The Courier-Journal is launching a series of reports on the city of Louisville's ongoing work to clean up its sewer system.
James Bruggers reports: "A decade after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet forced a court-approved, 19-year plan to clean up Jefferson County's wastewater system, a Courier-Journal analysis has found that while much progress has been made, Louisville is still dumping huge volumes of untreated sewage into waterways."
The article kicks off a series of investigations into the accomplishments and shortcomings of the sewer clean up efforts. Bruggers's initial work maps out all the key statistics, like how many spillage sites have been cleaned, how much sewage is still spilling into local waterways, and how much the ongoing project will cost when it's complete.
As noted by Bruggers, Louisville is just one of many cities around the country tasked with enforcing federal requirements for keeping sewage out of local waterways.
FULL STORY: Yuck! Louisville still has $943M sewer problem
Florida Plagued by Sewage Spills
The state’s aging sewage infrastructure is failing, but the cost to replace it would be monumental.
St. Petersburg Struggling to Keep its Sewage out of its Bays
A writer for the Tampa Bay Times critiques the city of St. Petersburg's response to repeat storm events that have sent millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into its public waters.
Comment: EPA Cuts will Send Atlanta Back to Eye-burning Ozone, Lung-damaging Smog, and Raw Sewage in the Chattahoochee River
A veteran political journalist takes stock of the hard-earned ground Georgia stands to lose with slashed environmental protection.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service