Big Y Named Outstanding Recycler of the Year

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (SMRF) Advisory Board has named Big Y Foods Inc. “Outstanding Recycler of the Year.” The award was created to recognize individuals and organizations that have made contributions toward increasing recycling within their community or region. Big Y was nominated for the award by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET), a local nonprofit organization that helped Big Y increase its recycling efforts. Big Y has been composting food waste at several locations and recycling cardboard at all locations for many years. In 2007, Big Y worked with CET to expand composting and recycling efforts. Seven additional locations started diverting food waste, wood, wax cardboard, and floral waste for composting. In the spring and summer of last year, Big Y started collecting film plastics for recycling at all locations. Shrink wrap from pallet loads and case plastics are collected in the back of the store, and consumer bags are collected in the front. All film plastics are baled and marketed to Trex for use in plastic lumber manufacturing. Big Y’s expanded composting program, new film plastics recycling, and cardboard recycling efforts account for more than 13,750 tons of material diverted from landfills last year. Big Y is also a member of the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection Supermarket Certification Program. In addition, Big Y has been promoting canvas shopping bags which are becoming more popular with shoppers. The SMRF accepts and processes residential recyclables from 78 communities in the four western counties of the state. The SMRF Advisory Board recognizes outstanding individuals, departments, and organizations for their efforts to increase and promote recycling in the region through the Recycler of the Year Awards.

Russell Biomass Receives Final Environmental Certification

RUSSELL — The 50-megawatt Russell Biomass project recently received a certificate approving the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) by Ian Bowles, state Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Bowles issued a statement that Russell Biomass has adequately and properly complied with the Mass. Environmental Policy Act and with its implementing regulations. Russell Biomass expects its wood-fueled power plant will provide Western Mass. with electricity equivalent to an oil-fired plant that burns 480,000 barrels of oil per year. Russell Biomass notes on its Web site that it expects to generate its power by burning wood chips, a byproduct of the forest-management and wood-product industries. With Bowles’ approval, Russell Biomass can now complete the process of having its 20 permit applications reviewed by state agencies. Russell Biomass anticipates a construction start date of this fall if all applications are approved. The facility will be built on the site of the Westfield River Paper Co. that has been closed since 1994.

Food Bank Goes Green

HATFIELD — April’s celebration of Earth Day was especially meaningful for the Food Bank of Western Mass. The Food Bank received its certification from the U.S. Green Building Council through the LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) rating system earlier this year. LEED is the internationally recognized standard for environmentally sustainable, or ‘green,’ building. With a Gold rating — the second-highest level possible — the Food Bank’s Hatfield facility becomes one of a growing number of businesses and organizations around the world that are doing their part to minimize the environmental impact of their operations. When the Food Bank began planning the renovation of its warehouse and office space a few years ago, making the building green took high priority, not only to help the environment, but also because there is a cost savings associated with energy efficient design. With lead grants from the Kresge Foundation and the Mass. Technology Collaborative, as well as generous community support, the Food Bank completed the construction of its new building in 2006 and began the process of applying for LEED certification. Dozens of green features made the building eligible for LEED, such as water and energy efficiency, sustainable materials, green cleaning and maintenance products, and recycling. The Gold-level certification that the Food Bank received in 2008 represents above-average compliance and innovation in these areas. Some highlights of the Food Bank’s environmentally designed facility include a 30-kilowatt photovoltaic solar panel system on the roof of the building that supplies about 10-12% of the organization’s electricity; energy-efficient lighting, heating/cooling, and refrigeration systems that have reduced energy use by 35% per square foot despite a building that is twice its previous size; green cleaning products, recycled paper products, and low-toxicity paints and sealants; an employee carpooling program that saves at least 10,000 commuter miles each year; outdoor landscaping that emphasizes native plants and minimizes runoff and erosion; and the 60-acre Food Bank Farm in Hadley that preserves natural riverside habitat and produces dozens of crops each year without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or herbicides.

