INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has named Beech Grove as one of six Clean Communities in the state.
From April 2021–November 2023, Beech Grove and five other municipalities were pilot participants for the program that replaced the Indiana Clean Community Challenge. Brown County, Fishers, Richmond, and Zionsville earned Silver Status; Merrillville earned Bronze Status.
IDEM retooled the program to accept a broader range of projects, encourage cooperation and partnerships with residents and businesses and reduce time-consuming paperwork requirements.
Beech Grove earned silver-level status and was honored for their participation and accomplishments at the Indiana Clean Community Program annual meeting and program kickoff on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Beech Grove’s Clean Team members included Mayor Dennis Buckley, Wessler Engineering, the Department of Public Works and the Beech Grove Parks Department.
In addition to earning the Tree City USA designation, the city distributes trees to residents through the annual “Going Green in the Grove” event. Beech Grove also has a robust curbside recycling program that collects an average of approximately 38 tons/month. Beech Grove’s food waste reduction program salvaged over 137,000 pounds of food in its third year as a pilot community.
Beech Grove is located in southeast Marion County, started as a “company town” for the railroad repair yards that served the “Big Four” railroads near the turn of the 20th century. It was incorporated as a town in 1906, and has grown through two annexations. When Unigov was established, Beech Grove (named for the abundance of beech trees in its early days), it remained independent from Indianapolis. The town has its own police department, public works, and parks. It has grown to around 15,000 residents and a thriving Main Street with many shops and restaurants.
