VEC at the Forefront with Special Green Projects

VEC stays current with new and emerging trends and technologies in the Green Economy with special projects designed to pursue systemic solutions to environmental and economic challenges. Recent and ongoing projects include:

Preliminary Evaluation of a Solar Array at the Elizabeth Mine Site

Encore Redevelopment (Encore) is pleased to provide this preliminary evaluation of the financial and technical feasibility of installing a solar photovoltaic array at the Elizabeth Mine Superfund Site in Strafford, Vermont. This effort was supported by previous work conducted by Rahul Khakurel, Master of Engineering Management (M.E.M.) candidate, Dartmouth College.
View the Elizabeth Mine Report

Increasing Petroleum Cleanup Rates for Vermont Contractors

Vermont's reimbursement rates to contractors that clean up petroleum pollution were well below prevailing regional rates. VEC conducted a survey of 88 labs and chemical & engineering firms. VEC then submitted its recommendations to the Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation, whereupon rates increased approximately 35%, benefiting C&E firms statewide and keeping Vermont's C&E sector competitive.
View the Final Report

A Video Guide to Green Up Your Business

The Green Makeover – A Video Guide to Greening Up Your Business: Join Johnson Woolen Mills owner Stacy Manosh and special guest stars for a fun look at a real, point-by-point environmental assessment and retrofit process. Along the way, you'll meet other business people who have installed new technologies and found some surprising ways to reduce environmental impact – all while improving their bottom line.

This 35-minute video features appearances by Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Willem Lange, and Rusty DeWees as well as original music by Jon Gailmor. It's fun, informative, and it's guaranteed to benefit all Vermont business owners and managers!

Brownfields Program Review

VEC has coordinated a multi-stakeholder team to design improvements to Vermont's brownfields program to encourage more brownfields remediation and redevelopment. Group members included environmental scientists and lawyers, regional planners, and developers.

The VEC group's white paper resulted in statute that created a formal Brownfields Program Advisory committee to consider its specific recommendation. The committee's November, 2007 report to the legislature endorsed almost all of the VEC group's recommendations, promising significant reform to Vermont's brownfields program and the redevelopment of more of the state's estimated 3,000 polluted and under-used properties.

Landmark Guide for Farmers on Renewable Energy Options

VEC created the first-ever comprehensive guide to renewable energy options for farmers for the Agency of Agriculture. With input from 24 experts in renewable technology and feedstocks, this landmark publication was given to 1,200 farmers, all state legislators and federal delegations, and is now available to the public.

After a Statehouse reception and extensive media coverage (AP, WCAX, etc.) the book generated a flood of requests.