MAYOR NUTTER, STREETS DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES “CLEAN KITCHEN, GREEN COMMUNITY” PILOT PROGRAM

Philadelphia, May 24, 2012 - Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Streets Department Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson, InSinkErator officials and community leaders launched a new pilot program called “Clean Kitchen, Green Community” to assess how food waste disposers can help the City reach its sustainability goals. In addition to citywide campaign about the benefits of using a food waste disposer, residents along garbage collection routes in West Oak Lane and Point Breeze will participate in a targeted installation and education initiative to examine how much food waste can be diverted from landfills by using a disposer. The City is partnering with InSinkErator, the world’s leading manufacturer of food waste disposers, and community groups Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation (OARC) in West Oak Lane and Diversified Community Services in Point Breeze on the publicity and installation campaigns. 

“Philadelphia is committed to becoming the greenest city in America, and this partnership with InSinkErator is an example of how the private and public sectors can work together to improve the City’s sustainability efforts and residents’ quality of life,” said Mayor Nutter. “We hope this pilot program will point us toward saving tax dollars and a better environment.” 

The targeted installation campaign will correspond with testing households’ waste reduction. The Streets Department will assess the volume and composition of waste generated before, during and after the pilot, evaluating reductions and changes that result from the targeted installation campaign. The City and InSinkErator are partnering with OARC and Diversified Community Services to provide 100 homeowners in each neighborhood with a free waste disposer and installation by a local, licensed plumber. OARC and Diversified Community Services will lead the effort to encourage and arrange the installation of disposers in homes without them and educate residents about how to use them effectively. 

“At the City of Philadelphia Streets Department, we continue to look for innovative and creative ways to help make our city greener, cleaner and more sustainable,” said Streets Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson. “The Clean Kitchen, Green Community pilot program will help us analyze how food waste disposers can divert more waste from landfill, save the City and taxpayers money. We also expect that food waste disposers will be an effective complement to residents’ recycling efforts as a disposer can make it easier for residents to recycle paper, bottles and cans.”   

Food waste constitutes roughly 10 percent of waste from homes in Philadelphia, which goes directly into landfills. Every ton diverted from landfill saves the City $68 in tipping fees. By diverting food waste, the City expects that food waste disposers can save money while not adding to homeowners’ utility costs. Food waste disposers use less than one percent of a household’s total water consumption and cost less than 50 cents per year in electricity to operate. They also reduce kitchen odors from spoiled food and can help reduce the amount rodents and insects around homes. 

Food waste can also be turned into renewable energy and fertilizer products after being processed by Philadelphia’s wastewater treatment plants. Once disposed, food waste is transported through underground sewer lines to the City’s advanced wastewater treatment plants. Methane generated from the anaerobic digestion of food waste at the plants can be converted into heat and electricity to power the plants; the solids that remain are processed into fertilizer pellets suitable for use on regional farms.  Putting food waste down the disposer also prevents the local trucking of heavy, soggy trash, and keeps it from ending up in landfills, where organic waste decomposes and produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 

“Food waste disposers take food waste out of trash trucks and put it into a wastewater system designed to convert the waste to beneficial biogas energy and fertilizer. This approach is sustainable and allows us to reduce household waste, create energy, and recycles the waste into biosolids pellets for beneficial farming uses,” said Water Commissioner Howard Neukrug. 

“InSinkErator is very excited to partner with the City of Philadelphia to help achieve Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks goals. Food waste disposers move food scraps out of trash trucks and landfills to the Water Department, where it’s converted into clean water, renewable energy and fertilizer products,” said Tim Ferry, President of InSinkErator. “We know disposers help make the kitchens and neighborhoods of Philadelphia cleaner and now they can help the City become ‘greener.’” 

For more information about the Clean Kitchen, Green Community pilot program, please visitwww.philadelphiastreets.com. For more information about InSinkErator, please visitwww.insinkerator.com/green. For more information about OARC, please visit www.ogontzave.org. For more information about Diversified Community Services, please visit http://dcsphila.org. 

Zoning Code Commission Receives AIA President’s Award

Philadelphia, April 6, 2012 – This week, the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) Pennsylvania presented Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger and Eva Gladstein, Deputy Director of the City Planning Commission and former Executive Director of the Zoning Code Commission, with the President’s Award on behalf of the Zoning Code Commission. This award is presented in recognition of special contributions or support of the profession, the business of architecture or the built environment in Pennsylvania. In December, Mayor Michael A. Nutter signed legislation that comprehensively rewrites and modernizes Philadelphia’s zoning code for the first time in fifty years.

