Businesses Small and Large Recognized in 2010 Environmental Excellence Awards

ALBANY, NY (11/19/2010)(readMedia)-- A small family-owned business that customizes countertops, a manufacturer that makes a better gasket, a lighting company manufacturer that relies solely on renewable energy and a major financial institution's high-performance green building are among the winners of the 2010 Environmental Excellence Awards announced today by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The seventh annual New York State Environmental Excellence Awards ceremony took place this week in Cooperstown as part of the NYS Association of Reduction, Reuse and Recycling's (NYSAR3) Annual Conference.

The award winning projects are an example of how innovation combined with commitment and leadership can result in actions that improve and protect New York's environment and have positive impacts on the economy.

DEC established this awards program in 2004 to recognize projects that achieve exceptional environmental, social and economic benefits for New York State. A statewide committee made up of 18 representatives from public and private sectors selected the winning submissions from 33 applicants. For additional information about the program and past winners, and to learn about applying for the 2011 awards, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/945.html on the DEC website.

The 2010 winners are:

Bank of America – The Tower at One Bryant Park (Manhattan)

The Tower at One Bryant Park is situated in New York City at 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue. The Tower is 945 feet tall, 55 stories high and has 2.1 million square feet of building space, and is the largest development site in midtown Manhattan.

The Tower has received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Core and Shell Platinum certification. By using environmentally friendly design, benefits being achieved include: saving 7.7 million gallons of water annually; reducing daytime peak electricity demand by 30 percent by using a 4.6 megawatt, on-site cogeneration system; providing approximately 25 percent of the building's annual cooling requirements by using an ice storage system which supplements the building's cooling system; and reducing lighting and cooling energy by up to 10 percent by using an automated daylight dimming system.

Garlock Sealing Technologies – VOC Elimination Project (Wayne County)

Garlock Sealing Technologies of Palmyra voluntarily eliminated 100 percent of toluene in its manufacturing of fiber sheet gaskets. By demonstrating the use of a non-traditional solvent to produce a viable product, Garlock Sealing Technologies provided the industry with a new benchmark for environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. The new gasket was made at a comparable price and was shown to seal even better than its solvent-containing predecessors. This has further benefits to the environment since tighter seals mean less fugitive emissions and has resulted in a healthier work environment for its employees.

Other highlights of this innovative pollution prevention project include a reduction of fire risk and the ability to recover and recycle over 95 percent of the non-hazardous solvent.

Monroe Industries – Robal Recycled Glass Products (Livingston County)

Monroe Industries' Robal Recycled Glass product line exemplifies how a small, family-owned business can achieve environmental excellence and serve as a model of innovation and sustainability.

Located in Livingston County, Monroe Industries currently employs nine people. The company custom manufactures cast-polymer countertops, shower walls and floors, and vanity tops. Traditionally these product lines are made with a variety of mined minerals and gemstones, such as granite and quartz. The products are typically mixed with a liquid polyester resin and binder which is then cast into a mold and allowed to cure.

While developing the Robal product line, Monroe identified a resin supplier who would provide them with bio-based resins. As a result, not only is the product using recycled glass, it is using a more sustainable binder formula.

Other benefits of this project include using more than 5,000 pounds per month of recycled glass from local and regional suppliers rather than mined minerals which were transported from more remote locations.

Remains Lighting – Building Renovation And Employee Colocation (Brooklyn)

Remains Lighting demonstrated that sustainable buildings don't necessarily carry high-tech designs with high costs. Remains Lighting is a traditional artisanal maker of lighting fixtures and custom metal work in Brooklyn. This small company's comprehensive renovation of an industrial building shows a commitment to both environmental and social stewardship.

In 2008, Remains Lighting purchased and renovated a 25,000 square foot industrial building in Bushwick. Following the renovation, Remains Lighting moved its production workforce and brought its design, engineering and project management staff under one "green" roof.

The facility is operated entirely by renewable energy sources through the use of on-site solar panels and the purchase of wind power. Electricity consumption reductions total 18 thousand kilowatts annually and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced, equivalent to removing approximately 22 automobiles from the road. During the renovation process, an average of 84 percent of the 32 tons of construction waste was separated and recycled.

Town of Babylon – Long Island Green Homes Project (Suffolk County)

The Long Island Green Homes (LIGH) project in Suffolk County is the first operational, municipally-administered and -financed energy efficiency retrofit program in the nation.The program began in 2008 and has resulted in more than 400 houses that are now more energy efficient due to upgrades and retrofits. The average participating homeowner saves over $1,000 in utility costs.

Also through this program, residents from the environmental justice community (http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/333.html) of Wyandanch are being trained in green jobs, which will provide a skilled workforce to the program's contractors.

Environmental benefits being achieved include an annual savings of 115,300 kilowatts of electricity, 75,485 gallons of oil, 29,000 cubic feet of natural gas, 2,421 gallons of propane – along with a reduction of 1,080 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.