Sustainable tourism, an innovative building and a parking lot designed to improve the water quality of creeks were awarded 2010 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards this week.
The three initiatives — two in Chattanooga and one in McMinn County — were the Southeast Tennessee winners among a dozen statewide honorees Gov. Phil Bredesen praised for “raising the bar” to protect the environment.
Pollution Prevention Award
Envisioned as a way to promote and support Chattanooga’s vision for a sustainable city, the Green Lodging program encourages hotels, bed and breakfasts and other lodging facilities and restaurants to be aware of their carbon footprint and take steps to reduce it.
The Chattanooga Green Lodging program has been recognized as a national model for sustainable tourism planning and is internationally recognized by Green Globe.
The program’s proven techniques have a bonus: They save money.
Building Green Award
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee built its corporate headquarters on Cameron Hill, consolidating 4,500 people from 10 locations throughout Chattanooga while using design to reduce energy and operating costs — by $4 million a year.
Once certified, the 950,000-square-foot headquarters on 52 acres will be the largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design project in the state.
Employees have a smoke-free environment, a 17,000-square-foot fitness center, an employee pharmacy and clinic, an outdoor walking path, reflecting pools, more than 25 acres in undisturbed forest and even a historic Civil War memorial — the restored Boynton Park.
Aquatic Resource Preservation Award
With two streams on the state’s impaired waters list, Athens teamed up with the local YMCA to turn a planned traditional parking lot into an all-green one, showcasing new technologies.
The shared City Hall/YMCA parking lot uses pervious concrete and pavers, geoblock green paving and a central rain garden. The garden allows what would be runoff to percolate through six inches of stone beneath the entire lot. Clay berms hold water in the stone base longer. The parking lot should have about a 50-year life, as opposed to asphalt’s 20-year life.
A local Eagle Scout candidate helped build an educational kiosk with the county’s first “green” roof.
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