Clean Air Funding Helps With Energy Saving Upgrades

NOTE: A list of projects that will receive funding follows this release.

More than $358,000 in funding has been announced for projects in Cape Breton that will help reduce greenhouse gases and air pollutants.

Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau was in Port Hawkesbury today, July 13, to announce the funding, which comes from the ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change.

"This program allows us to fight climate change by working together with municipalities and community organizations," said Mr. Belliveau. "The funding announced today will help reduce air emissions while cutting energy costs."

The Town of Port Hawkesbury is receiving $183,329 for upgrades to three municipal buildings, including insulation, weather stripping and lighting upgrades. The County of Richmond receives $112,500 for energy saving upgrades to water and sewage treatment plants and to the Richmond Arena in Louisdale.

Other projects include an energy and emissions inventory and audit at the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, a solar wall at Telile Community Television in Arichat, and the replacement of an aging refrigeration plant at the Dr. Bernie MacLean Cultural and Recreation Centre in Inverness.

These projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 700 tonnes - equal to taking 150 cars off the road - and cut more than 2,200 kilograms of major air pollutant emissions.

ecoNova Scotia funded projects help meet the objectives of the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act and the Climate Change Action Plan. The ecoNova Scotia fund administers funding from an original $42.5 million grant from the government of Canada. All funding is now committed and no new applications are being accepted.

With this announcement, ecoNova Scotia has funded more than 130 projects. For more information on the fund, please visit www.gov.ns.ca/ecoNovaScotia .

The following is a list of projects and programs receiving funding:

• $183,329 - Town of Port Hawkesbury. Upgrade three municipal buildings based on recommendations in the energy inventory and audit. Upgrades include insulation, weather stripping and lighting upgrades.
• $47,183 - Dr. Bernie MacLean Cultural and Recreation Centre Commission, Inverness. Replace the aging refrigeration plant with a more efficient model based on the energy audit for the arena.
• $10,000 - Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Conduct an energy and emissions inventory and audit.
• $112,500 - Municipality of Richmond. Upgrade the Water Treatment Plant and Sewage Treatment Plant for Arichat and Petit de Grat, the Louisdale Sewage Treatment Plant, and the Richmond Arena in Louisdale.
• $ 5,000 - Telile Community Television, Arichat. Install a solar wall at a community television station to supplement the heating source and reduce air emissions.