million in public cash to make their buildings more green.

The incentive-based program is part of the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge, a voluntary effort based on the Better Building Initiative launched last February by President Barack Obama to make the country's buildings more energy efficient.…

Study: Metro Atlanta's poor, minorities live near worst pollution

Thomas Wheatley — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:24:00 -0400

It's not a shocker but it's still depressing to see: According to a new report (PDF) by an environmental law firm and advocacy group, metro Atlanta's minorities, people living on low incomes, and families who speak a language other than English are more likely to live near and be affected by pollution than whites and those with higher incomes. And in contrast to the federal government, the state lags behind when it comes to addressing such environmental justice issues.…

Ponce de Leon Avenue closes this weekend for Beltline trail construction

Thomas Wheatley — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:45:51 -0400

As we reported in late February, construction on the Atlanta Beltline's Eastside Trail will require the closure of Ralph McGill Boulevard and — brace yourself — Ponce de Leon Avenue near Ponce City Market. The former's been shut down for a few weeks now.…

Solar-power bill despised by utilities and electric co-ops ain't dead yet

Thomas Wheatley — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:49:24 -0500

Last week, CL's editorial board lamented the sad reality that state lawmakers would probably cave in to utility's lobbyists pleas and ensure that Senate Bill 401, which would make it easier for homeowners and businesses to finance the installation of solar panels on their property, go nowhere. Looks like the bill's sponsor, Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, has a plan to prevent that from happening.…

Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield won't seek re-election, will lead eco-legal firm

Thomas Wheatley — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:25:53 -0500

State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, D-Decatur, one of metro Atlanta's smartest Democrats, says she won't seek another term under the Gold Dome. (New political boundaries probably deserve some of the blame.)…

Feds give Plant Vogtle's new nukes the green light

Thomas Wheatley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:55:17 -0500

Yes, those new nuclear reactors near Augusta that you, me, and Georgia Power's other 2.3 million customers are already paying with our monthly power bills. Well, all of us except for the manufacturers who managed to lobby their way out of the additional charge.…

Historic Fourth Ward Park expansion near Ponce City Market now open

Thomas Wheatley — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:20:36 -0500

Gather 'round all ye greenspace enthusiasts and other friendly souls: after many months of construction, the expansion of Historic Fourth Ward Park along the Atlanta Beltline in Old Fourth Ward is complete, Beltline officials say. Though only a few acres, the expansion — which offers a nice front door to the showpiece retention pond — serves a more important purpose by connecting the CL award-winning park to North Avenue.…