Air

Non-attainment

Metroplan is currently involved in a variety of efforts to safeguard and improve the air quality of the region. The Ozone Action Days program is a cooperative effort to raise awareness in the region about ground level ozone pollution. The Central Arkansas Clean Cities/Arkansas Clean Transportation Partnership is an effort to encourage the use of alternative fuels in transportation.

Central Arkansas violated the eight-hour ozone standard prescribed by the Environmental Protection Agency in March of 2008. Governor Beebe recommended Pulaski County be designated a non-attainment area in central Arkansas. The EPA must make a formal non-attainment declaration by March 2010.

We will continue to operate current air quality programs as well as monitor and share information about federal and state policies related to non-attainment.

Carbon Footprint

It is very likely that carbon and other greenhouse gases will be regulated in the near future. With that in mind, we will be pursuing the measurement of the region’s carbon footprint with the assistance of a consultant. This will help us make informed decisions about the most effective ways to reduce the region’s carbon footprint going forward and we will be able to measure our progress.

We will also monitor and share information about federal and state policies related to carbon regulation.

Water

High-quality, abundant and affordable drinking water is critical to the quality of life in and future development of central Arkansas. Conserving water not only preserves natural resources and delays our need for new water sources, but is also an economic and energy issue.  Water is getting more expensive to supply, treat, dispose of, and treat again.  These processes use a large amount of energy, which is increasing in price and passed on to the users.  By conserving water in the region, we can reduce the economic burden of higher water bills on consumers and reduce our environmental impact by using less energy and preserving our natural resources.

In order to determine what our region’s water conservation goals should be, it is necessary to conduct an analysis of current usage.  Once we know how much we are using, a regional water conservation strategy could be developed with the support of all the water utilities and MAWA. We will be researching the feasibility and possible funding sources for developing a regional water conservation plan.

Metroplan is the secretariat for the Mid-Arkansas Water Alliance (MAWA), a cooperative effort of twenty-seven water utilities in seven central Arkansas counties to jointly acquire new long-term drinking water sources.  Metroplan has been involved first with Little Rock Waterworks and now with Central Arkansas Water, to protect the Lake Maumelle watershed in the face of increased development pressures. 

Green Infrastructure

A green infrastructure plan basically identifies areas that you want to preserve, don’t want to build in (wetlands, forest lands, and then looks for places that are better suited for development.

“Green infrastructure is the network of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spaces that are strategically planned and managed to conserve their ecological functions while also providing associated benefits to human populations.”   – National Association of Regional Councils, Green Regions

“[A]gencies can collaborate, share resource data and plans, and agree on the locations of ecologically important areas and the important resources there. When possible, they may then try to avoid infrastructure development in these areas. If mitigation is necessary, it can be directed to the particularly important locations.” – Federal Highway Administration, Eco-logical

Elements of a Green Infrastructure Plan

1.      Involve all possible stakeholders.

2.      Inventory, prioritize, and analyze conservation areas in our region with GIS.

3.      Design green infrastructure plan to connect natural resources and preserve areas.

4.      Conduct outreach and monitor green infrastructure plan adoption.

Local advantages

1.      Adds another layer to transportation planning

2.      Holistic approach to conservation and mitigation

3.      Developers will be able to identify and avoid conflict areas

4.      Improved water & air quality

 
A regional green infrastructure plan could be developed as a component of a larger regional master plan.  We will be researching and investigating green infrastructure plans, which seek to identify areas that the region wants to discourage development.