Accomplishments

 Allegheny County Green Accomplishments 

Since January 2004, the Onorato administration has undertaken a number of green efforts.

	Reclamation and cleanup of more than 1,500 acres of brownfields;
	Adoption of an Integrated Pest Management/Smart Choices Policy that uses environmentally positive techniques in monitoring, suppressing and managing weeds, insects and diseases in County parks and along County-owned rights of way;
	Progress toward completion of the Great Allegheny Passage trail linking Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., and other regional trails planning;
	Creation of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation to raise private funds for the County’s nine regional parks;
	Collection of more than 490,000 pounds of household hazardous waste, including cleaning products, paint, pesticides and batteries, through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program;
	Purchase of six hybrid buses for the Port Authority of Allegheny County;
	Inclusion of green technology and building materials into new Allegheny County Housing Authority projects;
	Implementation of energy saving policies and procedures at Pittsburgh International Airport;
	Creation of a training program at the Community College of Allegheny County that leads to a Green Building Sustainability License;
	Embarked upon a $7 million ecological restoration project at North Park’s 60-acre lake to remove nearly 350,000 cubic yards of sediment and enhance the lake for recreational uses;
	Hiring of Allegheny County’s first Sustainability Manager in June 2009;
	Preparation of the County’s first Sustainability Action Plan that will include a dashboard of metrics and performance goals to reduce the County’s consumption of water, gas, electricity, and steam – plus reduce the overall waste stream;
	Founding of the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium (WPEC) in 2007 along with the City of Pittsburgh, which was recognized as a Green Power Partner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for purchasing 10% renewable energy, and for committing to increasing that amount to 15% next year;
	Replacement of more than 805 incandescent light fixtures at the county jail with high-efficiency LED lights, which consume 83 percent less energy and will save taxpayers $178,000 this year;
	Unveiling of the largest solar thermal array in Western Pennsylvania at the Ross Hill Senior Residence in 2008. This new solar hot water system replaced a natural gas heating system, and it reduces carbon emissions by 38 tons annually and saves taxpayers $10,000 in energy costs annually;
	Brokering of a deal that will result in our region becoming home to the first LEED-certified professional ice hockey arena.

The green legacy that County Executive Onorato has built is two-fold. First, is the lasting legacy of a regional parks and recreation network that boasts an ever-increasing network of trails, parks and greenways. The latest additions of a 2-mile connector linking the Montour Trail to the South Park Fairgrounds, as well as additional segments of the Great Allegheny Passage in Duquesne.

Second, is his signature brownfield reclamation program that has identified and transformed thousands of acres from blighted, even toxic, former shuttered industrial sites to a range of clean, shovel-ready sites. These opportunities have resulted in a number of emerging economic centers, including the Clinton Commerce Park where German solar firm Flabeg is hiring an estimated 300 workers, Edgewater Steel, and the Carrie Furnace site.