“Sustainability: Urban and Rural” was the theme of the Pennsylvania Resources Council’s annual awards dinner this week in West Conshohocken.

Denis P. O’Brien, President of PECO Energy Company, served as the 2006 Honorary Dinner Chair and the keynote speaker was Donald S. Welsh, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region III.

Over 200 business, government and community leaders as well as elected officials from throughout the Commonwealth attended the dinner.

Legislators in attendance included Sen. Ted Erickson (R-Delaware), Rep. Bill Adolph (R-Delaware), Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester), Rep. Carole Rubley (R-Chester) and Rep. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery)

PRC recognized five organizations for their commitment to sustainability in the categories of community, conservation, education, energy and sustainable design/development.

The award winners were Swarthmore Borough for its leadership in the community; PNC Bank for its corporate leadership in conservation; Delaware Valley Green Building Council for its leadership in environmental education; Gamesa for its leadership in green energy; and, Re:Vision Architecture for its leadership in sustainable design and development.

Special recognition went to Clifford Jones, former DER Secretary, PUC Commissioner, Secretary of Commerce and President of PA Chamber of Business and Industry who received the prestigious award named after two of PRC’s founders – Hilda Fox and Cynthia Calhoun. Dr. Jones is being recognized for his exemplary career in environmental conservation that spans several decades. Mr. Jones’ son Brad was present to accept the award on his behalf.

Video Blog: PRC Recognizes Cliff Jones.

Larry Holley, head of DEP’s Division of Waste Minimization and Planning, was also recognized for his work with PRC and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and their partners to advance recycling and anti-litter efforts in Pennsylvania.

Keynote speaker Don Welsh said the charge President Bush gave EPA was to “accelerate the pace of environmental protection while maintaining our nation’s economic competitiveness” and to think critically about how EPA carries out its mission.

“In tackling these priorities we are exploring better, more innovative approaches to managing and preventing pollution in ways that gain the best outcomes for the environment,” said Welsh. He highlighted several projects underway with a variety of partners in the region—

· Philips Lighting pledged to reduce mercury in their light bulb manufacturing operations by 780 pounds a year;

· 73 Energy Star certified buildings in Pennsylvania prevent 100 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions;

· 27 facilities in this region are participating in the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities Program to save energy and reduce pollution by over 510,000 pounds;

· The Great Valley School District and Chester County Intermediate Unit are working with EPA’s Clean School Bus program to cleanup diesel emissions from their bus fleet; and

· PECO, EPA and the Energy Coordinating Agency are cooperating on a cool roofs program that teaches building owners the energy benefits of cool roofs.

“Many of these projects involve companies and people going way beyond what we could have asked them to do under some law or regulation,” said Welsh. “And they’re doing it because it’s the right thing for them to do for their communities and their businesses.”

Here’s more on each award winner—

Gamesa, a publicly traded company based in Spain that focuses its activities on technologically innovative businesses such as wind and solar energy, is a worldwide leader within the global renewable energy industry. Gamesa develops, constructs, operates and maintains wind and solar facilities throughout the world.

Gamesa’s activities within the wind energy sector started back in 1994, when wind energy was unknown to most of us as a feasible and technologically reliable source of energy. Since then a lot of wind has been blowing and continues to blow making this industry one the fastest growing worldwide.

Gamesa has installed more than 7,000 wind turbines in places as widespread and diverse as Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina; Inner Mongolia, China, Dixon, Illinois or Altoona, Pennsylvania.

After several years of hard investigative work, in September 2004, Gamesa chose the U.S. state where it would base its U.S. manufacturing facilities. Inspired by the leadership provided by Governor Rendell and DEP Secretary McGinty, Gamesa selected Pennsylvania. What has happened since then?

Gamesa can proudly say that we have our headquarters and east coast business development office located in Philadelphia and we have successfully launched industrial activities at our wind blades manufacturing plant in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, and in 2005, Gov. Rendell announced the first fully integrated wind turbine plant in the U.S. now operational in Fairless Hills, Bucks County, in the U.S., where we are manufacturing the three main elements of a wind turbine, the blades, the nacelles and the towers.

