EcoCountry

Leaf Bags. This Week or Next?

dpatters — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:44:11 +0000

Can’t wait to see if you’re neighbors are putting out their leaf bags so you’ll know whether its this week or next.

Check the schedule to see when they’ll collect your leaf and yard waste.

Click here to find out

Landfill Hours and Information

liz.kimber — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:55:59 +0000

Seasonal Landfill Information

The municipal landfill is located at 402 Fifth Line East.

Landfill Site Hours of Operation:

Monday to Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays (April 7 – October 27 2012) – 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Landfill Fees (By-Law 2003-140):

The City will accept and dispose of all garbage and refuse delivered to the site by residents for quantities up to and including 300 kg. at a minimum user fee of $10 for all vehicles, effective February 13, 2012, where there is no compensation being received for delivery.

Where the quantity is greater than 300 kg., payment of $70 per tonne (1 tonne = 1000 kg) is required. (Pro-rated $0.7 per kg – $7 per 100 kgs)

Passenger Car Tires per tire / Tire on rim = No Charge (Limit of 10 tires)

Freezers / refrigerator / humidifiers / air conditioners, etc. have to have a certified sticker that the freon has been disconnected, if a certified sticker is not on the appliance the landfill will charge $25 plus user fee of $10.

Hauling Waste Material:
By regulation of the Ministry of the Environment and the Highway Traffic Act, all material hauled on City streets to the landfill or depot(s) must be properly secured or covered with a tarp

Room by Room Clean-up

liz.kimber — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:15:38 +0000

After a long winter dull winter it’s time to get rid of the grime and put the sparkle back in your home.

Where to start? What to use?

From the kitchen and living room to the bedrooms and bathroom, you want a plan to make your clean up faster, greener and easier.

Click below for a handy room by room guide to your spring clean up.

http://www.styleathome.com/decorating-and-design/green-living/a-guide-to-green-spring-cleaning/a/20448

Spring Cleaning Your Whole Home Green

liz.kimber — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:16:45 +0000

Spring cleaning time is here and you want ways to clean your whole home which won’t leave gasping for breath and clutching an empty wallet.

Check out a list of great products that can help make cleaning easy and affordable.

http://www.canadianliving.com/life/green_living/natural_and_cheap_household_cleaners.php

What Are You Doing To Be Green?

dpatters — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:08:58 +0000

Share with us by filling out the PUC Share Your Green Tips Submission link in the bottom right hand corner of the home page.

Household Waste Depot Now Open

dpatters — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:50:32 +0000

HOUSEHOLD SPECIAL WASTE FACILITY

Located at 115 Industrial Park Crescent now open 3 days per week, Thrusdauuntil Saturday, October 27, 2012 Operates 3 days per week:

Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

and Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Acceptable Hazardous Waste

Small Business hazardous waste

Acetone nail polish remover

Acid or bases

Adhesives (all types)

Aerosol can (full or partially full)

Alkyd and lead-based paint/stain

Antifreeze

Automobile batteries

Barbeque propane cylinder (small green and large 20 lb)

Batteries (single use)

Bleach

Blueprint Ink

Brake fluid

Car care products

Car wax

Chemicals

Chlorine

Cleaners and detergents

Deodorant (contents)

Drain cleaner

Driveway sealer

Energy efficient light bulb

Fertilizers

Fire extinguisher

Fluorescent light bulb/tubes

Fluorescent tube light (whole)(8 per day)

Fuel

Garden chemicals

Gas

Glue

Grease (automobile)

Helium tanks

Herbicides

Ink cartridge

Insecticides

Kerosene

Lancet – in hard plastic containers (old coffee cans etc.)

Lighter

Lighter fluid

Locker

Medication

Mercury thermometers/thermostats

Motor oil – 20 Liters (5 gal) or smaller containers

Nail polish

Nail polish and remover

Needles – in hard plastic containers (old coffee cans, etc.)

Oil filter

Oven cleaner

Oxygen tank

Paint can (full or partially full)

Paint thinner

Perfume

Pesticides

Photographic chemicals

Pool chemicals

Pool heater/pump/metal filters

Rechargeable batteries -separated from regular household batteries

Salt (driveway)

Solvents

Syringe – in hard plastic containers (old coffee cans, etc.)

Toner/Ink cartridge (contents)

Transmission fluid

Turpentine

Varnishes

Vitamins and supplements

NOTE: 5 GALLON GAS CANS THAT CONTAIN GAS/OIL WILL NOT BE RETURNED

Unacceptable Hazardous Waste

Large Commercial Business hazardous waste

Radioactive waste

PCB waste (light ballast, etc.)

Bio-medical waste

Explosives / Ammunition / Fire Arms

Asbestos products of any kind and

Electronics / Can be taken to CLA (Community Living Algoma – Wilson St.

Large spray foam insulation canisters (return to place of purchase)

Smart Meters on residential water consumption!

liz.kimber — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:45:12 +0000

FCM’s Green Municipal Fund supports the City of Sault Ste. Marie in testing the impact of smart meters on residential water consumption

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON (February 27, 2012) – Berry Vrbanovic, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and councillor for the City of Kitchener, Ontario, and Bryan Hayes, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, today announced a Green Municipal FundTM (GMF) grant for the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the City will put the $101,470 in funding toward testing the impact of smart meters on residential water consumption patterns and conservation attitudes.

