Community & environment, Spring 2004

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Educating Georgians about the importance of water resource management has moved beyond

giving presentations to rooms of bureaucrats.

On March 23, dozens of buses

unloaded excited fourth-grade students from the Appalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint (ACF) river basins of western Georgia onto the

campus of Columbus State University.

Keep Georgia Beautiful staff recruited several organizations to take advantage of CSU's spring break, and 1,248 1O-year-olds filled the university classrooms for the first Children's Water Festival. The hands-on, interactive day of

learning had children moving across the campus to take part in dozens of learning activities. The Festival's theme of 'Winning Water' is based on the idea that everyone wins with clean water. 'Winning Water' seNes as a reminder of how important water

Water safety instruction from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources was just one of many activities on hand at the first Children's Water Festival.

See Water Festival, page 6

KGBF Honors Roswell's Liberman

Nearly 500 Georgians dedicated to bettering their local environment joined to recognize the best among them at the 26th Annual Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards' Luncheon. Janet Liberman, Keep Roswell Beautiful Executive Director, was recognized by the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation as the Executive Director of the Year at the April 14 gala. The award is named for Barbara Mason, who is largely credited with creating Georgia Clean and Beautiful, which became Keep Georgia Beautiful. "We had a good mix of winners from around the state," said Lynn Cobb, Keep Georgia Beautiful manager. ''The neat thing about the awards program is it's open to anybody. It's a very inclusive award system, and we want to recognize people we don't yet know about. My challenge to Georgians is to have them say 'I'm going to put this on my calendar right now, because I know someone, or some 'group, I want to nominate for a 2005 Keep Georgia Beautiful award.'"

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Seeking WaterFirst Designation

page 2

DCA to Receive Federal Water Grant Solid Waste Planning Makes. Headlines

page 3 page 3

Ft. Stewart First Military KAB Affiliafe Burn Ban Begins Host Fees Explained

page 4 page 5 page 8

A newsletter of the Office of Environmental Management, Georgia Department of Community Affairs

community & environment volume two - spring 2004

page 1

City of Hartw,ell Seeking WaterFirst DesiS.n. .a.t.i.o..n.....



It's hard to escape water in the City of Hartwell. And why would you want to? Lake Hartwell drives much of the area's growth and provides city residents with their drinking water. And while the U.S. Army Corps of Engin_eers is charged with protecting the lake, city leaders wanted to do their share, and maybe a little more. By applying for DCA's WaterFirst classification, they're making a longterm investment in their community's welfare. WaterFirst is more than a pat on the back or ceremonial T-shirt for local governments. "Once they receive designation they are eligible for one point off the borrowing rate for any water related state loan from the Georgia . Environmental Facilities Authority," said Leigh Askew, the DCA program coordinator who runs the WaterFirst program. "They can apply every year for water-related Community Development Block Grants, rather than every other year, and we are continuing to work to develop other incentives and benefits for them." Among the first tangible benefits WaterFirst applicants' can expect is a visit from Askew, who spends much of her time on the road, visiting applicants and designees. The process is community-specific, but the WaterFirst classmates share one basic homework assignment: educating their customers, both residential and commercial water users, about the importance of a clean water supply.

"It's a basic necessity and we really take it for granted," Askew said. "You don't think about how complicated water is. 'But it's very complicated to take it from the source, clean it, use it, clean it again, and either return it or reuse it." Ken Lystiuk, chief operator for the City of Hartwell's water treatment plant, gave several reasons for pursuing WaterFirst status. Besides the obvious financial incentives, he said the city has always tried to foster an image of being a clean place to live and visit. "It's a little bit of bragging rights too," Lystiuk said. "It's a way to show the citizens we care about the water Here." , The city's timing is right to implement an aggressive water stewardship program. Hartwell has recently added a big-box retail store and two restaurants, and Lystiuk said more are on the way. The city's 4.5 million gallons per day (mgd) water treatment plant averages about 1.7 mgd, so Hartwell can accommodate the growth, at least for now. Hartwell has adopted an ordinance requiring new subdi~isions to tie in to the city's sewer system, if they are within 1,000 feet of the line. "We're not going to have any new septic systems come in," said Lystiuk. "For existing septic, we're looking at educating the homeowners about how they need to maintain their septic systems." All but a few dozen of Hartwell's 2,700 residential and business water

