Marlboro Township Green Team
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 9, 2010
Contact: Frank J. LaRocca, Council President
Marlboro Township Achieves Sustainable Jersey™ Certification
Award Presented on November 16 at New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference
Marlboro, NJ – On November 16, 2010, Sustainable Jersey representatives acknowledged that Marlboro met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey certification. Marlboro is one of only 67 New Jersey municipalities that have attained certification since the program began in 2009. The Township was honored at the Sustainable Jersey awards luncheon on Tuesday, November 16 at the Sheraton Hotel in Atlantic City. “Being recognized as a Sustainable Community is an honor that Mayor Hornik and the Green team will certainly enjoy today. Being a Sustainable Community is a reward that the community can enjoy for many generations,” said LaRocca, accepting the award on behalf of the Township.
To become Sustainable Jersey certified at the Bronze level, Marlboro submitted documentation to show it had completed a balance of the required sustainability actions, meeting a minimum of 150 points. In addition to reaching the required points, each community has to create a Green Team and select at least two of the six priority actions (for Bronze level). Marlboro completed two of the six priority actions by completing a sustainable land use pledge and revising the Township’s water conservation ordinance.
“It’s quite an accomplishment to become Sustainable Jersey certified,” said Fred Profeta, Chair of the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ Mayors’ Committee for a Green Future, a Sustainable Jersey program partner. “The 2010 certified towns have joined an elite group of municipalities that are leading the way with impressive sustainability initiatives in New Jersey while providing a model for towns across the United States.”
Certified towns excelled in areas such as improving energy efficiency and health and wellness, smart land use and transportation, reducing waste, sustaining local economies, protecting natural resources, and addressing diversity and equity. “These are exceptional towns with outstanding programs. We’ve been amazed to see how this program has catalyzed community spirit and fostered grassroots leadership, cross-sector creativity and collaboration across New Jersey,” said Donna Drewes of the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey (MLUC@TCNJ), a Sustainable Jersey partner. Randall Solomon of the MLUC@TCNJ, congratulated the certified towns. “Our winners are municipal leaders that are making extraordinary contributions toward the long-term goal of a sustainable New Jersey and world.”
About Sustainable Jersey
Sustainable Jersey is a certification program for municipalities in New Jersey that want to go green, save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. It is the most successful statewide municipal sustainability certification program in the country. Over 6,700 people in New Jersey have participated in statewide training and outreach events in 2010. The program has distributed over half a million dollars to New Jersey communities to support an estimated 1,500 actions taken "on the ground" to make communities more livable, environmentally friendly and prosperous. Over 300 of New Jersey’s towns and cities (56%-or 315 towns across all 21 counties) have registered to become Sustainable Jersey certified. By supporting community efforts to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve environmental equity, Sustainable Jersey is empowering New Jersey towns to build a better world for future generations.
Sustainable Jersey is a collaborative effort between the New Jersey State League of Municipalities’ Mayors’ Committee for a Green Future and the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The policies and other substantive contents of the program are developed though a transparent participatory process involving NGOs, academics, government, and the business community. Program sponsors include the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, PSEG Foundation, New Jersey Natural Gas, Church and Dwight, Covanta Energy, Elizabethtown Gas, United Water, Verizon, Atlantic City Electric and CDS-Xerox. www.sustainablejersey.com