The Sierra Club reports that Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and President of the USGBC, believes that “LEED certification of the White House is absolutely possible and viable.”

The effort to retrofit the White House to become LEED certified includes a focus on energy and water systems as well as waste, according to White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) spokesperson, Christine Glunz. It is vital to consider toxicity and life-cycle when making purchases for facilities, she believes. They are looking to reduce the carbon footprint of the White House by implementing computerized energy management systems, occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights in unoccupied rooms and low-flow toilets and fixtures. Renovations would use paints and sealers with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and biodegradable cleaners and recycled equipment will all be used by White House groundskeepers and engineers, according to a White House spokesperson. Window films that will lower UV rays and save energy will also be added.

The Sierra Club goes on to state:

“If President Obama continues to enforce such eco-friendly changes throughout his term, he will be on the right track to making the White House more of a “green house,” proving with a LEED certification that he can lead Americans to a greener world.”

To read more about the White House’s efforts to become more sustainable, click here.

To read more about the NJMC’s recently constructed LEED Platinum certified building, click here.

The Bergen Record reports that Bergen Community College is planning to invest $21.4 million to buy and renovate the Meadowlands District area building where it now rents classroom space.

The total includes the $13.8 million purchase price for the 125,000-square foot building at 1280 Wall Street in Lyndhurst – the new South Bergen campus that will accommodate as many as 8,000 students, according to the school.

BCC now rents about 14,000-square feet – and maintains eight classrooms – in the building, located in an office park near Route 17.

According to The Record, the school’s three-year plan is to expand throughout the entire building, eventually encompassing more classrooms, a day care center and library services in the building.

To read more about Bergen Community College’s planned purchase of 1280 Wall Street West in Lyndhurst, click here.

Governor Jon Corzine announced the NJMC solar installation project at a landfill in Kearny, N.J. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009. (Governor Photos/Tim Larsen)

Governor Corzine announced U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval of New Jersey’s State Energy Plan (SEP) for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), highlighting the seven projects to be funded with a visit to a landfill in the Township of Kearny.

Governor Corzine visited the NJMC landfill, where he said the solar installation is expected to create 80 jobs during its construction, save $389,000 annually from displacing fossil fuel generation and help avoid 4,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The visit came as the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) gave final approval of New Jersey’s State Energy Program (SEP) to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. With SEP approval, DOE will release more than $29.4 million in funding for SEP projects within the state. Under the SEP, New Jersey proposed a statewide plan that prioritizes energy savings, creates or retains jobs, increases the use of renewable energy, and reduces carbon pollution.

Read more here.

Q&A with George Newmark from G&S Technologies.

Who is the G&S Technologies?

G&S Technologies is a Corporation that specializes in the recycling of electrical equipment from the power industry, whose customers include most major utilities companies in the United States.

How long have you been doing business in the District?

G&S Technologies began operations at our current location in 1963 ( However we began by renting the current property we then purchased lot 1800 in 1969 & lot 1810 in 1975 ).  We rebuilt the buildings located on lot 1800 in 1988 & on lot 1810 in 1995.

What changes have you seen over the years in the Meadowlands?

When we arrived in 1963 we had no neighbors and the entire area was very underdeveloped.  Recently we have noticed a tremendous amount of development in the Meadowlands and there seems to be willingness on behalf of the Meadowlands Commission to work with us in solving any problems or issues that we may have.  I believe the Meadowlands’ willingness to work with companies such as our own is evident in the tremendous growth of this District.

What impact if any has the current state of the economy had on your operations?

The slowdown in the current economy has slowed the volume of inbound material that we are receiving for recycling but most of our customers need our services as they must keep the lights on, therefore we are not drastically impacted by the slowdown in today’s economy.

What do you see as the future of business in the Meadowlands region?

We have developed an excellent business relationship with the Meadowlands Commission, We are proud to be located in this District and look forward to continuing our excellent business relationship in the future with the Commission.

G&S Technologies
1800 Harrison Avenue P.O. Box 493
Kearny, NJ 07032
Phone (201) 998-9244

NJMC logo

The NJMC is sponsoring a series of free Green Living programs to help people learn ways to better conserve resources, protect the environment and “green” their life in general. The practical, hands-on public workshops will be held at libraries, stores and other locations throughout the Meadowlands District in the coming months.

The first program, Green Purchasing & Slow Foods, is set for Thursday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Kearny Library – across the street from the town’s Farmer’s Market. A Green Home Remodeling Workshop will follow soon after at the Lowe’s home improvement store in East Rutherford. Other events will focus on recycling, sustainable gardening, low-cost home energy audits and other aspects of green living. All programs will include handouts and free samples to help people apply the lessons at home.

“The NJMC has worked hard to encourage green building and sustainable development within Meadowlands municipalities and through the business community, and workshops like this can help the general public benefit from these policies as well,” said Robert Ceberio, Executive Director of the NJMC. “These programs will show how sustainable living makes a positive impact environmentally and economically – and that green living is good living.”

