August 27, 2006 - Portland, Ore. -- The Oregon Convention Center and Salmon-Safe announced today that the OCC has become the first convention center in the U.S. to earn Salmon-Safe certification. The designation was awarded for safeguards the facility deployed to protect water quality and Pacific salmon habitat, as well as commitments the organization has made to further reduce its environmental impact over time.
The certification, part of the OCC's ongoing commitment to sustainability, involved assessments by an independent team of environmental science and water quality experts that addressed management policies and field practices in the areas of storm water management, in-stream habitat, riparian area and wetland management, water use, erosion and sedimentation control, and integrated pest management.
"The OCC is joining Nike, Kettle Foods, Toyota, Portland State University and other pioneering urban landowners to create a healthier Willamette watershed so salmon can spawn and thrive," said Dan Kent, Salmon-Safe managing director.
The OCC's proximity to the river meant storm water management, water use, and integrated pest management were of paramount importance to the Salmon-Safe assessment team. "While our assessment team found some room for improvement (as is normally the case), overall they were quite impressed with the systems the OCC is currently using," Kent said.
The OCC's certification falls under Salmon-Safe's initiative to apply Salmon-Safe guidelines to urban land management. The organization got its start working with agricultural and forest landowners that typically have important riparian areas directly associated with the land being managed. "But urban land management can be just as important," Kent explained, "With urban environments we're often dealing with large areas of impervious surfaces, resulting in significant amounts of run-off containing pollutants and contaminants."
The assessment team validated the importance of the OCC's rain garden, a stream-like water feature dressed with native plants that serves as a catch basin for roof runoff, filtering the rainwater of debris and other contaminants before it makes its way to the nearby Willamette River. The rain garden was built as part of the OCC's expansion in 2003.
The Salmon Safe assessment report notes that existing systems and current management of the OCC's operations show "a high level of environmental stewardship in accordance with Salmon-Safe standards." Still, the OCC has committed to acting on several assessment team recommendations to further enhance the management program.
For example, in an effort to reduce water use, the OCC has installed new, low-water fixtures where they did not already exist, and the management team has agreed to develop an even more stringent water conservation plan, including a drought management plan, to reduce annual water use for irrigation. Related to this is the OCC's commitment to find ways for the building's entire roof runoff to filter through the rain garden system or some equivalent treatment. In the area of integrated pest management, the OCC is committed to significantly reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides and to convert to slow-release and organic versions where possible.
"We're extremely pleased to have earned Salmon-Safe Certification," said Jeff Blosser, OCC Executive Director, "It helps to validate our ongoing commitment to sustainability in all that we do."
Matt Pizzuti, the OCC Director of Sales and Marketing, believes the sustainability commitment is working to enhance the OCC's business model. "We continually make the short list when sustainability is among an organization's criteria for choosing a destination, and it's often the difference-maker even when sustainability's not a must-have," he said. "People just seem to feel better about having less of an impact on the environment."
That sustainability commitment manifested itself initially in the OCC's attaining a LEED-EB Rating for the convention center expansion project in 2003. Since then the OCC has initiated a wide range of sustainability measures, including a recycling program that resulted in 235.81 tons of recycled material being diverted from landfills during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2007, a 12% improvement from the previous year.
Already the first convention center in the United States to achieve a LEED-EB rating, the OCC is now seeking to become the first US convention center to achieve the elevated Gold LEED-EB rating for existing buildings. LEED, an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is administered by the US Green Building Council and is the most widely recognized green building rating system in the world. The OCC expects to learn the status of its Gold LEED-EB application by November.
The OCC also recently increased the amount of renewable power it purchases through Pacific Power's Blue Sky renewable energy program to 60% of the total electricity used. It also works closely with its food and beverage partner, Aramark/Giacometti Partners to ensure sustainable practices are utilized in catering activities and to offer enhanced sustainable services to clients seeking to "green" their meetings.
