MARCH 2024

Special Earth Hour opportunity

March 23 is Earth Hour, an event to increase awareness of climate change by turning off non-essential lights for an hour. Columbia has been participating in Earth Hour since 2009.

The City of Columbia has a special way for folks to commemorate the day this year. We're partnering with Columbia Parks and Recreation for a Nature Walk at Boyd Island during beautiful golden hour, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The event is free, but reservations are required; participants are limited to 50 on a first come, first served basis. For reservations, visit

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/6mewj8s

Columbia Water & Richland County Stormwater Rain Barrel and Compost Bin sale

The City of Columbia and Richland County announce the spring Barrel & Bin program offering "Ivy" rain barrels and backyard compost bins is now open. Columbia Water and Richland County Stormwater are offering the rain barrels to conserve precious water resources as well as to protect water quality. Compost bins are used to reduce household food scarps going into the landfill.

For a limited time and while supplies last residents can order now for a Saturday, March 23 pick up in Columbia from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 3000 Harden Street. Quantities are limited. Deadline to place online order is Wednesday, March 13. There will be no on-site sales.

Read more and place an order here for the Ivy 50 gallon rain barrel and the 65 gallon backyard compost bin: www.rainbarrelprogram.org/columbia-sc.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

March 2024

Bob Petrulis

2024 will be a year of climate action!

Efforts have been ramping up in the Midlands region and at the state level to prepare greenhouse gas emission reduction proposals to the Environmental Protection Agency. The South Carolina Office of Resilience, and the Midlands Area Council of Governments have been developing proposals to facilitate conversion to nonpolluting energy.

At CPAC’s February working session on the 16^th, Jory Fleming shared the draft of the Midlands’ plan with CPAC. Those in attendance had an opportunity to ask questions and provide input into the Midlands draft.

Submitting these preliminary plans is the first step in the process of bringing federal money here for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts. This will help Columbia move forward in its commitment to operate on 100% clean, renewable energy by 2036. The initial plans are due on March 1, with a preliminary set of project proposals to be submitted by April 1.

At CPAC’s next regular meeting on March 1, we’ll discuss priorities for 2024 and hear updates from City departments. We also hope to have an update on recruitment of new CPAC members. If you’re a city resident and would like to serve on the committee, be sure to put your application in at https://boards.columbiasc.gov/.

So, what are your thoughts? What should CPAC prioritize in 2024? We welcome your input by email, phone, or during upcoming CPAC meetings.

I hope to see you at our next CPAC meeting on Friday, March 1 at 9:00 am and at our working session on Friday, March 15. CPAC meets in hybrid format, so you can join us via Zoom or in person at the Public Works building on Colonial Drive. CPAC meetings are open to all. To be added to the notification list for meeting details, agenda, and Zoom link, please contact Mary Pat Baldauf, the City’s Sustainability Facilitator. Conference room space is limited, so please let Mary Pat know if you plan to attend in person.

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