users have metered billing, which helps identify leaks. Lystiuk said about 13% of the city's water usage, or about 220,000 gallons per day, is unaccounted for. Installing the remaining meters and monitoring the bills should reduce that number significantly. The city will flag unusually high water users with door hangars stating their consumption is high, and they should check their system for leaks. With a sound water delivery infrastructure in place, Hartwell is now reviewing its ordinances, and working to tie in its drought contingency plan with other changes. Educational plans have included distributing water conservation brochures provided by DCA, running articles in the local newspaper, and getting local youth groups to stencil storm drains. One of the strengths of the WaterFirst program is that it is not an unfunded mandate demanding action. It is something a community seeks for itself, on its own, out of a desire to do something a little more, a little better. WaterFirst requires commitment to achieve, but not necessarily a big financial investment. "I think you want to either maintain the status quo or do better," Askew said. "And you can do better than the status quo with what you have." For more information about the WaterFirst program, contact Leigh Askew at laskew@dca.state.ga.us or by phone at 404-679-4998.

D N R Iss u e s Wa t e r in g.R....e..s. .t.r..i..c..t..i.o..niiiilliils.'

_

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has adopted permanent outdoor watering restrictions, regardless of whether Georgia is in a drought. The restrictions are not an outright ban and do not apply to commercial outdoor water use. The new rules limit outdoor water use at odd-numbered home addresses to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Outdoor water use is limited at even-

numbered home addresses to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. No outdoor home water use is allowed on Fridays. Farmers and commercial car washes are exempt, along with newly installed landscapes, food gardens and any outdoor water use that is needed to keep a business running. During periods of drought the rules become progressively stricter. To view

a copy of the DNR's outdoor water restrictions rule, go to www.conservewatergeorgia.net. To help encourage water conservation, DCA has distributed over 300,000 free water conservation brochures to local governments, businesses and non-profit organizations. For more information, contact Joe Dunlop at 404-679-1598 or jdunlop@dca.state.ga.us.

page 2

www.dca.slale.ga.us

DCA Awarded EPA Water Grant
DCA has received a federal grant that will enable it to become a local government clearinghouse for water issues relating to urban non point sources of pollution. "The main objective of this project is to develop the capacity of local governments and local government officials to address urban water quality issues on a watershed basis, regardless of political boundaries," said Randy Hartmann, director of DCA's Office of Environmental Management. "Most of the environmental issues local governments have dealt with occur within their jurisdictions, but to be truly effective, water issues must be addressed on a regional or watershed basis." DCA will hire a program manager to serve as a single point of contact for local governments to use when they are seeking state or federal support to address issues related to local water quality. That person will join 13 resource network of qualified public and private experts and programs to assist local governments dealing with stormwater management issues. DCA will develop r~sources to promote smart growth principles and water quality, develop model ordinances, identify best management practices and develop water-related public education materials.
ChipperlGrinder Workshop Scheduled
Why pay to throw wood waste in a landfill when it can be reused to save money, energy and water? Local government officials looking to save public works dollars should attend a yard trimmings/Construction & Demolition waste management workshop. The July 28 workshop in Gainesville is being sponsored by DCA, the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center, and the North Georgia Resource Management Authority.

Solid Waste Planning

in the Headlines

The workshop will cover management options that are more beneficial than landfilling, including the pros and cons of owning a chipper/grinder and hiring a contractor. The workshop will be of interest to local government planners and managers, public works employees, recycling coordinators, parks maintenance employees and construction site managers. For more information, contact Mary Harrington at mharring@dca.state.ga.us or 404679-3144.
Special Event Recycling Guide Available
DCA has produced a guide for greening your next special event. The special event recycling guide gives event organizers a detailed description of waste reduction and recycling options, including a chronological checklist to use when planning your event. Outdoor fairs, festivals and sporting events or indoor conferences will benefit from the simple waste diversion steps described in the four-page pamphlet. The guide is available on DCA's Web site at www.dca.state.ga.us/ environmental or by contacting Joe Dunlop at 404-679-1598 or jdunlop@dca.state.ga.us
Special Events Recycling Guide

