Volume 141, No. 78 covering the 1st Session of the 104th Congress (1995 - 1996) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE ENERGY RESOURCE CENTER OF DOWNEY, CA, LEADING THE WAY FOR AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT NATION” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1012 on May 11, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE ENERGY RESOURCE CENTER OF DOWNEY, CA, LEADING THE WAY FOR AN
ENERGY-EFFICIENT NATION
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HON. STEPHEN HORN
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 11, 1995
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, in this day of growing concern over both the economic and the environmental future of our Nation, I rise to spotlight a ``new'' building in my district that sets a national standard in energy efficiency, environmental concern, and the use of recycled materials. It is the Southern California Gas Company's Energy Resource Center [ERC] which is located in Downey, CA. Envisioned as a clearinghouse on energy and energy conservation information, the planners of the ERC sought to house this information center in a building that embodied the environmental goals of recycling and energy and resource conservation. They succeeded magnificently.
The ERC opened its doors in April in its ``new'' recycled building as a one-stop center where customers can find the most efficient, cost-
effective, and environmentally sensitive solutions to all their energy needs. At the ERC, people will be able to get answers to energy questions on such diverse subjects as natural day lighting, gas cooling, and low emissivity windows. The ERC will also house an air quality permitting office of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, that will allow businesses to make energy decisions and understand air quality permitting requirements in one stop. The ERC will provide meeting space for up to 700 people.
Designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] as an
``Energy Star Building,'' the ERC is one of the Nation's best working models of energy efficiency and cutting-edge environmental products--a living example of how to recycle a building and use energy in the most efficient way. When construction began on the 38-year-old building in April of 1994, there were no wrecking balls. Instead, builders reused many of the materials that were already there. They incorporated those materials with many of the most advanced and environmentally sensitive technologies which are available today.
During the construction process, all of the 550 tons of material removed from the building--asphalt, red clay brick, porcelain plumbing fixtures among others--were sorted and stockpiled. Materials that could not be used again in the building were taken to recycling centers or were given to other builders. About 60 percent of the materials removed--approximately 350 tons--were recycled one way or another.
Contractors were required to use recycled, toxic-free, and environmentally-sensitive materials. As a result, 80 percent of the materials used in the construction of the ERC came from recycled or reused materials. The ERC building now features many unusual recycled materials such as concrete reinforcement bars made of recycled steel from weapons confiscated by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department; flooring made of wood recovered from a condemned turn-of-the-century building in San Francisco; a wall made from recycled aircraft aluminum; and sections of the movie set used in the recent Warner Bros. film
``Disclosure.''
In addition to the construction materials, other state-of-the art, environmentally-sensitive methods were used such as soil protection, dust minimization, and adherence to noise control regulations. The preservation of existing land resources was not forgotten--whether they were trees, shrubs, vines, and or top soil. Drought-resistant plants were used for exterior landscaping. There are plans for an underground drip irrigation system to be fed by reclaimed water.
The Southern California Gas Company's Energy Resource Center in Downey, CA, is leading the way for sound environmental construction that is economics-friendly. Mr. Speaker, the Energy Resource Center will enable those who use it to have a much better energy-efficiency future and that is good news for our Nation.
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