Good Neighbor signing with Rock-Tenn

Since April of 2001 a primary focus of the position of the Enviornmental Coordinator has been to engage local industry in Stakeholder Dialogues with the goal of reaching a potential Good Neighbor Agreement. We have achieved three official agreements, one with Ritrama Inc in April 2003 the next with Rock-Tenn Company in October 2004 and most recently signed an agreement with Globe Tool in May of 2008.  All  have lead to substantial emission reductions in the community--more than 1000 tons of VOC emissions. The agreement with Globe tool highlights reducing Trichloroethylene (TCE) in ways identified by a MnTAP intern who worked with Globe the summer of 2007. She identified reduction measures that individually could reduce emissions up to 92%.  The company was so impressed by the intern's work that they offered her a position with the company.  Many of those measures have already been implemented by Globe Tool and they are working on the others identified by the intern.  There was a story in the MN Daily last November about the reductions.

SECIA is among a handful of groups working locally on engaging industry in this type of activity and was recognized in April of 2007 by the City of St. Paul via their sustainability awards partially for this work.  We are glad to partner with organizations like MnTAP (Minnesota Technical Assistance Program) and Retap (Retired Engineers Assistance Program) to bring about air toxics and energy reductions locally.  We are also proud of our Good Neighbors who have become active community project sponsors as well as committing to the emissions reductions highlighted in our agreements with them.

We have also worked with several other facilities and have engaged in active permit commenting or dialogues with these facilities including Prospect Foundry,  Xcel Energy Riverside/Highbridge plant--Metro Emissions Reduction Project (MERP), University of MN Steam Plant, Interplastics Company, & Pechiney Packaging to name just a few.  Even if we did not reach a Good Neighbor Agreement often the emission reductions have been significant like in the case of Prospect Foundry (located at 1225 Winter St.) they have been required to install $1.5M in pollution controls or in the case of Xcel Riverside the power plant will be converted from coal to natural gas as part of the largest emission reduction project in the history of the State ($1 Billion invested in plant upgrades).

Previous funders who helpd make this project work possible have included: The Headwaters Foundation, MN Office of Ennvironmental Assistance (now MPCA), the Bush Foundation, & the McKnight Foundation.

For more information on the Good Neighbor Process or the work of SECIA's environment committee contact the SECIA office.   Our work is largely based on the model developed by Sanford J. Lewis and his work "THE GOOD NEIGHBOR HANDBOOK: A Community-based Strategy for Sustainable Industry", published in 1992.

Globe Tool Agreement (May 2008)

Ritrama Agreement (April 2003)

Rock-Tenn Agreement (Oct 2004)

MERP (May 2002-Dec 2003)

Prospect Foundry (2005)

Interplastics (2004-05)

University Steam Plant (2004-05)