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CITY PA GES WHERE DOES IT GO AFTER IT’S FLUSHED? Some residents are concerned that Athens-CIarke County’s new “flush truck"— now being used to wash downtown streets in hopes of mitigating odor problems—is environmentally unsound, particularly during a prolonged drought The city began using the truck last month, after downtown merchants com plained of a lingering stench. At ng the sus pected sources of the smell are leaky garbage bags from bars and clubs, which sometimes sit on the sidewalks for hours before p»ck-up. Urine and vomit left behind by patrons are also recurrent nuisances. The flush truck is meant to complement the efforts of business owners, some cf whom are washing down sidewalks with garden hoses. The problem, says Athens photographer Gary Crider, is that expelling waste down storm drains doesn’t make it go away, but discharges it into streams and rivers. “I’ve organized several cleanups on the [North Oconee] river in boats," says Crider, “and I’ve always noticed that there’s virtu ally no trash upstream of downtown, but as soon as you get to downtown and below, there’s just tons of stuff. It could all be coming just from roadways, but it seems like those drains would be suspect.” “My main question is, where exactly do those pipes [from the storm drains] run, and is there any filter or outlet of some sort where debris can get out of the pipes before it goes into the river?” says Crider. “I’m real surprised that nobody has addressed that." David Clark, director of ACC Transportation and Public Works, says storm drain runoff leaves downtown in four directions and ends up in the river or Tanyard Branch (which runs under Sanford Stadium to the river). Clark says debris fil ters are part of the SPLOST-funded improve ments now in progress downtown. In the meantime, Clark believes the street sweeper that goes ahead of the flush truck is “doing its job” in preventing trash frpm being washed away. “There’s concentrations of material building up on the pavement: oils, antifreezes, trash, beer residue, everything,” says ACC Solid Waste director Jim Corley. “We’re picking up the particulate matter: the cigarette butts, the bottle caps, and cleaning up anything we can with the sweeper.” “We’re then diluting what else is there. If you just let it all sit, when you get a major rain storm you get a very strong slug of material, whereas we’re at least trying to get it cleaned up and keep it diluted." Corley says that, in response to drought conditions, the flush truck is being used only in “areas that are heavily concentrated with restaurants and bars." On its abbreviated route, the truck sprays approximately 4,400 gallons of w'ater. For their part, business owners are expected to abide by the odd- even and hourly restrictions when washing sidewalks. Athens resident and clean water activist Beth Fraser says she realizes rain would eventually do the job of the flush truck, but thinks it’s “kind of strange that the govern ment would spend $91,000 [the cost of the flush truck] to speed up that process." According to Corley, the flush truck was purchased by Athens-CIarke County to replace another 14-year-old truck. “I agree that downtown literally stinks," Fraser says, “but to me it’s not the local gov ernment’s responsibility—or the taxpayers’ responsibility. It’s the businesses’ responsibility. You go [downtown] at eight o’clock in the morning and they’ve got bags of recycled glass that have beer oozing out of them and [the smell] liter ally takes your breath away." “Obviously there’s something they can do about that. You just rinse out your bottles and put them out there when they recycle, not every night.” “I’m just amazed at the cavalier attitude,” says Crider. “‘Well if it smells bad and looks bad, let’s just flush it down the drain, and that’s it.’ Why put it out on the street to begin with? The drains are just like a toilet." At least one member of the business com munity doesn't see a need for the flush truck at all. “Where you serve food and you serve alcohol you’re going to have odors. That’s just part of life," says Chris Springfield, owner of the Winery on East Clayton Street. “I’ve never walked through this town and been overwhelmed by any odor to the extent that I thought it would be blocking any business or anything like that." Springfield is one of three downtown restaurateurs contacted for this article who were not aware of the flush truck. “I don’t know a whole lot about [clean-up efforts] other than I don’t think we have a huge problem,” he says. “It’s never bothered me." GREENBACKS FOR THE GREEN SPACE Athens-CIarke County could be eligible for nearly half a million dollars in state funds under Governor Roy Barnes’ green space preservation initiative. The program, approved earlier this year by the Georgia General Assembly, will divide $30 million among select counties that per manently dedicate at least 20 percent of their land to green space. Athens-CIarke now stands to receive about $380,000. ACC Senior Planner Bruce Lonnee says if some of the 40 chosen coun ties elect not to participate, the $30 million will be split among fewer recipients, allowing each county a larger share. “We’re likely to be one of the first coun ties to prepare a plan simply because for the last two and a half years we’ve kind of been raking together the information,” Lonnee says, referring to data gathered to devise Athens-CIarke County’s new comprehensive land use plan. Specifics on how the funds must be spent are still being drawn up by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Lonnee says the money will be used for implementation of green space plans and may include alloca tions for land acquisition. The DNR is also trying to determine what should qualify as green space. Following the latest guidelines, the Sandy Creek Nature Center preserve, for example, would not count toward the requirement, nor would undeveloped space on the University of Georgia campus. “Obviously those are things that drastically affect how we put together a strategy on reaching that 20 percent,” says Lonnee. The DNR expects to consider the rules for adoption sometime in July. Counties vying for a share of the green space grant must submit their plans by the end of this cal endar year. IN OTHER NEWS... Because of stringent ballot access laws, Georgia voters may not be able to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice this November. Green Party nominee Ralph Nader is not on the ballot in Georgia, and state Greens have until 12 neon on July 11 to gather the signrtures of 39,113 voters or be reduced to running a write-in campaign. To sign or circulate a petition, call the Georgia Green Party headquarters at (800) 447-6694. Petitions and instructions for gathering valid signatures are available on-line at greens .org/georg«a/ball ot_access.htm. Two public meetings have been sched uled for Athenians to review plans for two SPLOST-funded drainage projects. On Monday, July 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Brooklyn Creek basin plans will be on dis play at the Clarke Middle School cafeteria. The Cedar Creek basin plans can be seen on Tuesday, July 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the cafeteria at Gaines Elementary School. The county’s Brooklyn Creek plans have stirred some controversy among affected residents, who fear they may lose their homes to detention pond construction. Loca' environ mentalists also say cement detention ponds could be supplanted by constructive wet lands or other eco-friendly devices [City Pages, Mar.8]. For further information con tact SPLOST project manager Dan Cogan, Jr., at 613-3025. The annual Athcns-Ciarke County sur plus auction will be held Saturday, July 8, off of Lexington Road behind the county jail. Registration begins at 8 a.m.; the auction starts at 10 a.m.. Everyone is welcome. The nearly 700 items up for sale will be available for public inspection on July 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (800) 282-8460 for more informa tion. (Brad Aaron) Summer Clothing Sale 20-30% Off Luggage Sale 20% Off New Reef Sandal Shipment arrived! fmyk CnarLons OUTFITTERS. 1225 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30605 706.548.7225 VIDEO LIBRARY $ 1°° Rentals! (VHS & DVD!) 5 DAY RENTAL Best Deals in Athens In Business 20 Years, JULY 5, 2000 nr imv items are here Lotus Basics wvmJotu&eatersxxjm mrcKOira