Mount Vernon City Officials Give A++ to
New Non-Toxic Green Road Repair Test
By: Cristina Natale

In a Public Works press conference (10/8), Mt. Vernon Mayor Clinton Young Jr.  gives all Westchester cities the green light to use GreenPatch as the safe and eco-conscious upgrade to the highly toxic to road repair industry-- after a 7-month testing period.   Clinton's cutting edge "go green" initiatives helped to ignite a countywide grassroots GREEN education program called"Smarter Solutions".

October 13, 2009 marks seven months since Mt. Vernon Dept. of Public Works (DPW) first implemented the durability test for the eco-friendly and people-safe cold asphalt substitute called GreenPatch™. Mayor Clinton I. Young Jr. revisits the landmark site between Langdon Ave. and 4th Street with an entourage of city officials including DPW Commissioner Terrence Horton for an official press conference to announce an end to the use of conventional hazardous materials and to celebrate GreenPatch’s advanced durability alongside its many benefits to the environment. Glenn Shapiro, VP of Operations and Product Development was invited by the Mayor’s office to speak on behalf of Cold Mix Manufacturing (makers of GreenPatch). “Looking at this same street after seven months proves GreenPatch outperforms its toxic predecessor. GreenPatch was developed because of the pressures that the industry has been getting from the many claims of known toxins and carcinogens that road repair materials have been releasing into the environment… the same industry that is now exploring many alternative ways to do things better. I’m happy to say that out of our three short years, GreenPatch is widely used today not just in the city of Mt Vernon but all over the state of New York while making its way throughout all the United States”.

GreenPatch was first manufactured in the City of Mt. Vernon who has now become an avid user of this alternative road repair product as well as other green solutions. Claimed as the first in Westchester to “go green”, Mr. Young profoundly rejoiced the invention of this revolutionary product as “it is better for our roads…our water and soil… and most of allbetter for our DPW workers who no longer have to breathe in the harmful toxins that exist in traditional materials”.

CITYWIDE GREEN PROGRAMS
In the early part of this year, Mount Vernon was aggressive and unique in some of their stimulus requests. Major projects will be underway later this year involving partnerships with other green businesses to utilize federal Environment & Energy Conservation Block Grant dollars. This is all part of Mount Vernon’s revitalization plan that will ultimately “spend less green”.

The first is EV Power Systems- retrofitting electric engines into large vehicles like pickups and garbage trucks- saving the city 25-40% on gasoline consumption per vehicle plus reduced emissions. Second, is the PinPoint Geotech- handheld Field Condition GPS technology that saves the DPW time and gas consumption. Public Works personnel will be able to accurately log and identify field conditions such as graffiti, debris, brush, potholes, lights out- facilitating daily work orders with increased efficiency and accountability of city departments. The third program is “Go Eco”- led by Ken Brooks and Dwight McLeod who promoted an exceptional idea for a public/private partnership in the form of a Plug-In Hybrid Car Sharing Program. As a pilot project that will kick off this later this year, Go Eco will provide the City of Mount Vernon with 2 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

(L/R) Tami Piacente, Brian Bochow (Mt. Vernon Deputy Chief of Staff), Melanie MacKenzie and Mayor Clinton Young Jr. at City Hall

YOUNG SPARKS COUNTYWIDE PUBLIC GREEN ED CAMPAIGN
Since March 2009, Mt. Vernon was the first city to announce an end to the petroleum-based conventional asphalt patch era and fully switching to the safe and toxin-free GreenPatch. The decision led by Mayor Clinton Young helped to eliminate thousands of gallons of diesel fuel pouring into the environment while dramatically reducing the levels of carcinogens, neurodegenerative agents and respiratory diseases linked to conventional asphalt patch. As the model city for Westchester’s GREEN movement, this is only one of many programs supported by the mayor to achieve citywide innovation. In October 2nd, ten months after his kickoff of Mt. Vernon’s extensive Green Initiative program, Mayor Young continues his crusade toward green leadership with a new meeting with GreenPatch- this time, to exchange support with Melanie MacKenzie, (VP of Special Programs) and to discuss her grassroots educational campaign to bring commercial and social awareness of eco-friendlier initiatives throughout New York. MacKenzie called it “The Smarter Solutions” (to be deployed in late October of this year) which aims at driving all businesses to go green while spreading the word throughout New York communities and local forums about ecological benefits and what it means to live in a greener world. The Smarter Solutions program is a partnership between a growing list of fellow green businesses and legislators to reach out to community groups, schools and municipal leaders as well as heads of the industrial sector. It is supported by scientific researchers and members of eco-organizations like the Green Energy Council to promote green business practices.

MacKenzie’s plans are met with open arms from Mayor Young who states, “Green is not window-dressing for us…it is the answer we need to a better quality of life and we take our future very seriously”. He supports MacKenzie’s ‘change through education’ approach as he expresses similar efforts with recent green presentations in the Mt. Vernon school system. “Whether it’s going to be retrofitting our large vehicles with electric engine systems, installing solar or green roof technologies … the City of Mount Vernon is going to take every opportunity it can to go green-“

"Discussing the Mayor Young's program brought tremendous inspiration and empowerment to our project-” says MacKenzie. “If you look at his city, you’ll clearly see the results of his passion… his work influences other cities to follow in his footsteps.”

MacKenzie employs her background in education and media communications by dedicating a wide portion of her research and outreach efforts online as the producer of a New York- based Green Business-to-Business Network and a publisher of her new online newsmagazine, EcoSmartNews.com. This is where businesses are encouraged to publish and promote their sustainable business practices to encourage other companies to go green.“

For media contact and interviews about this article, contact: Jordyn Tyson at 516-626-0655 or email at: content@greenpatch.com

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