October 23, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Area Benefits of renewable energy project draw surprise by John Koster Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronson and Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser were delighted with the anticipated benefits of a renewable energy project at the Ridgewood water pollution control plant, but Glen Rock Mayor John van Keuren was somewhat less than thrilled by inter-com- munity communications. “Our public partnership with NSU (Natural Systems Utilities), Middlesex Water Company, and American Refining and Biochemical makes Ridgewood a national leader in sustainable municipal wastewater treatment,” said Mayor Aronsohn. “Producing energy at our facilities reduces cost while powering the facility with 100 percent renewable energy provides environmental benefits for the community. To be able to accomplish this at no capital cost to the taxpayer while realizing environmental benefits for the village is something we can all take pride in.” Four solar generation facilities were constructed on sev- eral properties including Ridgewood Village Hall, the fire department headquarters, the EMS Building, and the Water Pollution Control Facility and have been activated and have been providing electricity since February. The renewal energy generated by all four sites -- includ- ing the pollution control center located in Glen Rock on land owned by Ridgewood -- are being sold to 3Degrees, a company involved in the renewable energy marketplace. The company supplies the Glen Rock-based treatment plant owned and operated by Ridgewood with the energy gener- ated. The project also converts locally generated methane gas to electricity. The public/private partnership between Ridgewood and 3Degrees was recognized with an Environmental Achieve- ment Award from PlanSmart NJ, an independent non-profit planning and research organization. The participants generated a press release citing the operation as “significantly reducing the demand on the electric grid benefiting the village and its neighbor com- munity, the Borough of Glen Rock. This landmark achieve- ment results in utility cost savings and lowers the village’s Advisory board to focus on ‘respect’ The new campaign of the Community Relations Advi- sory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock will focus on “respect.” During the coming month, committee members and volunteers will canvass the business districts in both towns and ask business owners to display a poster depict- ing civility. The poster is entitled “Respect: Give it to Get it.” On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the group will unveil the poster at its meeting set for at 7 p.m. in the first floor Garden Room of the Village of Ridgewood Municipal Building, 131 North Maple Avenue in Ridgewood. The community is invited to share light refreshments and an opportunity to learn more about the board’s work. Posters will be avail- able for all who attend. The Community Relations Advisory Board, appointed by the mayors of Ridgewood and Glen Rock, was created to overcome bias attitudes toward persons or groups based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orienta- tion, or disability. Meetings are open to the public and provide a safe envi- ronment for community members experiencing or witness- ing bias-related crime to be heard. Individuals working or living within the Ridgewood environs who have experi- enced bias intimidation, housing discrimination, racism, sexism, or an injustice based on sexual orientation are urged to contact the board at crabnj@gmail.com. carbon footprint.” Mayor van Keuren said last week, however, that he had never been informed about the project at all and was sur- prised to hear that Glen Rock would benefit from it. “I’m not aware of how it benefits us -- I haven’t been informed,” van Keuren said candidly. He and the Glen Rock Council had previously been surprised to learn that Ridgewood was planning to build a shared municipal garage within Glen Rock’s borders on land that Ridgewood owns. After Ridgewood took the time to inform Glen Rock, the Glen Rock Council agreed that shared services sounded like a good idea and both municipalities recently agreed to fund half of a $5,200 survey to see if the garage would work for those communities. Rutishauser explained that Ridgewood and all of the region would benefit substantially from the environmental aspects of the project, which would also reduce demands on the electrical grid. “The village benefits from the project in several key ways,” Rutishauser said, independent of statements from Mayor Aronson or Mayor van Keuren. “We create energy from biogas that we previously flared off to the atmosphere. This also helps our greenhouse gases by reusing what would be flared. We save our taxpayers money by buying electricity at a lower cost than Public Service Electric & Gas charges. We reduce our load on the local supply grid, freeing up power for other users. The project benefits our environment. We are maximizing our existing facilities. All the above is at no expense to our taxpayers. The vendor put up the money for the improvements of the project, get- ting paid back from the power we purchase from them.”