WPCAMR moves to green building
by Jeffrey Gerard, AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA
At the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, we’re happy to announce our new headquarters in the GreenForge Building on Donohoe Road in Greensburg, Penn. Just a block from WPCAMR’s old office in the Donohoe Center, the GreenForge Building is a model of sustainability, featuring recycled materials, energy-conserving technologies, and the first “green roof” in Westmoreland County.
The move, of course, brings a new address and phone number for WPCAMR, so please update your records:
WPCAMR
226 Donohoe Road, Suite 110
Greensburg, PA 15601
Phone/Fax: 724-832-3625
Six thousand individual plants cover GreenForge’s green roof, which has a surface area of 9,000 square feet. The roof naturally enhances air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide, moderates the building temperature, and improves aesthetics and habitat.
Working to clean western Pennsylvania’s streams from abandoned mine drainage, we’re acutely aware that smart water management is invaluable. The new green roof also retains stormwater to be used by the plants, which reduces runoff and alleviates pressure on the local sewer system. In addition, GreenForge’s asphalt parking lot will be retrofitted with bioretention cells and native landscaping to capture and manage stormwater.
WPCAMR’s new home will minimize pollution and reliance on fossil fuels with a geothermal system that exchanges heat with the ground to comfortably heat and cool the building in winter and summer. The GreenForge Building also has a 3.5-kilowatt solar array to supply some of its electric needs.
We invite you to stop by and visit us.