“Deputy Mayor Greenberger and Eva Gladstein gave many hours and a tremendous amount of effort, creativity and enthusiasm to the zoning code reform, and I am delighted that they are being recognized for their work,” said Mayor Nutter. “AIA is a respected architecture organization, which advances sustainable, responsible planning in Philadelphia and has been a great partner in our efforts for the new Zoning Code, Philadelphia2035 and the Citizens Planning Institute. I’d like to thank them for recognizing this great work, which will positively impact Philadelphians for generations.”

John Claypool, Executive Director of AIA Philadelphia added, “AIA Philadelphia is proud to recognize Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger, a former President of the Chapter, and Eva Gladstein, Deputy Director of the City Planning Commission on the receipt of this prestigious award for their work to create a new Zoning Code. Their open, professional and inspired work will serve the design and development of the City for many years.”

The Zoning Code codifies the City’s development regulations and sets expectations regarding land use. The new zoning code includes changes to the City’s development regulations and approval procedures such as:
• Making the zoning code more user-friendly;
• Reducing number of zoning classifications;
• Incorporating a civic design review process; and
• Establishing the role of citizens in the zoning approval process.

Peaches, Apples, Peppers and More!

Come to the Mayor’s Farmers Market at Love Park tomorrow from 11:00 – 3:00 to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.

McCann’s Farm

Yellow Peaches
White Peaches
Gala Apples
Hot Peppers
Frying Peppers
Tomatoes
Sweet White Corn
Zucchini
Eggplant

Mayor Nutter to Announce Expansion of City’s Recyling Program Tommorrow

Tomorrow, Mayor Nutter will announce the expansion of the City’s recycling program! Stop out at 10:30 am to the 2600 block of S. Chadwick Street in South Philadelphia http://tinyurl.com/26kvs78 to celebrate another green achievement in our City.

Mayor’s Farmers Market at Love Park Today!

The Mayor’s Famers Market is open today Wednesday, June 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This year the Market is relocating from City Hall to Love Park, at the corner of 15^th St and JFK Blvd.  It will be open every Wednesday from 11:00 to 3:00.  Visit http://www.phila.gov/green/farmerMarket.html every week to see what produce will be available.

We’re kicking off the Market this week with cooking demonstrations by Michael Solomonov, Executive Chef at Zahav!

PRODUCE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK

The McCanns Farm:
Sweet cherries, zucchini, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, cabbage, romaine lettuce, snap peas, broccoli, and honey

Teens4Good:
Collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, beets, turnips, mint, and red and white cabbage

La Baguette:
Freshly baked pastries, breads, and quiches

Greenworks Philadelphia wins National Honor

By Diane Mastrull INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

A year ago, Philadelphia launched a sustainability plan aimed not only at improving environmental stewardship and energy efficiency, but also at converting the old industrial city into a clean-technology hub. The ambitious initiative known as Greenworks Philadelphia picked up what city officials are considering a substantial credibility boost Thursday night. Philadelphia was named winner of the third annual Siemens Sustainable Community Award in the large-community category. The plan edged out sustainability efforts by a more modern city – Dallas – in a national contest organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The other finalist was Atlanta. Grand Rapids, Mich., and Newton, Iowa, took the top prize for midsize and small communities, respectively. Green initiatives are more commonly thought of as a West Coast passion, said Katherine Gajewski, director of Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability. “I would really like Philadelphia to start to redefine this green thing a little bit,” she said. “It’s not about just making new stuff and building stuff; it’s also about investing in your existing assets.” The award was presented by the chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center and Siemens Corp., an electronics and electrical-engineering company, in Houston during the National Conference on Corporate Community Investment. As winner in the large-community category, Philadelphia becomes host city next year for the conference, attended by 300 representatives of some of the largest U.S. corporations. “I’m hoping Mayor Nutter will show people how Philadelphia has changed and is embracing change,” said Stephen Jordan, executive director of the Business Civic Leadership Center, the corporate citizenship affiliate of the U.S. Chamber. The award is intended to highlight successful public-private partnerships and showcase national models for sustainable development. Jordan said Greenworks seemed to “have been designed with award criteria in mind” in that it calls for participation from a range of companies as well as neighborhoods, and demonstrates “real concern with balancing the environmental interest with economic and social interest.” The judges also were impressed by Greenworks’ 15 measurable targets and more than 150 specific steps identified to reach them by 2015, Jordan said. It is a program that considers sustainability through five lenses: energy, environment, equity, economy, and engagement. Goals include: lowering city government energy consumption 30 percent; diverting 70 percent of solid waste from landfills; and providing park and recreation resources within 10 minutes of 75 percent of residents. Nutter will release a report on progress toward each goal May 26, Gajewski said. On Thursday, she identified a few achievements, including the city’s having secured $14.1 million in stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Energy in September to help finance, among other things, replacement of 85,000 traffic signals with LED (light-emitting diodes) lights, establishment of a loan fund for owners of commercial and industrial properties to make energy-efficient improvements, and development of a 250-kilowatt solar project at the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant. Last month, the city also was awarded a $25 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department to fund residential and commercial building retrofits in Philadelphia, as well as in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. Now, an economic recovery is needed so that family-supporting green jobs can be created, Gajewski said. “Can we make Philadelphia the clean-tech hub in the Northeast?” she asked. “If we work hard enough, we think there’s a real opportunity.” Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/business_breaking/20100513_Greenworks_Philadelphia_wins_national_honor.html#ixzz0oz57FkSB Play fantasy sports and win cash prizes instantly. Philly.com’s Instant Fantasy Sports Games

