Pennsylvania's government is greening itself, the very thing we ask business and industry to do! In 1997, Governor Tom Ridge laid the groundwork for a statewide initiative to green Commonwealth operations. The Governor's Green Government Council was developed to foster a culture in which Commonwealth agencies incorporate environmental sustainability into their planning, operations, policy-making and regulatory functions at all levels. The focus is on planning/operations, energy efficiency, building design/management, environmentally friendly commodities/services, vehicle purchases/management and recycling.

The design and construction of the new Southcentral Regional Office Building epitomizes these new principles. DEP's 73,000-square-foot regional headquarters building in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, was designed with the intention of becoming Pennsylvania's first "model" green technology building. Its primary objective is to utilize appropriate high-performance technology to reduce energy consumption, to maximize the use of sustainable materials, to minimize negative impacts on interior air quality and to improve the health, motivation and productivity of employees.

The project was the result of a successful integration of state government, academics, developers, contractors, architects and manufacturers to establish a blueprint for sustainable facilities in the Commonwealth. OETD assisted DEP's Bureau of Office Systems and Services by providing direct staff support and specialized consultants who designed the building using environmentally friendly materials, creating a healthy environment for its occupants.

Built on a brownfield site (a former municipal landfill), the Southcentral Regional Office Building will use 50 percent less energy than a conventional commercially leased building, reducing energy costs by $50,000 annually. Care was taken to obtain construction materials, including recycled steel, and furniture components from sustainable sources. The air quality, resulting from lowered volatile organic compound levels emitting from the environmentally friendly interior and furnishings, and individually controlled airflow and temperature controls, greatly increase workers' comfort. This building epitomizes how pollution prevention and energy efficiency make economic and environmental sense.

DEP undertook an ambitious project in 1997, designed to integrate the concepts of pollution prevention and energy efficiency into the daily functions and responsibilities of all agency staff. Our goal is to have every DEP employee provide compliance assistance to the regulated community to focus on cost-saving pollution prevention rather than traditional pollution control mechanisms. This integration program encompasses policy development, regulatory review, permitting, inspections and education and compliance assistance.