Environmental Excellence
Farmland Foods, Inc. has been a leading pork producer since 1959 and currently operates facilities in eight states. The company created an Environmental Management System (EMS) and has achieved ISO14001 certification at all of its facilities, meeting high environmental standards. In addition, Farmland has been an integral part of the American Meat Institute's (AMI) Environmental Committee, helping AMI to design and further develop an EMS implementation program that can be implemented in companies from any industry. In its environmental policy statement, Farmland strives to achieve 100 percent compliance, 100 percent of the time and move well beyond compliance in stewardship responsibilities. The environmental programs that the company implemented have resulted in significant reductions in water use, natural gas and electrical use, generation of wastewater and industrial storm water, solid waste and air emissions all while increasing facility production levels. Farmland plans an $81 million dollar expansion at its Denison location due to the facility's history of regulatory compliance and best management practices utilized in environmental areas.
The Iowa Renewable Energy Association (I-Renew) promotes wider implementation of renewable energy and energy conservation by educating Iowans to achieve long-term social, environmental and economic sustainability. The association has more than 400 members and reaches many more Iowans through educational activities. I-Renew addresses energy and sustainability challenges through interactive workshops throughout the year. These workshops provide attendees with experience in sustainable technologies like strawbale building, solar water heating, biodiesel brewing and much more. The organization's flagship event is the annual Iowa Energy Expo, now in its 14th year, which in 2005 drew more than 2,000 people and featured more than 60 workshops, lectures and demonstrations on renewable energy. I-Renew's volunteer membership publishes a quarterly newsletter, supports policy initiatives and legislative action to increase the accessibility and competitiveness of sustainable energy solutions, and uses renewable energy in their own homes and workplaces. I-Renew developed the "Solar Traveler" display, a mobile 1,000-watt solar array that visits public events across Iowa, providing clean power and education on active solar energy. The association also recently partnered with state and local entities to install a 7,200-watt solar array in Cedar Rapids.
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Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy
Consumers Energy is an electricity, natural gas and energy management distribution cooperative located near Marshalltown. The company serves more than 5,000 customers in Marshall, Tama, Jasper, Hardin, Story and Polk counties. In the spring of 2005, Consumers Energy partnered with Hubbell Homes, Ground Source Innovations and Northern Geothermal Corporation to develop and implement a one-of-a-kind renewable energy project. The group installed geothermal heating and cooling units in 112 three-story, multi-family dwellings with 1,500 sq. ft. in living space. The units are part of the Creekside-Brownstone housing development in Ankeny. The geothermal units will reduce electric consumption by more than 871,000 kWh per year and result in cost savings of $715 per household. Along with geothermal installations, the townhouses use Energy Star dishwashers, refrigerators, and clothes washers. Consumers Energy also provided 112 high-efficiency 50-gallon Marathon electric water heaters for this project.
The Thorland Company is a commercial real estate enterprise committed to preservation and renovation of historic commercial buildings in the New Bohemia district of Cedar Rapids. The company partnered with the Iowa Renewable Energy Association, Alliant Energy, the City of Cedar Rapids and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to install a 7,200-watt solar array on top of the Kouba Building in Cedar Rapids. The project is the state's largest multi-configuration solar array system. Known as the "New Bohemia Solar Project," the effort was primarily funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant with additional funding from the partners. The solar array was installed through a series of hands-on workshops during the summer of 2005. The system is interconnected to Alliant Energy's power grid and provides electricity to the utility's Second Nature customers. A nearby interactive kiosk captures real-time electrical and avoided emissions data and serves as an educational tool for the entire community.
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Waste Management
Waste Management - Mason City provides a full range of collection, disposal, recycling and environmental services to residential, commercial and industrial customers in 13 counties in northern Iowa. Waste Management developed a Youth Recycling Green Team Project to engage youth organizations in a hands-on recycling education project where youth learn by doing, teach others about recycling, and earn money for their organization. Youth organizations submit an application to become a Youth Recycling Green Team for a two-month time block. Following their selection, orientation and tour of the Waste Management Recycling Center, the Youth Recycling Green Team educates their families, friends and the community about the benefits of recycling mixed paper and cardboard. The teams encourage the public to bring their mixed paper and cardboard to drop-off collection boxes at the Waste Management Recycling Center. Each team earns $15 per ton for the recycled paper during their two-month time block. Now in its fifth year, 34 Youth Recycling Green Teams have recycled more than 4 million pounds of cardboard and mixed paper, earning more than $30,000 for their organizations.
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Water Quality
Last May, Dr. Clark Porter taught his 4th grade Expanded Learning Program students at the Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence in Waterloo about watersheds by constructing a large model watershed and studying the structural features. In addition, the class learned about urban runoff and engaged in a field study of two streams in their county. The class's study of these urban and rural streams revealed several water quality issues. The urban stream contained a high chloride concentration and benthic macroinvertebrates from the pollution tolerant category. Near a stream bank, the students also discovered a broken pipe with a rust-colored liquid flowing into the stream. After further discussion about the data, Dr. Porter contacted the city of Waterloo about the findings. City crews cleaned up the area and conducted additional testing. The high chloride levels were from a private swimming pool located near a storm sewer that drained into the stream. Because of the students' investigation and discoveries, city officials were able to eradicate two significant sources of pollution in this watershed.
The Jefferson, Keokuk and Washington Soil & Water Conservation Districts were instrumental in improving water quality in the Lake Darling watershed. Lake Darling has a surface area of 267 acres and is surrounded by Lake Darling State Park, which provides diverse recreation opportunities to nearly 200,000 visitors annually. Lake Darling is vulnerable to agricultural nonpoint source pollution (sedimentation and nutrients) and in 1999, was identified as a high priority on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's List of Impaired Waters in Iowa. The conservation districts partnered with local and state entities to reduce sediment delivery and contaminant levels. The group identified potential erosion control structure sites and focused its efforts on working with adjacent landowners. During the past five years, 124 construction projects have been completed, involving 55 different landowners. The projects helped decrease the delivery rate of sediment into Lake Darling from more than 10,400 tons per year to 6,978 tons per year. In addition, the project significantly reduced bacteria levels in the watershed, which allowed the beach to remain open most of last summer.
Dr. Jim Colbert and other environmental enthusiasts developed the Skunk River Navy in 1998 as a community service activity for a freshman learning community interested in biology at Iowa State University. Each fall, the group removes thousands of pounds of trash from the Skunk River and its tributaries. The navy spends four weekends paddling the river in canoes and collecting dumped refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, cans and bottles and other garbage. The opportunity provides young adults the chance to gain an environmental ethic and improve the river's aesthetic qualities. In 2005 alone, the Skunk River Navy removed nearly 10,000 pounds of trash from the river and provided 142 person-days of service.
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