City of Philadelphia Receives $25M Recovery Grant for Energy Efficiency

On April 21, the City of Philadelphia, along with its partners in the Metropolitan Caucus and a coalition of public, private, and non-profit partners, received a $25 million “Retrofit Ramp-Up” grant from the US Department of Energy.

The grant, building on successful existing programs including the City of Philadelphia’s Greenworks Loan Fund and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Keystone HELP program, will fund residential and commercial building energy efficiency retrofits throughout the greater Philadelphia region.  Funds will be distributed on a competitive basis with preference given to projects that maximize job creation and energy savings.

Only 25 grants were awarded to communities nationwide. “This was a very competitive process, with more than $3.5 billion in applications for $450 million in available funds. We are honored to have been chosen. The real strength of our application was the partnerships; there are many in the region who have been working toward this moment for years, and it’s terrific to see all that preparation and good work recognized,” said Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability.

The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the Reinvestment Fund, the Energy Coordinating Agency, AFC First Financial, the Keystone HELP Program, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania will partner to execute the program.

Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Alan
Greenberger pointed out that, “We’re truly creating new economic opportunity here, by growing a new industry. We look forward to seeing the region’s builders, suppliers, and designers making energy efficiency a foundation for their growth. That means new businesses and new jobs.”

City Unveils Green Philly, Grow Philly Tree Campaign
Green Philly Grow Philly Planting April 24 2010
On April 24, Mayor Nutter, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis, and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society President-elect Drew Becher kicked-off the first phase of Philadelphia’s comprehensive tree-planting campaign in the city’s Francisville neighborhood.

“This kick-off event with Francisville exemplifies the new tree planting model which leverages community partnerships to increase the number of trees planted,” said Mayor Nutter. “With the help of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, corporate partners, local non-profit organizations, and other institutions, I have no doubt that Philadelphia will become the greenest big city in America.”

Greenworks sets a goal of planting 300,000 new trees in the city by 2015. The increased tree canopy will bring a multitude of benefits: decreased air pollution, reduced stormwater runoff, energy savings, increased property values, and an overall improvement of quality of life in the City.

The newly-merged Department of Parks and Recreation, led by Commissioner DiBerardinis, will organize and implement a tree-planting campaign to advance this tree work and promote a premiere Parks and Recreation system, which is safe, clean, ready to use, and green. As part of the new tree planting model, the University of Pennsylvania has signed on as one of the first institutional partners.  The Parks and Recreation Department will announce details of other exciting institutional and corporate partnerships prior to the fall launch.

Greenworks Loan Fund Announced

On January 27, Mayor Nutter was joined in West Philadelphia by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell,

Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger, Jeremy Nowak President of The Reinvestment Fund, and Peter Longstreth President of PIDC to announce that $9.5 million will be available to small businesses in Philadelphia to improve the energy e…fficiency of their buildings and equipment.

The Mayor announced two sources of green funding for small businesses: $9 million in Greenworks Loans available in amounts from $100,000 to $1 million, and $500,000 in Greenworks Rebates available in amounts up to $10,000. The funding is a blend of Recovery funds from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and private capital from The Reinvestment Fund.

