FREEHOLDERS PROPOSE AMBITOUS 'GREEN COUNTY' PLAN
For Immediate Release: May 13, 2008
Contacts: Ken Shuttleworth

Camden County freeholders have announced a wide-ranging commitment to adopting renewable energy sources and conserve energy through new technology.

“Our 12-point plan is a great start towards both reducing our energy consumption and shrinking our carbon footprint,” said Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash during a news conference at the headquarters of the county’s department of parks and recreation.

Among other things, the County Green Initiative 2008 Action Plan announced by Nash and Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. will continue to inventory global warming emissions in county government operations and in the community, set reduction targets and create an action plan.

Nash said an inventory two years ago showed county government facilities accounted for 60,3000 tons of CO2 annually, based on information contained in the 2005 energy audit. Additionally, combining emissions from the county’s vehicle fleet, including the county’s Pollution Control Finance Authority and the CCMUA, plus vehicle miles traveled to and from work by county employees each work day brings the total to 69,256 tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere annually as a result of Camden County government operations.

Nash said he expected adoption of a reduction target by the end of this year as part of a long range action plan .

“We will also adopt and enforce land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space and create compact, walkable urban communities,” said Cappelli. “Plus, we will promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit.”

Nash and Cappelli were joined at the May 14 news conference by volunteers who serve on the Camden County Environmental Commission under the leadership of Chairman Ben Parvey and the Open Space Advisory Board under the chairmanship of Peter Fontaine.

Nash, the seven-member governing body’s liaison to the county’s division of environmental affairs, said the parks building itself will become a stellar example next year of a state-of-the-art environmentally friendly, or green, facility with a new addition intended to be a role model for all construction in Camden County and the entire region.

Nash and Cappelli cited the volunteer efforts by the private citizens volunteering the time on the two environmental advisory commissions as the key to success. “Their efforts set the stage for the freeholders to adopt this ambitious battle plan against a relentless assault on our most precious resource – the earth,” said Nash..

“This plan represents clarity and vision, and will deliver real change and hope for our future,” Cappelli added. He and Nash said action items for each of the major goals have already begun in some instances and that action will have begun towards reaching all of the goals by the end of this year.

Other key points in the plan include promotion of transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and broader use of public transportation; increase the use of clean, alternative energy by investing in “green tags,” among other tactics; increase the fuel efficiency of the county’s vehicle fleet; evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems and make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements, retrofitting county with facilities with energy efficient lighting and urging employees to conserve energy and save money.

The plan also would increase recycling rates in county operations, encourage purchase of only Energy Star equipment and appliances, adopt a standard of ‘Green Building’ technologies for all new county construction and renovation projects; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb CO2 and generally help educate the public, schools and other jurisdictions about reducing global warming pollution.

They said the entire plan can be found on the county’s website by logging onto camdencounty.com

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