Community-based public-private partnerships are bringing green infrastructure jobs to Prince George’s County and cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
Kristina Twigg reports on the Clean Water Partnership in Prince George’s County in Maryland, an effort to reduce stormwater runoff while also bringing jobs to the county and local companies. "With nearly 100 more projects currently in the design and construction phases, the Clean Water Partnership is well over halfway to its ultimate goal of retrofitting 4,000 acres to capture stormwater."
By 2018, the initial $100-million, three-year program had treated 2,000 acres of rooftops and pavement and was $8 million under budget. "From student-planted rain gardens at county schools to upgraded lakes in beloved community greenspaces, these improvements together capture and clean more than 1.6 billion gallons of runoff per year," notes Twigg.
The investment in the local community has also been successful, adds Twigg. "County residents performed more than 50 percent of hours worked on the program, and 80 percent of the program dollars went to local, small, minority-owned businesses."
Read the full story: Bringing Cleaner Water, Green Jobs to D.C.‘s Suburbs
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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