As a wind energy developer, Gamesa is also moving forward and is currently building in two phases the largest wind farm in Pennsylvania. Once the construction of the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm is completed in 2007, it will double the wind energy capacity of the state of Pennsylvania, which is now 153 MW. The Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm has a capacity of 150 MW.

Gamesa remains determined to base in Pennsylvania its business strategy for North America, increase our shareholders value while protecting the environment and supporting the sustainability of those areas where we perform our activities.

PNC Financial Service Group: The sustainability of the environment shapes the quality of life for today and future generations as well as the economy on which we all depend. Recognizing the importance of wise investments, The PNC Financial Service Group strives to integrate its day-to-day business practices with environmental responsibility.

PNC’s nationally recognized commitment to environmentally friendly business practices has enabled it to lower costs, increase efficiency and productivity as well as improve the health and vitality of the communities where people live, work and play.

PNC is the only major U.S. bank to design and build environmentally friendly branches. PNC has 30 “green” branches throughout its footprint with plans for 90 more across its retail-banking region during the next few years. This includes PNC’s latest green branch at 1305 Main Street in Warrington, PA, which is scheduled to open in December.

PNC Firstside Center in Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is the nation’s largest corporate building to earn green building certification and the PFPC headquarters in Wilmington, Del., is the financial services industry’s only Gold-level certified green building. In late 2008, Three PNC Plaza, a new mixed-use, high-rise complex in downtown Pittsburgh, will open with the latest in environmentally friendly architecture design and building materials.

More than 50 percent of each PNC Bank green branch, now based upon an innovative prototype design for enhanced efficiency, is made from recycled or green materials, such as counter tops made of pressed paper.

Using recycled and local products saves PNC approximately $100,000 per building on construction costs and average construction time is 45 days faster than PNC’s traditional branches. Operating costs are also reduced by nearly 45 percent with maximum of use of natural light plus the super-efficient HVAC system, which is powered by natural gas and electricity based on seasonal pricing benefits.

For customers, the open and airy environment is well-received and complemented by other features such as a concierge desk and internet café to help them bank with ease and confidence. For employees, benefits include higher satisfaction, retention and fewer absences.

PNC is working with the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council to help the Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies in formulating strategies to encourage “green” development. And PNC Real Estate Finance group is ready to assist developers with financing for “green” and high efficiency projects.

Delaware Valley Green Building Council is the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Founded in 2001, the DVGBC’s mission is to advance and promote sustainable and environmentally responsible planning, design, construction and operation of the region’s buildings, landscapes, cities and communities, mindful of the legacy left for future generations.

The DVGBC is a leader in sustainable education in the Delaware Valley. Through seminars, workshops, green building tours and conference programs, the DVGBC has reached out to thousands of people in the area.

In 2005, DVGBC founded the Philadelphia Urban Sustainability Forum – a collaboration of local organizations that produce an annual series of public meetings designed to raise awareness and develop concrete strategies to address some of the most important environmental issues facing Philadelphia.

The Forum is being presented by a unique coalition of groups working to make Philadelphia the greenest, most livable city in America. The issues discussed during the first year of the forum include air, water, energy, waste, smart growth and sustainable neighborhoods, the very issues at the core of the LEED Green Building Rating System.

The DVGBC provided the leadership and vision required to bring together over fifteen diverse organizations to form the steering committee behind the forum. The collaboration includes representatives from environmental groups, local NGO’s, the City of Philadelphia, the State of Pennsylvania and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

To date, over 2,100 people have attended the free public programs that include experts from around the world. Through the collaboration with local government, the Forum has also brought outside experts on environmental and sustainability issues into City Hall to transfer knowledge and inspire local officials.

