City of Montgomery recognized by EPA for green infrastructure project

Fairview Environmental Park project reinvigorates community and adds recreational and educational activities in one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods

MONTGOMERY – One of the city’s newest additions, the Fairview Environmental Park has attracted national acclaim for its green infrastructure ingenuity and beautification to the neighborhoods along the historic Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights Trail.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented the City of Montgomery with the 2016 EPA Rain Catcher Award in the municipal category for the Fairview Environmental Park project on May 18 during the EPA Region 4/International Erosion Control Association Municipal Wet Weather Stormwater Conference in Nashville. The Award recognizes excellence in the implementation of stormwater green infrastructure (GI) practices, or those that use natural systems and/or engineered systems designed to mimic natural processes to more effectively manage stormwater and reduce receiving water impacts.

“We thank the EPA for recognizing our city’s newest greenspace, but the credit should go to our entire community for joining in the journey to create a sustainable city,” Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said. “This park not only provides scenic beauty to neighborhoods along the Voting Rights Trail for residents throughout Montgomery, but it will purify and protect our watershed for years to come. It’s another vital step in reclaiming our community’s abundant natural resources, while expanding our revitalization efforts along West Fairview.”

The park comprises nearly four acres of green infrastructure to provide recreation for residents, while cleaning, filtering and protecting the area’s watershed. The Fairview Environmental Park project included mitigation of a brownfield site, daylighting of an urban stream, treatment of a significant amount of urban runoff, demonstration of a wide range of (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. Green infrastructure 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.

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.

Local businesses, government entities, nonprofits and neighborhood and community groups formed a partnership to bring the project to fruition. These entities included the city of Montgomery, Montgomery County, National Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, USDA Forest Service, Southern Company, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Montgomery Clean City Commission, Montgomery Weed and Seed, ACTS Community Development Corporation, Westcottville Neighborhood Association and the Alabama Clean Water Partnership. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) assisted by providing a historical context for the park.

For more information, please contact Griffith Waller at [email protected].

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All rights reserved, 2016