NewAlliance Increases Dividend

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — NewAlliance Bancshares Inc. recently staged its fourth annual meeting of shareholders, and voting results supported management’s recommendations on all items. Four members of the board of directors were voted in for three-year terms: Douglas K. Anderson, former president and COO, Savings Bank of Manchester; Roxanne J. Coady, founder, president, and CEO of R.J. Julia Booksellers, Ltd.; John F. Croweak, former chairman and CEO of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut; and Sheila B. Flanagan, executive director of SBM Charitable Foundation Inc. Each was elected to a term expiring at the annual meeting of shareholders in 2011. Shareholders also voted to approve the NewAlliance Bank Executive Incentive Plan. The plan is a carryover from one that was in place before the bank’s conversion. However, to allow payments under the plan to be eligible for tax deductibility, shareholder approval of the plan is required periodically. In addition, shareholders voted to ratify PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP as the independent auditor for 2008. In a separate meeting prior to the annual shareholders’ meeting, the board of directors voted to increase the company’s quarterly dividend from 6.5 cents to 7.0 cents per share, a 7.7% increase. The dividend will be paid on May 16 to shareholders of record on May 6. NewAlliance Bancshares is the parent company of NewAlliance Bank, headquartered in New Haven, with $8.2 billion in assets and a network of 89 branches in Connecticut and Western Mass.

STCC Receives $150,000 Grant for Photovoltaic Practitioner Training Program

SPRINGFIELD — Taking another step in a statewide push to promote growth in sustainable energy, or the ‘green’-technology sector, the Mass. Technology Collaborative (MTC) has awarded a $150,000 grant to Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) for development of a photovoltaic (PV) practitioner training program in Western Mass. Photovoltaic, or solar-panel, installations are becoming an increasingly popular strategic initiative for businesses and institutions looking to control and reduce energy costs, according to Thomas Goodrow, vice president for Economic and Business Development at STCC, and the grant will advance efforts to foster job growth and economic-development opportunities in this sector. Elaborating, Goodrow said the focus of the two-year grant is to provide training and practical experience in PV design and installation for licensed electricians, individuals involved in a journeyman electrician-training program, architects, engineers, and general contractors. The project plan includes developing coursework in PV design and system installation, and seeking ISPQ (Institute for Sustainable Power Quality) accreditation for training and continuing education. The program is slated to begin this fall, with a 3- to 4-month certificate course of study that will provide students with hands-on experience in a field that is expected to offer significant growth opportunities. Individuals completing the program will be prepared to sit for the industry certification exam. The PV Practitioner Training program will be conducted by STCC’s Center for Business and Technology (CBT), in partnership with the George W. Gould Construction Institute; the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, a business association of solar-energy companies based or doing business in New England; the STCC Assistance Corporation; and renewable energy companies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. Grant funds will be used, said Goodrow, to support curriculum development efforts that are already underway, to purchase equipment and materials that will allow students opportunities for hands-on experience, to gain national accreditation for the program, and to establish internship opportunities for students at solar-energy companies based in New England. The project team consists of STCC Assistant Vice President Mary Breeding, who directs CBT; Peter Vangel, professor and co-chair of the Laser Electro-Optics Department at STCC, who will serve as curriculum developer; Michael Kocsmiersky, vice president for Research and Development at Solar-Wrights Inc.; and Bill Stillinger, general manager of Pioneer Valley Photovoltaics Cooperative (PV Squared), a PV practitioner with many years of teaching, training, and installation experience in the field. Individuals who are interested in applying for the program should contact CBT at (413) 755-4502 or (413) 755-4225.

Bradley and Delta Celebrate Cancun Service

Windsor Locks, Conn. — Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Delta Airlines recently announced the launch of the airport’s first-ever nonstop scheduled service to Cancun, Mexico. The seasonal service to Cancun, which started April 12, operates on Saturdays between BDL and Cancun International Airport (CUN). Delta Air Lines Flight DL497 will depart Bradley at 10:40 a.m. and arrive in Cancun at 1:47 p.m. Delta Air Lines Flight DL498 will depart Cancun at 2:40 p.m. and arrive at Bradley at 7:33 p.m. Delta will operate this service using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured with 16 business-class seats and 144 seats in coach class. Customers should visit Delta’s Web site, delta.com, or call Delta Reservations at (800) 221-1212 for the latest flights.