Environment Erie

Public Meetings & Workshops

Begin ANEW has held 4 public workshops during the program's pilot year in 2011. A combined total of 150 citizens attended workshops on "Sustainable Communities & Green Businesses, Urban Water Quality, and Compost, The New "Black Gold." These workshops have helped Environment Erie inform both community members and businesses regarding the various ways we can preserve our local environment.

Sustainable Communities & Green Businesses

Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Date: March 29, 2011
Participants:60

Anna McCartney, Communications and Education Specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant

Jim Martin, Community Affairs Director at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Environment Erie along with sponsor, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, held a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, March 29th at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center regarding the importance of installing green practices within businesses, bringing in a crowd of 63 attendees including, but not limited to Erie citizens, business owners, teachers, and legislators. The main focus of the night was to show how environmentally-friendly businesses can help Erie lead the way in becoming a more sustainable city, a model example for other communities to follow.

Kicking off the event, former Mayor of Erie and key speaker for the night, Joyce Savocchio, covered the designation of the Presque Isle Bay as an Area of Concern during her time in office and the measures citizens, experts, and government officials undertook to ensure that Erie had a bay safe for swimming. Highmark Community Affairs Director, James Martin, acted as the moderator for the professional roundtable discussion that followed, which featured the following experts:

  • David Brennan, Director of Planning and Design for the Economic Development Corporation
  • Dan Heher, External Affairs Manager for First Energy Corp.
  • Ryan Katen, General Manager for Micro Mold Co. Inc., & Engineering Manager at Plastikos, Inc.
  • Anna McCartney, Communication and Education Specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant
  • Guy McUmber, Sustainability Coordinator for PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Northwest
  • John Vanco, Director and Curator of the Erie Art Museum

The panelists found it useful to cover topics relating incentive programs such as First Energy’s Act 129 Program, which features the reduction of energy consumption and demand, the construction of the LEED-Certified Erie Art Museum, and the understanding that even large plastic industries like Plastikos are doing their part to save the environment by saving the excess plastic regrind for reuse in future projects. The theme of the night was best summed up by the Economic Development Corporation’s theory of “Smart Growth” which promotes planned economic and community development in order to cut down on urban sprawl often leading to deteriorating environmental conditions.

Donors for this event include Channel 2 Community Access Television, Glenwood Beer Distributors, Mazza Vineyards, the Erie Community Foundation, and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Please visit www.highmark.com/environment for more on Highmark’s commitment to the environment.

Urban Water Quality: Community-Based Solutions

Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Date: May 24, 2011
Participants: 45

Click the links below to view powerpoint presentations:
  • Alliance for the Great Lakes: Lawns, lakes and Your Community
  • Lawns and Water Quality: Education and Outreach Opportunities
  • Structural Stormwater Best Management Practices
  • Protecting Your Property Through Stream Restoration and Stabilization
  • Low Impact Development, Conservation Development, and Non-Structural Best Management Practices

    • Educating homeowners about sustainable lawn care behaviors and the responsible use of fertilizers in preserving water quality was the focus of a water quality forum held on May 24, 2011 in Erie, PA.

    Hosted by Environment Erie, the Alliance for the Great Lakes and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG), the forum, which was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders representing urban planning, stormwater management, and water quality stakeholders, discussed community-based solutions to preserve Lake Erie’s water quality.

    “Lake Erie is essential to the livelihood and character of the Erie area,“ said Garnet Maniscalco, interim director of Environment Erie. “Because we depend on it for our water supply, along with recreation, tourism and commerce, the protection of Lake Erie is one of the community’s top priorities.

    ”Environment Erie was eager to organize this forum for the community because the conservation of such an important resource is a shared responsibility, and everyone – individuals, businesses, government and community organizations – has an important role to play.”

    A significant way that individual residents can contribute to water quality is right on their property. “Having a lawn and gardens helps control the runoff of rainfall into waterways and storm sewers,” said Rich Shank, PhD., chief environmental officer for ScottsMiracle-Gro. “Plants are important in capturing and filtering rainwater, preventing soil erosion and helping replenish the supply of groundwater.