“FCM’s Green Municipal Fund offers a range of resources and services that specifically address the sustainable community development needs of municipal governments,” said Vrbanovic. “The financing and knowledge provided by the fund supports the development of communities that are more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.”

“The Government of Canada is assisting municipalities across the country in achieving their goal of a cleaner and healthier environment for Canadians through the Green Municipal Fund,” said Mr. Hayes. “Today’s announcement is another example of how our government – in partnership with FCM – is helping Sault Ste. Marie build a greener future for our citizens.”

Unless usage can be reduced, water consumption in Sault Ste. Marie is expected to increase by 20 percent within the next 20 to 30 years.       A field test involving 500 smart meters in randomly selected residences will provide data on water use patterns and help the City to design, deliver and measure the effectiveness of water conservation programs.

The initiative will determine whether smart water meters can effectively promote water conservation.

Surveys of the participants at the beginning and end of the project will identify changes in water use patterns and attitudes towards water conservation.

Smart water meters are not yet widely used in municipal water systems, but they can reduce water use, energy consumption, chemical use and waste production.

With reduced water consumption, Sault Ste. Marie’s PUC hopes to delay building additional water treatment capacity for at least 20 years.

“The City of Sault Ste. Marie values the wise use of our resources to support an environmentally sustainable community,” said Mayor Debbie Amaroso. “Funds provided through the FCM Green Municipal Fund further the City’s commitment to developing innovative solutions for water conservation.”

The Government of Canada endowed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with $550　million to establish the Green Municipal Fund.

The Fund supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private-sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection.

FCM has been the national voice of municipal governments since 1901.

It fosters the development of sustainable communities to improve quality of life by promoting strong, effective, and accountable municipal government.

Lego investing $530M in wind turbines

liz.kimber — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:45:02 +0000

“One of our fundamental values is to enable future generations of children to grow up in a better world”.

Lego Group CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp

http://aboutus.lego.com/en-US/news-room/

‘Superior AquaSystems’ on the way to Ann Arbor

liz.kimber — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:08:03 +0000

A team of Lake State staff and students are heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday. The group — known as Superior AquaSystems — will be one of 21 teams from across the state competing at the 4th annual Michigan Clean Energy Venture Challenge. The event encourages students to develop clean energy solutions into thriving businesses. The ideas must also address the challenges of rural poverty and unemployment in Michigan. Superior AquaSystems will offer an idea that involves a sustainable, eco-friendly system to grow healthy seafood. It offers a recirculating system that uses renewable energy, water purification, and technologies to maximize seafood production. The venture also addresses the issues of environmental impact and water pollutants. The winning team will win 50 thousand dollars in seed money to take their business plan to the next stage of development.

PUC and NORDIK Institute Partner on Water Conservation Study

liz.kimber — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:24:32 +0000

Algoma University Media Release

(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – February 15, 2012): The Public Utilities Commission of the City of Sault Ste. Marie (PUC) has recently partnered with NORDIK Institute at Algoma University to determine city residents’ attitudes towards water conservation. The study will include surveys, focus groups and public information sessions and is funded by the ‘Greening Ontario’ fund, a provincial initiative. ”In order for the Public Utilities Commission to promote practical and effective water conservation measures in our community we must know how water is currently being used by consumers,” said PUC President Brian Curran. “We need to know how efficient current water devices and appliances are in the home and we need to understand whether consumers are willing to take action to reduce their water consumption.” Data collected in the survey will provide a base-line understanding of attitudes and water use. “Water conservation is of increasing concern around the world”, stated NORDIK Research Director, Dr. Gayle Broad, “and many people would like to decrease their ‘environmental footprint’ but aren’t certain how to go about that. We believe that this research will help local residents understand the beneficial impact of simple small changes in their home”. Those changes include such items as rainwater use for gardening, and use of newer appliances that have adopted conservation standards. The survey, which will take only about 10 minutes to complete, will be distributed to every household in Sault Ste. Marie over the next few weeks via an information package contained in their PUC invoice, with a goal of survey completion by mid-March. NORDIK research assistants will be collecting the data to ensure anonymity of research participants. Participants may complete the survey either on-line at: http://app.fluidsurveys.com/s/pucsurvey, by requesting a paper copy from NORDIK, or alternatively by telephone. For a paper or telephone survey please contact Victoria Thomas at 705-949-2301 ext. 4357 or Ian Brodie at 705-949-2301 ext. 4370.

About NORDIK NORDIK is a community-based research institute affiliated with Algoma University. Its mandate is to advance regional and Indigenous development through research, dialogue, analysis and action, and to contribute to building Northern Ontario’s research capacity. Recent research by NORDIK include an outdoor air quality study, a study on locally-grown food, and an action research project on promoting culture and craft as an economic driver across the North. About Algoma University Algoma University is committed to offering an undergraduate education experience unlike any university in Ontario, offering a wide variety of program options. Algoma University also offers accelerated diploma-to-degree programs in Business Administration in Brampton, and two degrees, including a Bachelor of Social Work, in Timmins. As a partner with Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, Algoma U is committed to respecting Anishinaabe knowledge and culture. To learn more about Algoma University, visit www.algomau.ca.