Greening Your Neighborhood from the Ground Up

(NAPSI) - When you get down to it, the way your place is paved can have a greater effect than many realize on how well the environment fares.
Here's Why:
The right road, street and parking lot paving can lower stormwater runoff and so reduce pollution. Many people are asking the people in charge of paving to consider using permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) on upcoming projects.
They look like popular concrete paving stones but are set in with small spaces between them. The space is filled with small stones to allow runoff to filter down and into the soil. They come in a variety of styles and colors to suit most places and purposes.

Written by NAPSI via Imperial Valley News.
Go Here for full story: http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7238&Itemid=23

Milwaukee Public Library installs green roof

 - By Don Behm of the Journal Sentinel

The roof of Milwaukee's Central Library sprang to life, and went to work, in Friday's steady rain.
Thousands of sedum, a ground-covering plant, and clumps of chive and ornamental grasses - all perennials - were planted Friday in a six-inch layer of small gravel and soil spread across 30,000 square feet - nearly seven-tenths of an acre - to create a green roof atop the historic building, said Taj Schoening, business operations manager for the Milwaukee Public Library.
Its job is to mimic nature. The living roof will collect and store thousands of gallons of rainwater during a downpour, rather than allowing the clean water to drain immediately to a street sewer, Schoening said.
Each gallon of fresh water kept out of the pipes decreases the risk of sewer overflows, according to Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.













GO HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/93174094.html

Filtering stormwater, the way it’s done now

Maple Ridge News - Filtering stormwater, the way it’s done now By Phil Melnychuk

Drop by drop, the effect cars, roads and roofs have on Maple Ridge streams is declining.

Thanks to the 2006 Watercourse Protection Bylaw, the amount of storm water that used to rush into creeks and streams, scouring out fish habitat and dumping pollutants, is dropping as builders get used to the new rules that control rainwater.
Two recent townhouse developments about to get final approval, one on 237th Street, the other on 240th Street, both use natural biofiltration techniques to capture the runoff, cleanse it of most contaminants, then slowly release it back into nature’s system.
Such measures are part of all new developments, said Chuck Goddard, the district’s manager of development and environmental services.















GO HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE: http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/news/93439744.html

Permeable pavers are eco-friendly

Permeable paving systems are a highly valuable asset, and in recent years they have gained popularity because of tightening storm water regulations and consumer environmental concerns. Water-permeable paving surfaces have many applications, from a drivable surface across a lawn area in which grass is allowed to grow through them, to a driveway or parking area through which water can pass without running off. These systems are both eco-friendly and exceed Environmental Protection Agency stormwater requirements.

In commercial applications, it is possible that the retention ponds now required to handle surface water can be minimized because of the advantages of permeable pavers. This represents a substantial savings in land utilization while providing a highly desirable appearance, an extended useful life with reduced maintenance costs.

This is an excerpt from a column in the Wausau Daily Herald. Go Here for Full Story: http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100501/WDH04/5010394/1619

Focus on Geosynthetics: New York Federation's Spring Conference

 (via geosynthetica.net) - From 16-19 May 2010, the Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations will hold its conference and trade show. The event, which will operate under the theme "Strive for Sustainability," will be one of this year's best opportunities for geosynthetic containment discussions. Among the more than 90 technical sessions, two sessions may be of particular interest to geosynthetics professionals: "New Horizons in Geosynthetics" and "Let the Sun Shine Down: Solar Landfill Caps."

GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.geosynthetica.net/news/article/2010/Federation_WasteConference_042310.aspx