Recovery Act Backing Jumpstarts Construction Phase of Green Infrastructure Plan

(ATLANTA - February 18, 2010) On Thursday, February 18, 2010, The E.P.A. (EPA) Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Beverly Banister joined officials from Clemson University and the city of Aiken to celebrate Aiken's Green Infrastructure Plan kickoff ceremony in Aiken, SC. This project, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), designed to control the impact of rainwater on the surrounding environment. The ceremony was highlighted with a tour of Sand River and demonstration planting of a rain garden.

"With this innovative project, the city of Aiken is taking a positive step to enhance the city's environmental health and demonstrate community leadership toward sustainability," said Banister. "EPA is committed to helping communities through plans that not only create jobs, but also make a demonstrable difference for the environment and public health."

The city of Aiken received $3.34 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and awarded the Watershed Center 2 related grants: $293,187 to assist in design of bioswales, rain gardens, permeable paving and other low-impact retrofit practices; and $126,359 to develop a research and monitoring plan for Aiken's Green Infrastructure that taps into Clemson's Intelligent River research program. This Plan enhances the city's environmental health and demonstrates community leadership toward sustainability. The project's is anticipated to create approximately 25 to 50 local jobs.

The city of Aiken's Green Infrastructure Plan incorporates sustainable development practices to capture and treat stormwater in downtown watersheds. The Clemson University Center for Watershed Excellence in partnership with the city of Aiken and the engineering firm Woolpert Incorporated is designing and implementing natural treatment systems that will greatly enhance stormwater infiltration in downtown watersheds. The objective is to reduce the impact of stormwater on nearby Sand River and Hitchcock Woods by returning to the principles of how stormwater was treated decades ago, prior to the introduction of pavement, driveways and other impervious structures.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Feb. 17, and has directed the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at www.Recovery.gov.

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