    Homeowners should follow best practices in caring for their lawns, according to Shank. These practices are:

    • Mow grass high. Tall grass grows strong roots, which are better able to absorb water and keep rainfall in your backyard and not moving into storm sewers and waterways.
    • Mulch grass clippings. Mulching grass clippings recycles nutrients, and returns organic matter to the soil. Rich soil helps absorb and filter rainfall, reducing erosion and water runoff.
    • Clean up. Sweep grass clippings, fertilizer and leaves off of sidewalks, driveways and other hard surfaces to help keep nutrients out of waterways.

    ”Lake Erie and the rest of the Great Lakes are a national and international treasure, and everyone can play a role in protecting and improving the quality of the water we all rely on,” said Joel Brammeier, president and chief executive officer of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. ”This forum is a testament to the Erie community’s commitment to its waterways and shows that local efforts can make a difference. Together we can protect Lake Erie for generations to come.”

    Pat Lupo, Earth Action Education Director

    The Alliance for the Great Lakes invites people to read about best lawn care practices on its Web site: www.greatlakes.org/lawnsandlakes.

    The Alliance for the Great Lakes and ScottsMiracle-Gro plan to host more forums this year. ScottsMiracle-Gro also has made a multi-year commitment to help teach consumers about water quality and conservation practices as they care for their lawns and gardens.

    Compost, The New "Black Gold"

    Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
    Date: August 27, 2011
    Participants: 68

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    Colin and Bethany Hurley, participants in workshop, takes Compost Wizard Jr. home

    Environment Erie board member, Barb Cole, teaches grandson, Christian, how to use Compost Wizard Jr.

    The Erie County Recycling Program and Environment Erie partnered together for this exciting, hands-on workshop on backyard composting. Approximately 70 attendees learned how to build and maintain a successful compost pile from everyday organic waste material and discovered opportunities made available through the Millfair Compost and Recycling Center as well as through the Erie County Recycling Center, that hosts household hazardous waste collection days. Upon completion of workshop, each participating household received a FREE Compost Wizard Jr. from Good Ideas, Inc. … a give-away valued at $150!

    Please save-the-date for our upcoming compost workshops, which will be held on Saturday, April 13th and Saturday, April 20th.

    “This has been a wonderful experience. I learned a lot and I am not only inspired to compost everything I can, but I’d like to get more involved in my community.” - Anonymous

    Discussing Off Shore Wind Energy In Lake Erie

    Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
    Date: March, 14 2012
    Participants: 85

    Over 85 citizens from Northwestern Pennsylvania came out to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC) on Wednesday March 14, 2012 to discuss the prospect of offshore wind energy development in Lake Erie and what it could mean for the region both economically and environmentally. CleanAir Council, a nonprofit organization that works to improve air quality in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, teamed up with Environment Erie to host the event titled "Educational Forum: Discussing Offshore Wind in Lake Erie." The purpose of the forum was to educate residents in the area about the possibilities of harnessing wind energy in the region, especially off of the shores of Lake Erie, and to engage in a constructive dialogue.

    Jen Filiault, Coordinator for Civil Society Institute's Offshore Wind Program, based in Boston, was the evening's keynote speaker. Currently focused on an initiative called Citizen Partnerships for Offshore Wind (CPOW), Filiault discussed the status of offshore wind development in America and shared her experiences as an activist during the public hearings for the Cape Wind offshore wind project in Massachusetts. Cape Wind, when complete, will be the U.S.'s first offshore wind project.

    To bring the issue closer to home, three local panelists followed with presentations that focused on the region's workforce and green infrastructure, potential jobs and the environmental impact. The panel included Amara Geffen, Director of the Arts & Environment Initiative at Allegheny College's Center for Environmental and Economic Development (CEED); Tim Ryan, President of APEX Offshore Wind; and Tom Fuhrman, Executive Director of the Lake Erie Regional Conservancy (LERC).