Taking Action to Tighten Standards

by Melissa Swanson

Chattanooga's forward-thinking Green Committee worked with the public to create a plan to revitalize the city's environment.

In 1969 Chattanooga's air was the most polluted in the entire nation. Alarmed and pained by their city's deterioration, Chattanoogans began a revolution: they cleaned up the air and water, and in 1989 met the Environmental Protection Agency's standards for air quality. In the process, the city was reborn and became a thriving center of life and business.

That was 20 years ago. The EPA has tightened its standards, and Chattanooga's carbon footprint has gone up 25 percent. Chattanooga is still committed to improving, and that's why in January of this year, the recently appointed Chattanooga Green Committee unveiled its new Climate Action Plan.

Read the rest of the story in Chattanooga Magazine's EnviroLink 2009 supplement! Available now online or at local booksellers like Barnes and Noble, A Novel Idea on Frazier Avenue, or at Rock Point Books on Broad Street.