The Green Living events are an outgrowth of the Meadowlands Challenge, a friendly competition that encourages companies to increase recycling, cut energy consumption and otherwise reduce their environmental footprint. The NJMC launched the Meadowlands Challenge in November, with help from the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, and 17 businesses have signed up so far.

The NJMC has been awarded $8.5 million in federal funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for use toward the development of a solar power facility on a closed landfill in Kearny. The landfill project ranked the highest among the seven state-sponsored projects the Board selected to share $20.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act monies awarded through the BPU’s Innovation in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Public Entities program at the Board’s Aug. 19 meeting.

“This is great news that shows the importance of investing in alternative energy and the Meadowlands’ new green economy,” said Charles Richman, Acting Chairman of the NJMC and Acting Commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs. “We thank the BPU for their support and look forward to creating a solar facility that will help reduce global warming while boosting business by creating new jobs for the region.”

The NJMC plans to lease space on parts of the 35-acre 1-A landfill to a company that would design, finance, own and operate the solar facility. The company would generate revenue by selling electricity to the power grid, and through financial incentives offered to solar energy producers by the state and federal governments. The project has received a positive response, and proposals are due in September. The project site is large enough to support enough panels to generate nearly 5 megawatts of power, which would make it the largest such facility in the state

1-A Landfill from Belleville Turnpike

“With today’s infusion of federal funding, this important renewable energy project takes a significant step forward,” said Robert Ceberio, Executive Director of the NJMC. “This solar facility is a creative use of a former landfill that will help us generate new, clean energy, and will also produce good-paying green-collar jobs here in the Meadowlands.”

The BPU set aside $20.6 million for government-sponsored alternative energy projects from the tens of millions it received as part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help pay for energy upgrades in homes, businesses and public buildings. Other projects that received federal funding through the BPU include a New Jersey Transit solar installation in Kearny ($4.3M), a Residence Hall Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Upgrade at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark ($1.6M), and a Smart Buildings/Energy Management System Project at William Paterson University in Wayne ($1.1M).

The BPU also voted on Aug. 19 to extend the NJMC’s deadline on a Customer On-Site Renewable Energy, or CORE rebate, now valued at $1.3 million. The Commission plans to use part of this state funding for the solar landfill project and the remainder for other renewable energy initiatives.

Solar Panels on the roof of the NJMC's Science Center

The number of solar installations in New Jersey now totals over 4,000 with more than 90 MW state-wide.  This puts New Jersey second in the nation for solar renewable energy production.

Read the press release here.

NJMC Center for Environmental and Scientific Education is a "Green Building"

The New York Times reports on a new building energy label that is in the works. The label being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is designed as an alternative to Energy Star. It would give buildings a rating from A+ for producing as much energy as consumed, to F for wasting large amounts of energy.

The program, currently in the pilot stage, is called Building Energy Quotient, and provides a metric for measuring both the energy a building is designed to use and the energy actually being consumed. It would compare buildings based on energy use per square foot related to design and energy-use data once it is in operation.

Similar to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system which has designations ranging from certified to Platinum (the NJMC built the first public Platinum building in New Jersey), ASHRAE’s Building EQ rating system is meant to be voluntary.

As part of its ongoing mission to promote responsible regional planning and development, the NJMC has embraced green building practices. The NJMC offers incentives such as reduced zoning certificate application fees, priority review of applications for development, and various density bonuses for developers based on the voluntary level of various green building certification programs.

Supermarket to open in Secaucus with construction of Wal-Mart Supercenter

For more than a year, the residents of Secaucus have been without a major supermarket after Stop & Shop closed in the Mill Creek Mall.  That is about to change when the now-under-construction Wal-Mart Supercenter opens later this year.

The 34,313-square-foot addition to the existing Wal-Mart will sell groceries and contain a pharmacy.  The new Supercenter will be located over the former Garden Center.  The existing McDonald’s restaurant located inside Wal-Mart is also undergoing a remodeling.

For more than a year, the residents of Secaucus have been without a major supermarket after Stop & Shop closed in the Mill Creek Mall.  That is about to change when the now-under-construction Wal-Mart Supercenter opens later this year.

The 34,313-square-foot addition to the existing Wal-Mart will sell groceries and contain a pharmacy. The new Supercenter will be located over the former Garden Center.  The existing McDonald’s restaurant located inside Wal-Mart is also undergoing a remodeling.

Similar flexible solar panels on a landfill in Texas.

The Record recently reported on the NJMC’s proposed solar array for the Erie landfill in North Arlington.

The agreement calls for Donjon Marine, a dredging company, to build a 1.3 megawatt solar array in exchange for dumping 600,000 cubic yards of river sediment at the Erie and 1-E landfill in Kearny. The sediment from New York Harbor and Newark Bay will be cleaned at an off-site facility before being certified by the NJDEP.

Donjon Marine will own and operate the solar facility for six years and sell the NJMC the electricity generated at a reduced cost. After six years, the solar array will become property of the NJMC. The 1.3 megawatt system will power the NJMC offices and provide $500,000 in yearly revenue from the sale of solar renewable energy credits.

The installation of the system should be complete in about three months.

You can read more about the photovoltaic system here.