(September 16, 2008)
PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato today announced the launch of “Allegheny Green,” a comprehensive initiative to promote sustainable practices within County government and through countywide policies and programs. The key elements of the plan are the hiring of a sustainability manager reporting directly to the County Executive and creation of the Allegheny Green Action Team, a group of experts and stakeholders who will help the County to meet its green objectives and goals.

“As a community, we’ve taken steps to clean our air, water and land and to promote smart growth and sustainable development – but we can and must do more,” said Onorato. “Through the Allegheny Green initiative, County government, including our authorities, will lead by example, and we will develop policies and incentives to encourage our residents, businesses and municipalities to become ‘greener’ as well.”

The new sustainability manager will work with County department directors and the Green Action Team to conduct a top-to-bottom analysis of government operations and to identify ways to reduce the County’s ecological footprint, such as adopting environmentally preferable procurement policies, expanding recycling in County-owned facilities, providing sustainability training to employees, and expanding use of hybrid vehicles.

“I am challenging the sustainability manager and members of the Allegheny Green Action Team to be creative in their recommendations to make County government operate more efficiently and environmentally friendly,” added Onorato.

The sustainability manager position will be funded by local foundations, and the County will conduct a national search to fill the position.

Allegheny County is also nearing final adoption of its first countywide comprehensive plan, which sets recommendations, guidelines and standards for land development, conservation and economic initiatives. The County’s commitment to sustainable practices is evident throughout the plan, and especially in the sections regarding economic development, housing, parks, open space, greenways, transportation, environmental resources and energy conservation.

Among the comprehensive plan’s recommendations are:

• Expanding the region’s parks and trails system;
• Protecting and enhancing the environment and public health by promoting energy conservation and continuing to improve the County’s air quality;
• Eliminating urban, agricultural and industrial pollution runoff to protect streams and watersheds;
• Promoting transit-oriented development at key transit stations and along major transit corridors;
• Promoting the use of green building techniques and energy-efficient housing design;
• Encouraging developments that will minimize impacts on greenfields; and
• Providing incentives to develop certified green buildings. 

“Working with the Green Action Team, we will develop policies, programs and incentives to meet the goals and recommendations of the comprehensive plan by promoting sustainable practices and smart growth, as well as protecting our natural amenities,” said Onorato. “This effort will touch all 130 municipalities in Allegheny County and will solidify our standing as one of the greenest regions in the United States.”

The County Executive’s appointees to the Allegheny Green Action Team are:

• Bill Cagney, Business Manager & Financial Secretary, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 95;
• Lalit Chordia, President & CEO, Thar Technologies;
• Lou DiNardo, Vice President & General Manager, Central Property Services;
• Jesse Fife, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Manchester Bidwell Corp.;
• Fiona Fisher, Director of Communications, Rachel Carson Homestead;
• Rebecca Flora, Executive Director, Green Building Alliance;
• Court Gould, Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh;
• The Honorable Amanda Green, Allegheny County Council;
• Susan Hockenberry, Executive Director, Local Government Academy;
• Tommy Johnson, Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Consol Energy;
• Deb Lange, Executive Director, Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research, Carnegie Mellon University;
• Ned Renzi, Founding Partner, Birchmere Ventures; and
• Mary Wilson, Executive Director, Allegheny CleanWays. 

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

• Reclamation and cleanup of more than 1500 acres of brownfields;
• Implementation of a guaranteed energy savings program and energy purchasing consortium;
• Doubling of the amount of electricity purchased from renewable resources; 
• 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;
• Completion of the Great Allegheny Passage trail linking Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.; 
• 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; and 
• Creation of a training program at the Community College of Allegheny County that leads to a Green Building Sustainability License. 

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For information on Allegheny County’s comprehensive plan, visit  www.alleghenyplaces.com.

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