,
, Solid waste planning was recently thrust into the spotlight when the Environmental Protection Division determined that a private landfill permit application was inconsistent withTaliaferro County's solid waste management plan and rejected the permit application. Taliaferro qounty commissioners were briefly jailed for refusing to issue a letter stating the controversial landfill was in accordance with their solid waste management plan. However, county leaders acquiesced, and the application was sent to EPD. EPD then conducted its own review and concluded that the proposed landfill was not compatible with the county's plan. It was noted that the proposed facility had an impact upon four of the. five core planning elements. As Georgia continues to move toward fewer, much larger landfills than it relied on in the past, landfill siting issues promise to become ever more contentious. Many local government 1O-year solid waste management plans are coming due this year and next, and cases like Taliaferro's only highlight their importance. Local governments are required to review their current plans and incorporate a procedure to document "plan consistency" in their land limitation element - a. new requirement in the revised solid waste planning standards that went into effect January 1, 2004. For a model "plan consistency" procedure, or for more information about the new solid waste
. management planning procedures, contact Mary Harrington at mharring@dca.state.ga.us or call (404) 679-3144.

community & environment

page 3

Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield Nation's First Military KAB

One of the newest Keep America Beautiful affiliates in Georgia showcases what the program has become in the state, and what it can offer local communities. Keep Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield (HAAF) Beautiful is the first military Keep America Beautiful affiliate in the country. "What's more, it's two installations in one, so it's sort of a regional Keep America Beautiful affiliate," said Lynn Cobb, manager of the Keep Georgia Beautiful program. "We're just thrilled," said Carla Goodwin, of Fort Stewart's Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division. Goodwin worked for eight years as head of Keep Liberty Beautiful before taking a job at the home of the 3'd Infantry Division. "After putting our heads together, and asking questions, we became interested in becoming an affiliate." Keep Fort Stewart/HAAF Beautiful was certified May 27. With the addition of the military affiliate, Georgia now boasts 67KAB affiliates. Other recent affiliates include Keep Polk County Beautiful, Keep Jackson County Beautiful and Keep Newnan Beautiful. And at least three other communities have begun the application process. "The Kee'p Aroerica Beautiful system in Georgia has (eached a tipping point where instead of having to market the program, we have the household recognition where people interested in

beautifying their community say 'OK, we'll call Keep Georgia Beautiful,'" Cobb said. U.S. military bases aren't known for their clutter, and Fort Stewart/HAAF was no exception. But Goodwin and DPW Environmental Division Public Relations Specialist, Anna Chafin, realized many of the civilians and contractors working on the installation and many of the military families living on Fort Stewart and HAAF could benefit from a KAB affiliate. Goodwin said base residents have been enthusiastic about meeting the Department of Defense's aggressive 40% waste reduction goal, and in improving their communities. "The outpouring of support frpm the military community has been wonderful," she said. "We've already mentioned doing Waste in Place, and they are thrilled. When you mention clean up, they say 'Where do you want to clean up?' instead of having to twist arms." Like the other affiliate directors, Goodwin can expect to benefit from a network of her peers from around the state, and support for local events. Every year, Keep Georgia Beautiful staff distribute tons of material to local affiliates to help them run smooth Bring One for the Chipper Christmas tree recycling programs and Great American Cleanups. Training opportunities available through Keep 'Georgia Beautiful include Waste in the Workplace, for K-6th grade teachers and Waste- A Hidden

Resource, for 7-12th grade teachers.

Affiliate directors can attend training

at the annual Chairman's Institute and

Red Top sessions, and if their peers

think they're doing a good job, they'll

probably be nominated for an award

at the annual Keep Georgia Beautiful

Awards Luncheon.

After 13 years with the program, Cobb

can readily identify common attributes

of successful KAB affiliates:

They come to the training

workshops offered where they .

benefit not only from the

instruction and exercises on

the workshop agenda, but

also gain valuable insight

from their peers across the

state.

.

They have supportive,

interested board members

wtio interact with the

community and affiliate

volunteers.

They have nurtured their

volunteer base to ensure a

ready supply of helpers for

events.

For a community facing deep-seated

problems involving crime and poverty,

beautification may seem like the last

thing on civic leaders' minds. But

according to Cobb, residents often

want to begin with something tangible,

which will produce visible results.

"It seems to boil down to a community

saying 'Where do we begin? We

begin by cleaning up,' and that's why I

think we're always in the picture,"

Cobb said.

