Commerce_24_04_digital | Page 15

■ Environment

■ Environment

◾ All sand plants utilize 100 percent recycled water .
◾ Barging accounts for 49 percent of Tilcon-provided product transportation , realizing a savings of 75 percent GHG emissions compared to truck .
Whitestone Associates , Inc . Thomas Uzzo President & CEO
Whitestone recently completed a sixth phase in support of our client SFG Passaic Urban Renewal , LLC ’ s remediation and redevelopment of a blighted Brownfield site in Passaic . What makes this project unique are the myriad technologies and methodologies employed in assessing , classifying and remediating the site while jointly conducting various materials management actions and geotechnical engineering methods in support of redeveloping the property with a 295,606-square feet warehouse .
This project truly was the poster child for Brownfield site remediation and redevelopment , and Whitestone ’ s corrective actions included both innovative and conventional technologies ranging from in situ soil and groundwater remediation to underground storage tank removal and management of both hazardous and nonhazardous soils . Building materials were assessed prior to demolition to evaluate onsite beneficial reuse and off-site management alternatives . Sustainable remediation practices included efforts to maximize in situ treatment technologies and on-site re-use of acceptable demolition residuals while minimizing the volume of wastes transported off site .
Whitman Jaclyn DiDonato Green Team Leader
Led by our firm ’ s Environmental Sustainability Associate , Jaclyn DiDonato , Whitman ’ s Green Team is an internal team of volunteers created to establish sustainable programs within our company , participate in volunteer-based activities throughout the state , and provide sustainable information and tips to the staff as well as our firm ’ s social media followers .
The Team ’ s initiatives have included : implementing Terracycle ’ s Zero-Waste Box program in our office to collect “ hard to recycle ” items that will ultimately be upcycled into different products ; participating in a Grow-a-Row harvesting event at Pittstown Farm at which 37,000 pounds of corn was harvested to feed thousands in need ; joining the Raritan Headwater Association ’ s 33rd Annual Stream Cleanup ; planting sunflowers ; replacing disposable products in the office with reusable and zero-waste products to help reduce our collective environmental impact ; and providing environmentally educational pieces for inclusion in each issue of our company ’ s monthly internal newsletters .
William Paterson University Richard Helldobler President
Our commitment to environmental leadership and sustainability through conservation , efficiency , and education extends more than two decades , and continues to grow in impact . Our 3.3 MW solar panel installation supplies 12 percent of energy needs . While the campus has grown by 47 percent since 2001 , the University has lowered consumption of electricity by 30 percent , natural gas by 50 percent , and carbon emissions by 1350 tons per year . Strategies include food waste composting , energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems , recycling initiatives , installation of electric charging stations , and usage of electric shuttle buses . Honors include a U . S . Green Building Council LEED Gold Award , three Green Building Design Awards , EPA recognition for carbon reduction , and the 2020 Approaching Zero Sustainability Award . A signatory of the national Climate Leadership Network-Carbon Commitment , we are a member of the Second Nature higher education climate initiative . A Sustainability Committee , endorsed by President Richard Helldobler and comprised of faculty , staff , administrators , and students , guides campus efforts .