Applications for both Greenworks Loans and Greenworks Rebates are available now through the City’s Business Services Portal at www.phila.gov and at PIDC’s website at http://www.pidc-pa.org/DevelopmentOpportunities.asp.

An information session for businesses interested in applying for a Greenworks Loan will be held Friday, February 5th at 2:00 PM at PIDC, located on the 26th floor of 1500 Market Street (Centre Square West).

Mayor Nutter Signs Legislation, Announces Measures to Increase Energy Efficiency and Save Money

Tuesday, January 19, 2010       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAYOR NUTTER SIGNS LEGISLATION, ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO INCREASE CITY ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SAVE MONEY

Philadelphia, January 19, 2010 – At a bill signing ceremony today for legislation requiring higher energy efficiency standards for new City government buildings and renovations, Mayor Michael A. Nutter outlined new steps being taken by the City of Philadelphia to improve energy efficiency in City government buildings, create jobs, and achieve immediate and long-term energy cost savings.  These measures are major steps towards achieving the goal of reducing City government energy consumption by 30% by 2015 as outlined in Greenworks Philadelphia.

“These initiatives are a great example of the City government leading by example and not asking others to do anything that we are not prepared to do ourselves,” said Mayor Nutter.  “If we can improve our energy efficiency then dollars not spent on energy bills can go to making new investments in our city and providing the services that many rely upon.  Furthermore, making these types of investments and improvements to City buildings creates jobs and business opportunities at a time when we are focused on putting Philadelphians back to work.”

Mayor Nutter announced that the City of Philadelphia has selected NORESCO, an Energy Service Company (ESCO), to carry out an energy audit to determine the feasibility of Energy Conservation Measures to be implemented in City’s “Quadplex” buildings (City Hall, Municipal Services Building, One Parkway and the Criminal Justice Center).  An ESCO is a financing mechanism which allows the City to make energy efficiency improvements paid for by the energy savings achieved from the capital improvements.  This 15-year tax-exempt equipment lease arrangement, under the Pennsylvania Guaranteed Energy Savings Agreement (GESA) program, would be guaranteed by the ESCO which must pay the difference if there is any shortfall between the energy savings and the lease payments.

Under Pennsylvania’s GESA a municipality, such as the City of Philadelphia, contracts with an ESCO to perform an energy audit on targeted buildings and install Energy Conservation Measures on the municipality’s behalf.  The City is currently finalizing details of this audit with NORESCO and the audit, once it begins, should take approximately 25 weeks to complete.  These improvements, which could include lighting upgrades, energy management systems, water conservation measures, and new chillers and heating boilers, can decrease a facility’s energy demand by as much as 20% annually, all paid for with the savings generated by the investments.

NORESCO was selected by an inter-departmental evaluation and selection committee using the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s RFP process on the basis of technical capacity, related experience, and cost.  Their proposal also contains aggressive minority, women, and disabled owned business participation rates for future contracting.  The City will review all subcontractor issues in the Economic Opportunity Plan process.

“Contracting with an ESCO is a clear demonstration that this Administration is serious about energy efficiency and committed to reducing energy costs throughout our facilities,” said Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability.  “Obviously there are challenges when dealing with aging City facilities but this audit will help us determine what is feasible and the most appropriate steps that we can take to save money.”

Mayor Nutter made the announcement at a bill signing ceremony in City Hall at which he signed legislation, introduced by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and passed by City Council, which calls for new construction and major renovation of large City government buildings to be designed, constructed, and certified at the silver level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The LEED-silver requirement within Bill No. 080025 applies to construction projects over 10,000 square feet that are primarily funded by City capital dollars and are controlled by the City.  The ordinance requires that projects to be designed and constructed use at least 20% less energy than basic code-compliant structures.  It applies to capital projects undertaken by all departments and agencies across the City, including the Airport, Water Department, and Public Property.

QUOTE FROM BRB

Councilman Jim Kenney was also present at the bill signing ceremony to discuss his legislation which requires all new commercial and residential construction to install reflective roofs to reduce cooling costs and energy usage across Philadelphia.

“This bill is a simple step to reduce energy consumption and is virtually cost-neutral for new construction,” Kenney said.  “Reflective roofs offer both environmental and financial advantages over traditional roofs and, by requiring them, I hope to spur a new wave of more energy efficient building practices amongst our city’s construction projects.”