Every forum program features audience participation and input. An important feature during the upcoming Forum season will be a forum program featuring the candidates for Mayor of Philadelphia discussing their views and positions on environmental issues facing communities throughout the city with questions from the audience.

Swarthmore Borough: The Borough’s commitment to environmental issues goes back almost 40 years, when, in 1970, Borough Council determined that the burning of trash contributed to air pollution, and should be banned.

During the same decade, well before any state mandate to do so, Swarthmoreans began to collect paper and glass for recycling. By the early 1980’s, the town’s Public Works Crew was collecting material curbside from every residence in the Borough.

In 1985, the Borough received its first of many awards from Delaware County for its recycling program, collecting over 300 tons of material that year. In 2006, the Borough, thanks largely to the efforts of the Recycling Committee, expects to surpass 800 tons of collected material, representing a diversion of over 25% from the waste stream.

The Borough has continuously worked to protect its natural environment. In the mid 1990’s, the first of several stream bank restorations began on Little Crum Creek, in an effort to rectify years of erosion and sedimentation.

In 2004, the Borough’s Environmental Advisory Council spearheaded an effort to restore a wetland adjacent to the creek in Little Crum Creek Park, and just last year a local girl scout troop worked with the Borough to create a rain garden in a section of a local tot lot.

In recognition of its continued public funding for the care and protection of street trees, the Borough was awarded its first “Tree City Award” from the Arbor Day Foundation in 1979, and has been a recipient every year since. This is due in large part to the work of the Borough’s Tree Committee, which organizes street tree plantings every fall and spring.

In the 1990’s, the Borough made its first foray into the use of alternative energy, purchasing wind energy to power its traffic lights. In the past several years, traffic signals have been retrofitted with more energy-efficient LED lamps.

In a further commitment to renewable energy, Borough Council is considering participating in the Pennsylvania Clean Energy Communities Campaign, which will increase the Borough’s commitment to purchase 20 percent of its electricity from clean energy by the year 2010. As part of the campaign, the Borough will operate a solar system to provide partial power to Borough Hall.

RE:Vision: Architecture: “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Re:Vision.” Re:Vision Architecture is an architecture, planning, and consulting firm that was established in 2001 to re-vision and restore the balance between natural and built environments.

With buildings consuming 40 percent of the land, water, energy, and raw materials used globally, buildings present the single largest opportunity for changing the sustainability equation. For this reason, RVA has developed a range of services to systematically remove potential barriers to sustainable development, such a as lack of funding, education, community buy-in, or high-performance design.

Architecturally, each of RVA’s projects is designed to create a unique statement of possibility about development that takes less from the planet and gives more to people—more daylight, fresh air, comfort, and joy. RVA’s favorite projects are those that blend age-old sustainability strategies (like passive solar design) with innovative technologies that often require education at the state and local level.

For example, RVA provided technical support for Liberty Property Trust’s well-publicized efforts to install waterless urinals at One Crescent Drive and the Comcast Towers. Similarly, RVA worked with state and local code officials to allow straw bale construction in Aerzen’s U.S. headquarters in Coatesville, PA; straw bale construction is particularly exciting because it creates an exceptionally energy efficient building envelope, sequesters CO2, and supports Pennsylvania’s farmers.

RVA has been involved with many of the local buildings certified by the US Green Building Council, including the W.S. Cumby Office Building (LEED-Certified), One Crescent Drive at the Navy Yard (LEED-Platinum), and the O’Neil Development (LEED-Gold). Among their colleagues in the design and construction field, RVA has made a commitment to collaboration and sharing information about sustainable design. In particular, RVA has been very active in educating contractors about green building and helping them to become certified through the Green Advantage program.

Since RVA’s start, advocacy has been an essential part of the firm’s work and staff members contribute their time through leadership roles in various organizations that support the firm’s mission, such as, the Delaware Valley Green Building Council and the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia. RVA routinely speaks to school groups and community groups about sustainable design—pretty much anyone who will listen!

11/17/2006