News Releases from Region 04
The City of Montgomery Awarded 2016 EPA Region 4 Rain Catcher Award
ATLANTA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the City of Montgomery with the regional 2016 EPA Rain Catcher Award in the Municipal Category for the Fairview Environmental Park Project in Montgomery, Alabama. The award was presented at a ceremony during the EPA Region 4/International Erosion Control Association Municipal Wet Weather Stormwater Conference, in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Fairview Environmental Park Project includes mitigation of a brownfield site, daylighting of an urban stream, treatment of a significant amount of urban runoff, demonstration of a wide range of green infrastructure (GI) technologies and revitalization of the neighborhood through the creation of a new urban park. The brownfield status of the project site required the removal and remediation of a leaking underground storage tank (LUST), asbestos tile and lead-based paint. GI features incorporated include a constructed wetland that daylights Genetta Ditch, a major tributary of Catoma Creek. Stormwater is treated through the use of a rain garden, permeable pavers and an innovative street tree and stormwater storage system (Silva Cell). The park is designed to remediate stormwater pollutants including sediment loads, high nutrient levels, suspended solids, and fecal matter from urban waste and domesticated animals.
The EPA Region 4 Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in the implementation of stormwater GI practices. GI uses natural systems and/or engineered systems designed to mimic natural processes to more effectively manage stormwater and reduce receiving water impacts. EPA and its partner organizations have promoted the use of GI for many years as part of a comprehensive approach to achieving healthier waters. GI reduces the volume of stormwater discharges by managing rainwater close to where it falls and removes many of the pollutants present in runoff, making it an effective strategy for addressing wet weather pollution and improving water quality.
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