SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS

 November

                    2013 

 

  

I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.
 
-Lord Chesterfield
 
Volkswagen Restores Wetlands in Chattanooga
  by:
Curtis Hopper
 TDEC-Office of Sustainable Practices
  

 

Volkswagen Group of America takes environmental responsibility very seriously. Environmental stewardship has always been an integral part of their business, not just an obligatory side issue. Volkswagen operates with a unified approach by assessing the environmental impact of production processes and products in advance and making choices in harmony with their environmental principles. The primary goal is to find solutions that make sense, both economically and ecologically, and to use resources efficiently while minimizing environmental impact.  This was Volkswagen's approach for restoring the wetlands on their property of their new Chattanooga facility.

 

Volkswagen Chattanooga was built on a brownfield property that was once home to an army ammunition plant that manufactured up to 30,000,000 pounds of TNT (trinitrotoluene) per month for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There was an existing 40-acre wetland on the site which was damaged while the ammunition plant was in production.Within the wetland boundary were two distinct riparian areas considered to be "Exceptional Waters of the State of Tennessee". Volkswagen and Hamilton County agreed that the wetland was an important element of the site to be preserved. The creeks were restored during construction to enhance the wildlife habitat and provide a corridor around the site, protecting the wetland and forest reserve that now provides habitat for a variety of threatened native species. Identification and documentation of the native flora and fauna are a continuous process.

 

More wetland area has been added with great success. A healthy beaver population helps to control the "upper" wetland as a pond, while the lower wetland is allowed to flood in winter and drain in summer. A variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians inhabit these wetlands.

Impacts to the wetland were a major concern as Volkswagen began both a solar farm project to meet their alternative energy strategy, as well as the construction of a road extension on Ferdinand Piech Way. As part of their continuing commitment to this wetland, Volkswagen chose to add roughly eight more acres of land as a permanent wetland easement to ensure a buffer for future growth and health.

 

A project conceived in 2012 allowed local birding enthusiasts to come on site to view birds living at the restored wetlands. The pilot visit included five people. Once they saw the abundance of local and migratory birds in a pristine location, their enthusiasm soared, and word of mouth spread about the Volkswagen wetlands. Today, groups from The Tennessee Ornithological Society and the Chattanooga Audubon Society frequently visit. Some species of birds which had been spotted less often because of habitat destruction are being found, often in abundance, because of the existence of this new, safe habitat. One bird, the "Sedge Wren" survives only in marshy areas. Well-known local bird enthusiast Clyde Blum paid the company a great compliment when he said that "Volkswagen has provided a perfect environment for this bird to live and breed".

 

The culmination of this outreach project was Volkswagen's first participation in the nationwide annual "Christmas Bird Count". During this count, some 65 species and 1500 birds were catalogued at the site. The Christmas Bird count is used by scientists to track the migratory health of America's birds, and Volkswagen is pleased to contribute to this project by offering access to the site. Future plans for this area include more birding trips, and opening the area to school groups seeking a wetland to study.

 

Volkswagen has created unique wetland and grassland habitats with a tremendous variety of wildlife with their wetlands restoration projects. The Chattanooga community is fortunate to have a corporate neighbor who values the environment like Volkswagen

 

       

Water and Wastewater Construction Loans Announced

 

 

 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau announced today that two communities, one utility district and one water/wastewater authority have been approved to receive more than $5.7 million in low-interest loans for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

 

"Making needed infrastructure improvements to address drinking water and wastewater needs will benefit the health of communities and economic growth, and I'm pleased to see local governments taking advantage of this resource," Haslam said.     

 

The State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Program provides low-interest loans that help communities, utility districts, and water and wastewater authorities finance projects that protect Tennessee's ground and surface waters and public health.  Loans are used to finance the planning, design and construction of water and wastewater facilities.

 

Through the SRF Program, communities, utility districts, and water and wastewater authorities can obtain loans with lower interest rates than most can obtain through private financing.  Interest rates for loans can vary from zero percent to market rate based on each community's economic index.  Loans utilizing the 2012 EPA grant funds include a principal forgiveness component for water and wastewater projects.

