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Contact: Christopher Dann
Public Information Officer
Air Pollution Control Division
303-692-3281
For Immediate Release Monday, September 13, 2004
FRED Project At Rio Blanco Fairgrounds Showcases Resource Efficiency
Technologies
DENVER – A project showcasing resource efficiency technologies at the Rio
Blanco County Fairgrounds in Meeker debuted recently, both educating area
residents about the environmental benefits of the project as well as
reducing pollutants and increasing energy efficiency in connection with
regular fairgrounds operations.
The Fairgrounds Resource Efficiency Project, known affectionately as FRED,
includes a series of upgrades to facilities at the Rio Blanco County
Fairgrounds. A sister project also was completed earlier this summer at
the Mesa County Fairgrounds in Grand Junction.
“This project is a good educational tool to show the concepts of renewable
energy and alternative fuels, which are something of interest here in the
county,” said Rio Blanco County Commissioner Kim Cook. “I’d encourage
residents and other visitors to go out to the fairgrounds and see the
projects for themselves.”
The projects were funded largely through a $115,000 supplemental
environmental project grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment, and are administered by the Colorado-based not-for-profit
StEPP Foundation.
“We are pleased to fund such worthwhile efforts as the projects in Rio
Blanco and Mesa counties,” said Douglas H. Benevento, executive director
of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Resource
efficient technologies that utilize renewable energy and alternative fuels
play an important role in protecting Colorado’s air, land and water now
and in the future.”
At the Rio Blanco Fairgrounds, a solar electric system was installed to
help offset electrical power usage. A community building and office space
at the fairgrounds also received insulation and lighting upgrades to
improve energy efficiency and provide better quality light.
Combined, the solar electric system, energy efficiency and lighting
upgrades are expected to eliminate nearly 19,000 pounds of carbon dioxide
per year.
Plans also call for a blend of biodiesel and petrodiesel fuels to be used
at the fairgrounds in the future. B20 biodiesel can reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by nearly 80 percent, with additional reductions of carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter.
Portions of the fairgrounds are in use throughout the year, so the
benefits extend far beyond the few days each year when the fair is in
session.
“The fairgrounds are used regularly for everything from Boy Scouts to
bingo,” said Scott Ely of Sunsense, Inc. of Carbondale. Sunsense, a
regional distributor of renewable energy products and services, received
the grant to complete the FRED project. “The community building at the Rio
Blanco Fairgrounds is more of a community center. It’s a high profile
building in a high use area.”
Ely continued: “We were able to showcase these technologies for fair goers
so someday they may be used in their own homes. With regular visits
throughout the year from school groups and organization groups, the
advantages of energy-saving technologies that reduce power consumption can
be demonstrated year-round.”
Funding for supplemental environmental projects like FRED are made
available through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
and other regulators. Portions of negotiated settlements in cases where
environmental laws have been violated often are targeted for funding such
projects. The intent is to benefit communities harmed by the violations.
Projects that fit the specific settlement criteria are selected from the
StEPP Foundation database or through a proposal process, then put through
a systematic review. Subcommittees review detailed proposals and make
recommendations to the full StEPP Foundation Board of Directors. The board
makes recommendations on which projects to fund to the Department of
Public Health and Environment, which must decide if the projects meet the
negotiated requirements of each related settlement.
Subcommittees consist of at least one StEPP board member and four or five
professionals from pertinent and/or related fields. Participants represent
business, government, academia and non-profit sectors. Subcommittee
members include experts in economic development, renewable energy,
community development, energy efficiency, pollution prevention and
environmental leadership.
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