Scranton ups energy programs

RALPH NARDONE Times Leader Correspondent

Lackawanna County will no longer be considered a dirty coal-mining region, according to local officials and environmentalists speaking at the University of ’s DeNaples Center on Friday morning.

Mayor Chris Doherty and County Commissioners Mike Washo and Corey O’Brien pledged to residents and members from the local chapter of the Sierra Club their participation in the “Cool Counties and Cool Cities” campaign.

Lackawanna County became the second county in Pennsylvania, behind Bucks County, to join in the effort to reduce carbon emissions, according to Laura Piraino, conservation coordinator for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club in Harrisburg.

The mayor and commissioners vowed increasing efforts to monitor greenhouse emissions, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and enact legislation to mandate responsible environmental protection.

Doherty said the city administration will use $718,000 in federal stimulus funding to conduct energy audits of all city buildings to determine ways to improve efficiency, reduce usage and emissions.

“It’s good business,” the mayor said. “It saves money and it’s the right thing to do.”

Some examples currently being done by the city involve using energy-efficient lighting, installation of water-saving plumbing, and the replacement of an old steam heat system, which will amount to $145,000 in savings annually, he said.

O’Brien noted the county has purchased 10 hybrid vehicles to replace the aging fleet of gas-guzzling vehicles and now uses recycled paper and ink for county newsletters.

The commissioners recently initiated the Office of Environmental Sustainability, O’Brien added, which essentially “upgraded” the recycling office to explore other environmentally sound opportunities.

O’Brien admitted some steps taken will result in tangible cost savings, and some may not.

Reducing carbon emissions has more of a “global savings” for the long-term future instead of an immediate reduction of costs, he said.

Washo emphasized a partnership exists among the city, county and the Sierra Club.

He discussed the county’s tire collections done this week and the recent “e-cycling” effort, in which 75 tons of electronics were collected for recycling. The project was very successful, which indicates the public is responding.

Piraino lauded the efforts of the city and county officials.

The results will be lower costs to taxpayers and in a cleaner community as well as increased jobs and an ability to be “shovel ready” to take advantage of future green funding opportunities.

The Cool Cities program provides a “climate action plan,” Piraino said.

It involves a “greenhouse gas inventory” to identify emissions and determine ways to reduce them. Software is available that gives immediate cost/benefit analyses to the county and city administration for any changes they are considering, Piraino said.

Frank Muraca, the local Cool Cities coordinator, proclaimed the image of Scranton as a dirty coal region “died” on Friday morning, thanks to the cooperation of the city and county.

Muraca added Luzerne County expressed interest in participating in the Cool Cities program.

For more information or for other communities to get involved, go to www.coolcities.us.

Online

For more information or for other communities to get involved, go to www.coolcities.us.

“It’s good business. It saves money and it’s the right thing to do.”

Scranton mayor