Interested in Startin

America Beautiful Affiliate?

Step 1: Gain Support Your sponsoring organization or local government submits an application to Keep America Beautiful, Inc. on behalf of your community. Included with the application is a letter from your highest ranking public official(s) endorsing the formation of a local KAB affiliate. Form a pre-certification team with representatives from government, businesses, and the community, and pay a one-time certification fee.

Step 2: Pre-certification Your selected community representatives are given step-by-step instruction from a KAB professional trainer and receive materials to complete the certification process, including securing an executive director. Step 3: Certification Upon completion of the certification requirements, KGB Manager Lynn Cobb and a KAB trainer traveL to your community to conduct the certification

meeting and training for your executive director and the newly formed board of directors/committee/commission members; help set the affiliate's firstyegr program goals, and officially certify your community's KAB affiliate in a public ceremony. Contact Keep Georgia Beautiful at 404-679-4940, or onlin~ at www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org.

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www.dca.state.ga.us

Outdoor Burn Ban Imposed in 45 Counties Arou.nd Atlanta

The annual ban on open burning of yard debris resumed May 1. The open burn ban is an important part of Georgia's plan to improve air quality, particularly during the m~tropolitan Atlanta ozone season, which runs through September. The ban applies to the following 45 north Georgia counties:

Banks Barrow Bartow Butts Carroll Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clayton Cobb Coweta Dawson DeKalb Douglas Fayette

Floyd Forsyth Fulton Gordon Gwinnett Hall Haralson Heard Henry Jackson Jasper Jones Lamar Lumpkin Madison

Meriwether Monroe Morgan Newton Oconee Paulding Pickens Pike Polk Putnam Rockdale Spalding Troup Upson Walton

Instead of burning yard debris, leaves and tree limbs should be composted

or chipped for use as mulch. Some landfills also process yard waste into mulch for county residents. The burn ban is expected to result in increased solid waste disposal, particularly for inert landfills. A fact sheet regarding the burn ban and alternatives to burning is available at www.dnr.state.ga.us/dnr/environ. (Click on 'outreach.') While the ban on burning yard debris is seasonal, the permanent ban on burning construction and demolition waste applies year-round. C&D waste must be sent to a permitted landfill for disposal. The open burn ban is one of several tools used to control air pollution in metro Atlanta. Others include:
Vehicle emissions testing Cleaner-burning low sulfur gasoline (sold year-round in the above 45 counties) More stringent emissions controls on power plants Changes in commuter behavior, such as observing

speed limits, car and van pooling, teleworking and greater use of mass transit. Air pollution comes primarily from the burning of fuels and other combustible materials. Ozone forms in the summer when volatile organic compounds (VOC) react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars, trucks and industrial emissions. For more information about alternatives to outdoor burning, contact DCA at 404-679-4940 or online at www.dca.state.ga.us.

Solid Waste Mana ement PowerPoint Available Online

DCA has prepared a PowerPoint presentation which describes changing solid waste management trends in Georgia. Looking at the potential impact these trends have upon the way local governments manage solid waste generated within their communities, the presentation compiles a decade's worth of information reported to the EPD and collected in DCA's Annual Solid Waste Management Survey and Full Cost survey. Issues of landfill disposal capacity and landfill tipping fees are presented statewide and by ROC. In addition, the presentation examines the changing role local governments have played over the last decade in providing or arranging for solid waste, recycling, and yard trimmings collection and management services. Some of the more interesting trends include:

The state has over 25 years of permitted Municipal Solid Waste

(MSW) disposal capacity and 14 years of Construction & Demolition

(C&D) disposal capacity. In the past two years the amount of new

permitted C&D disposal capacity nearly doubled.

The amount of available permitted disposal capacity is concentrated

in a few privately owned and operated landfills.

One third of the MSW permitted capacity in the state resides in 3

privately owned and operated facilities and half of the MSW

permitted capacity can be found in just 5 privately owned and

operated facilities.

.

In 2003, waste from out-of-state sources accounted for 10.8% of the

municipal solid waste disposed in Georgia, a significant increase

from just 4.8% in 1999.

Of the 58 MSW landfills in the state, 43 were owned by the public

sector'- accepting 3 million tons of waste for disposal in 2003 and

15 were owned by the private sector - accepting 7.6 million tons of

waste for disposal.