 

"The State Revolving Fund Loan Program is a key investment for local communities in maintaining environmental and public health, while preparing for future needs," TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau said.

 

The Department of Environment and Conservation administers the SRF Loan Program for the state of Tennessee in conjunction with the Tennessee Local Development Authority.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides grants to fund the program, and the state provides a 20 percent match.  Loan repayments are returned to the program and are used to fund future SRF loans.

 

The funding order of projects is determined by the SRF Loan Program's Priority Ranking Lists that rank potential projects according to the severity of their pollution and/or compliance problems or for the protection of public health.

 

The loans announced today are:

 

Wastewater Loan:

  • City of Cowan (Franklin County) - The City of Cowan will receive $500,000 for a project that includes wastewater treatment plant improvements.  The project will be funded with a 20-year, $400,000 loan with an interest rate of 0.17 percent and $100,000 in principal forgiveness that will not have to be repaid.

Drinking Water Loan:

  • Cordell Hull Utility District (Smith County) - The Cordell Hull UD will receive $500,000 for a project that includes replacement of the existing 100,000 gallon storage tank with a new 250,000 gallon storage tank.  The project will be funded with a 20-year, $400,000 loan with an interest rate of 0.92 percent and $100,000 in principal forgiveness that will not have to be repaid.

Traditional Wastewater Loan:

  • Jackson Energy Authority (Gibson County) - The Jackson Energy Authority will receive an increase of $3,953,352 to an existing $5 million, 20-year loan which brings the total to $8,953,352 with an interest rate of 0.34% for a project that includes sewer system rehabilitation. 

Traditional Drinking Water Loan:

  • City of Ridgely (Lake County) - The city of Ridgely will receive an $810,000, 20-year loan with an interest rate of 0.01 percent for replacement of two existing wells with two new wells.  

Since its inception in 1987, Tennessee's Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program has awarded more than $1.5 billion in low-interest loans. Since its inception in 1996, Tennessee's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program has awarded more than $217 million in low-interest loans. Both programs combined award more than $80 million annually to Tennessee's local governments for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

 

Any local government interested in the SRF Loan Program should contact the State Revolving Fund Loan Program, Tennessee Tower, 12th Floor, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Nashville, TN 37243, or call (615) 532-0445.

 

       

TDEC Bond Program to Release Applications for Energy Conservation Projects        

 

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Office of Energy Programs announced today the release of the state's Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB) Program's Request for Proposals (RFP), which will detail how local governments and public universities can apply for low-interest bonds to finance qualified energy saving projects.

 

Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds were created by Congress in 2008 and expanded in 2009 by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Tennessee's total allocation for the program is approximately $64.7 million. More than $18.1 million has been, or is currently, scheduled to be issued for qualifying projects by jurisdictions automatically eligible under the federal legislation.

 

The State has issued 12% of its allocation, surpassing the Southeastern average of 8.7%.

 

"This program presents an opportunity for more communities and public institutions across the state to take advantage of bonds that offer very attractive rates, in order to fund energy savings projects that both lower ongoing energy-related costs and benefit the environment," Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau said.

 

The QECB program will make the remaining $46.6 million available for qualifying projects. Entities eligible to participate in the program include all local government jurisdictions in Tennessee, along with public universities. Local governments can issue the bonds on behalf of a private project, with conditions. The RFP will be available at http://www.tn.gov/environment/energy_qualified-energy-conservation-bonds.shtml.  

 

Prior to the October 2013 RFP release, the Office of Energy Programs has conducted a series of lunch and learn workshops around the state as part of the Tennessee Energy Education Initiative. Each of the workshops featured valuable information about the QECB Program, including presentations from bond experts and case studies from successful projects. Information from these workshops is also available through the Office of Energy Programs resource page at http://www.tn.gov/environment/energy_resources.shtml.

 

Additional information on the QECB program is available through TDEC's Office of Energy Programs at 615-532-0238 or pete.westerholm@tn.gov. The Tennessee Energy Education Initiative and related events information is available through TDEC Office of Energy Programs at 615-741-2994 and Pathway Lending at 615-425-7171.

 


     
  
  Colonial Harvest Celebration
Sycamore Shoals State Park
November 16-17 
  
Click on the picture for full details 
  
  

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