The City of Philadelphia, under the leadership of Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, is taking a number of steps to improve energy efficiency, save money, and progress towards the Greenworks Philadelphia goal of reducing City government energy consumption by 30% by 2015.  Such measures include securing Recovery Act funding to develop a robust energy management program, building a sophisticated energy management database, creating target energy budgets for City departments, and developing an energy conservation education campaign for City employees.

“With the commitment of my Administration, the leadership of members of Council, and the support of communities across this city, Philadelphia is quickly putting itself on the map as a leading city when it comes to sustainability,” said Mayor Nutter.  “I want to thank Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and Councilman Kenney for their leadership and partnership on these issues that are central to the future of Philadelphia and to the future of our planet.”

For more information on the Nutter Administration’s sustainability framework please visit www.greenworksphila.org.

City of Philadelphia Launches On-Line Carbon Offset Calculator

Erase Your Trace allows people to calculate emissions and make a contribution to plant trees

Mayor Michael A. Nutter has announced the newest component of the City of Philadelphia’s effort to become the number one green city in the United States: a local carbon offset market that will raise money for tree planting in Philadelphia.  Erase Your Trace - an online tool – will help Philadelphians calculate their annual carbon dioxide emissions and then help offset them through local tree planting efforts.

“This is an easy way for Philadelphians to better understand their personal impact on the environment and take action to help reduce it,” said Mayor Nutter.  “I encourage everyone to use Erase Your Trace, find out about their carbon emissions, and make a contribution towards making Philadelphia a greener city.”

 This new tool – Erase Your Trace – will allow individuals to determine their emissions from daily routines like driving a car, heating a home or taking plane trips; learn tips on how to lower their carbon dioxide output; and offset their emissions by donating money to the Fairmount Park Conservancy. Fairmount Park Conservancy, a local nonprofit organization that raises funds for and awareness of the city’s Fairmount Park system, will, in turn, donate the funds raised to plant trees in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.  Local companies can also use the program to determine how much carbon their business activities produce annually.

 “Erase Your Trace is a win-win-win for Philadelphians, our environment, and our climate, and an important step towards achieving our Greenworks Philadelphia goals,” said Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia.   

 The project uses the CarbonPlus Calculator, developed by the U.S. Forest Service, to quantify and monetize carbon output (the Calculator prices carbon at $20 per ton, which is the price currently being used by the Obama Administration).  Trees help reduce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that has been linked to global warming.  Philadelphia’s 2.1 million trees sequester 16,100 tons of carbon per year. The “plus” is that the tree planting activities funded through Erase Your Trace will help offset carbon emissions “plus” reduce other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and particulate matter.  Philadelphia’s trees also reduce urban heat island effect, decrease stormwater runoff, and increase property values.   Three organizations worked with the Forest Service to bring this technology to Philadelphia—the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Department of Parks and Recreation—and it is an initiative of Greenworks Philadelphia.

“The Erase Your Trace program is an important and exciting way for individuals and businesses to help Philadelphia increase its tree cover, which is so critical to people’s quality of life and the city’s livability,” said Michael T. Rains, director of the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station, which is headquartered in Newtown Square, PA.  “I’m very pleased the Northern Research Station could help our hometown create the Erase Your Trace web site, which will increase Philadelphians’ awareness of how they can personally reduce carbon emissions.”

 The average Philadelphian produces 10.2 tons of carbon dioxide annually, “costing” the environment approximately $200 each year.  Users of Erase Your Trace can decide whether to donate the full cost of their annual carbon emissions or only a portion to Fairmount Park Conservancy.  They can also choose to only offset specific activities such as vehicle use or airplane travel.  The on-line tool is flexible and fun.   

 “We welcome the announcement of Erase Your Trace as it will provide resources to help the Department of Parks and Recreation work towards Mayor Nutter’s goal of planting 300,000 new trees by 2015,” noted Fairmount Park Executive Director Mark Focht.

 “Erase Your Trace is a unique opportunity for individuals and corporations to offset their carbon footprint by giving to innovative local efforts and investing in the environment and future of our great city,” said Katrina L. Wilhelm, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy.  “We are excited to be a partner in this important initiative.”

 Further details on Erase Your Trace can be found at www.eraseyourtrace.org.  Further details on Greenworks Philadelphia, Philadelphia’s sustainability framework, can be found at www.greenworksphila.org.