ERM was recognized in the Natural World category of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision Platinum Award for its work on the Holland Energy Park Project located in Holland, Michigan, United States.
The project is the first power plant and park project to receive an Envision award, the third-party project verification and award program created by the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure to recognize projects that have achieved higher levels of sustainability using Envision, their sustainable infrastructure rating system.
The project team ensured each phase of work followed the Envision process criteria to implement sustainable practices for redevelopment which included minimizing waste, recycling materials, repurposing natural materials for wildlife habitat, recycling/reuse of contaminated land (brownfield properties), and implementing a management plan for invasive species.
Following sustainable practices, ERM removed and recycled over 300 discarded tires and other waste materials from wetlands and utilized as many local resources as possible for reuse of recovered materials. At one stage of the redevelopment, local beekeepers were hired to capture and remove and relocate honeybees to safeguard during demolition.
Work on the project continues as ERM was also awarded an Environmental Impact Assessment and Soil Erosion oversight for the new natural gas pipeline that will feed the new power plant and will double the fuel efficiency of Holland’s present power generation. The project touched every one of ERM’s major service offerings.