Minister Announces Website, ecoNova Scotia Funding for Municipalities

Nova Scotia municipalities will learn how to lower energy costs and reduce greenhouse-gas and air pollution emissions through a pair of government initiatives introduced today, March 25.

Dollars and Sense is a website that will be available to all municipalities. It was created through the ecoNova Scotia program and contains success stories and resources to help municipalities adopt sustainable practices.

"One of the biggest successes of ecoNova Scotia was helping municipalities identify ways to lower energy consumption and funding retrofits and new technology to achieve savings," said Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau. "These projects will benefit communities around the province for many years to come."

Mr. Belliveau was joined by Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities president Billy Joe MacLean and Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover.

"Like the Town of Bridgewater, many municipalities are recognizing the importance of taking small steps to eventually achieve great strides in energy management, one project at a time," said Mr. MacLean. "This new initiative provides a great platform for sharing success stories and will inspire more municipalities to take action to become leaders in energy conservation and sustainability."

The minister also announced $300,000 in ecoNova Scotia funding to demonstrate sewage filtering technology to municipalities. Trucks filter wastewater, reducing the amount of material to be hauled for processing which lowers fuel consumption.

"In addition to helping municipalities, ecoNova Scotia has encouraged the development and demonstration of new environmental technologies so they can be introduced to the marketplace,” said Mr. Belliveau.

The ecoNova Scotia program, created in 2007, has funded projects that reduce energy consumption, and lower greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions. It has resulted in hundreds of good jobs and economic growth in the province.

The Dollars and Sense website is available at: www.sustainability-unsm.ca/