Friday, December 10, 2010

Great Lakes Mayors Support Industry "Green Marine" Program

Dec 10: Canadian and U.S. mayors from cities around the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River passed a resolution to support "Green Marine," an environmental program established by the marine shipping industry. Green Marine is a bi-national, voluntary program that aims to improve participants' environmental performance beyond regulatory compliance by introducing best practices, reduction targets and/or new technologies to improve their record in areas such as invasive species, air emissions and greenhouse gases, cargo residues, oily waters, conflicts of use within Ports and environmental leadership.
 
    The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a bi-national collaboration of mayors and local officials dedicated to the protection and restoration of the waterways, today endorsed the program and agreed to become an official supporter of Green Marine. David Bolduc, executive director of Green Marine, said the resolution would help foster greater communication between the marine shipping industry and cities and communities around the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region on its environmental improvements and would also aid in his efforts to recruit new participants.
 
    Bolduc said, "We have over 100 industry participants, partners and supporters and we are now working to extend that participation even deeper into the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system and beyond. This endorsement further enhances the credibility of the program. We have already had federal and provincial governments as supporters and we are pleased to add mayors from cities around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River to that list." Established in 2008, the Green Marine program has been nominated for a Sustainable Shipping Award and has received formal support from environmental groups like the World Wildlife Fund and Ducks Unlimited. 
 
    Access a release from American Great Lakes Ports Association (
click here). Access the Green Marine website (click here). Access the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative website for more information (click here).

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