South Holland college is making sustainability a priority.
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL–(ENEWSPF)–May 29, 2013. Members of the South Suburban College (SSC) Sustainability Committee recently participated in the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Deep Tunnel & Thornton Quarry Tour during Urban Biodiversity Week. One of the Sustainability Committee’s goals is to provide continued education in areas related to the improvement of the local community’s environment.
“It was fascinating to be at the bottom of the section of the quarry that will be the reservoir for the deep tunnel,” said Deanna Quarcini of the SSC Sustainability Committee. “The deep tunnel itself is an engineering marvel 350 feet below the surface. The environmental impact will be huge in that it will greatly minimize the flooding concerns that have troubled this region. A portion of the quarry is being recycled into something good for the environment.”
The Sustainability Committee was established in 2011 to coordinate SSC’s efforts in sustainability leadership, and has adopted the following vision statement:
South Suburban College strives to be a leader in sustainability efforts. This mission is achieved in several ways. College initiatives include, but are not limited to, renovating College buildings for energy efficiency, purchasing a percentage of renewable energy and eco-friendly products, encouraging campus programs that incorporate reducing, reusing and recycling, providing contemporary training for the green economy and supplying sustainability information and forums to the College district. Our most important goal is to educate our staff and students to practice environmental stewardship at home and in the community.
“Our Board of Trustees encourages us to continue to be serious about sustainability and to bring more green initiatives to our campus,” added Don Manning, SSC President. “Our Sustainability Committee is committed to leading these efforts at South Suburban College, and we want our students to get involved.”
SSC students also chartered the SSC Green Club in 2012 behind the leadership of its president and student trustee, Rebecca Garcia. In 2013, the college’s growing activity earned recognition from Governor Pat Quinn and the Green Governments Coordinating Council as a “Bronze Level Compact School” within the Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact program.
