| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 59.94 |
| Liaison | Samuel Crowl |
| Submission Date | Aug. 11, 2021 |
Ohio University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Elaine
Goetz Director of Energy Management Facilities Management & Safety |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
This exemplary sustainability project utilizes an Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)-to-Paint Pigment treatment technology developed by Guy Riefler and John Sabraw at Ohio University to simultaneously benefit the environment, the economy and local communities in an economically disadvantaged area of Appalachian Ohio. Their treatment process removes iron from AMD discharges in Athens County, Ohio and produces a pigment-grade iron oxide while returning clean, neutral pH water to the receiving stream. Paints created from these iron oxide pigments are currently commercially available through Gamblin Artists Colors. The production of the pigment commodity creates local jobs while providing the needed funding to treat AMD discharges which were previously considered too costly to treat. A pilot pigment processing plant was constructed in 2018 in collaboration with Michelle Shively, the watershed coordinator at a local non-profit, Rural Action, and is currently operating at a discharge site in Corning, Ohio. Funding has been partially raised for a full-scale treatment plant to treat the Truetown Discharge, the single largest AMD discharge in the state of Ohio. In addition to improving the region’s natural and economic capital, this project has increased social capital by building a rich engagement ecosystem of artists and scientists, community members and university faculty, staff and students. Finally, at a larger scale, the production of pigments from AMD creates a domestic source of iron oxide and reduces the nation’s heavy reliance on imported pigments.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Public Engagement
Water
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Ohio University was the 31st institution in the world to offer a US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Lab course. The Civil Engineering course, CE4540/5540: Sustainable Construction, teaches students to evaluate the operations and maintenance of an existing building on campus using the LEED rating system. A pilot LEED Lab course was taught in the spring of 2018, and a registered LEED Lab course was taught in spring of 2019 and 2020.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Buildings
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
The FOWG includes campus and community representatives who meet monthly to advance OHIO’s institutional procurement of regional food. The FOWG goals are:
Map out steps and hurdles for regional food producers to sell to OHIO’ Culinary Services;
Develop a procurement toolkit for small producers; and
Refocus the university definition of “local” purchasing on the Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Establish the new metric “OHIO Neighborhood Food” for food, grown, raised or processed within one hundred mile radius of the OHIO Athens campus.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Food & Dining
Purchasing
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
First and second Points of Distinction provided by Elaine Goetz on 5/28/20.
Third Point of Distinction provided by Theresa Moran on 5/24/2020.
Entered by Sydney Hutchinson.
First and second Points of Distinction provided by Elaine Goetz on 5/28/20.
Third Point of Distinction provided by Theresa Moran on 5/24/2020.
Entered by Sydney Hutchinson.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.