Evansville earns ‘Clean Community’ designation
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Evansville has been named the state’s latest—and largest—Clean Community by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
The designation recognizes Indiana municipalities that have taken steps to make their communities a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable place to live. Municipalities choose projects that fit their own goals.
A ceremony to celebrate the achievement was held Wednesday at the city’s Sunrise Pump Station, a sewage treatment plant that opened in April 2023.
“We are working hard to improve Evansville’s environmental quality and sustainability, and are excited to be recognized as a Clean Community by IDEM for those efforts,” Mayor Stephanie Terry said in a news release. “This designation acknowledges the efforts we have made so far to move toward environmental sustainability and climate resiliency, but it also reminds us of all that there still is to do. We are just getting started.”
The city received the program’s Bronze designation. A spokesperson said to achieve it, the city had to show a clean environmental history—meaning it did not violate any permits the city holds—as well as a commitment letter from the mayor and a “clean team” to help move the process along.
The spokesperson said moving forward, the city has additional projects in the works to build on the designation. They include a collaborative effort to plant additional trees and the passing of a local burn ordinance, a Climate Action Plan, and a GHG inventory. The city is also hosting a “Tox Away Day” this fall.
Evansville, with a population of nearly 121,000 people, is Indiana’s third largest city. It is the ninth municipality to earn the Clean Community designation, the city said. The other Clean Community honorees are Beech Grove, Brown County, Fishers, Fortville, Merrillville, New Chicago, Richmond and Zionsville.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management created the Clean Community Program in the early 2000s. The aim is to recognize communities for their sustainability achievements but also foster collaboration among municipalities and connect them with resources to help meet their goals, according to IDEM.
“Being a ‘Clean Community’ sends a message to residents and visitors that their city values environmental stewardship,” IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess said in the release. “I congratulate Evansville on their work to earn this recognition.”