The statewide average tipping fee for municipal solid waste disposal

fell from $33.50 per ton in 2002 to $33.26 per ton in 2003.

A copy of the complete presentation with presentation notes can be found at http://www.dca.state.ga.us/environmental/ 2004_GA_Sol id_Waste_Repo rt_files/frame. htm

community & environment

page 5

resources are and the need to educate children, teachers and parents about this natural resource. "One of the important lessons we vyanted the students to leave this festival with is that students in Atlanta depend on the same water that

students in Columbus and farther downriver will be using," said Lynn Cobb, Keep Georgia Beautiful manager. With support and encouragement from the Water Systems Council, Cobb and her staff visited a water festival in Nebraska

during Georgia's five-year drought, and realized Georgia students could benefit from something similar. Keep Georgia Beautiful will turn over much of the organization to local groups for subsequent festivals. Because the students were learning about water throughout the school year, organizers aligned Festival activities with Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) Georgia state standards. Students were tested on their water knowledge at the beginning of the school year, and again at the end of the fourth grade to gauge the Festival's effectiveness. Student scores increased 20 points when taking the post-festival exam. Next spring on the campus of Dalton State College students will get familiar with watershed names like the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Tennessee. Organizing partners for the 2004 ACF Children's Water Festival included the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Columbus State University, Columbus Water Works,
Environmental Protection Agency Region4, Georgia DCA, Georgia DNR, Georgia Power, Georgia Conservancy, Keep Columbus Beautiful, Oxbow Meadows Envi ronmental Learning Center, University of Georgia and the Water Systems Council. For more information about the 2005 Children's Water Festival, contact Suki Janssen at sjanssen @dca.state.ga.us or 404-679-3152.
Photos on facing page and cover
NNNJ'iJj9/..x:xd3.a;rn

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www.dca.state.ga.us

Special thanks go to our Festival

sponsors:

Victory Lane

Columbus State University

Columbus Water Works

Georgia Power

-Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation

Oxbow Meadows Environmental

Learning Center

The Water Systems Council

Pole Position

AFLAC

Butler, Wooten, Fryhofer, Daughtery

& Sullivan

.

The Coca-Cola Company

MeadWestvaco

Schuster Enterprises

Synovus

Pit Crew

Callaway Blue Springs Water

Columbus Bank and Trust

Greystone Properties, LLC

Southern Linc

Wade Linen Service

WICOR Industries

community & environment

page 7

Office of
60 Executive Park South, N.E. Atlanta,. Ga. 30329-2231 404-679-4940 www.dca.state.ga.us/environmental
If you would like to be removed from or added to our mailing list, or would prefer to receive this publication in electronic (pdf) format, please contact Joe Dunlop at 404-679-1598 or jdunlop@dca.state.ga.us

Landfill.Host Fees Required, but Not Always Collected

For some local governments wondering how they can continue operating popular but expensive recycling programs in the face of tight budgets, the answer may be closer than they think. The Solid Waste Management Act requires local governments to charge a host fee on waste disposed in privately operated landfills in their jurisdiction.

OCGA 12-8-39, section (d) reads

"Effective January 1, 1992, when a

municipal solid waste disposal facility

is operated by private enterprise, the

host local government is authorized

and required to impose a surcharge

of $1.00 per ton or volume

.

equivalent in addition to any other negotiated charges or fees which shall be imposed by and paid to the host local government for the facility and shall be used to offset the impact of the facility, public education efforts for solid waste management, the cost of solid waste management, and the administration of the local or regional solid waste management plan; provided, however, that such surcharges may be used for other governmental expenses to the extent not required to meet the above or other solid waste management needs. " With Solid Waste Trust Fund dollars not being appropriated for their

intended use in Fiscal Year 2004 and FY 2005, local governments with landfills in their jurisdiction may want to use host fees to pay for programs. Host fees can be used for salaries for local code enforcement officers, education programs and capital improvements to local recycling facilities. The following counties have privately operated disposal facilties within their jurisdiction: Banks, Barrow, Bibb, Butts, Charlton, Chatham, Cherokee, Coffee, Columbia, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Lowndes, Taylor, Walton and Wayne.

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www.dca.state.ga.us