Local News

Written by Jack McCarthy   

The City of Aurora is offering monthly seminars to help residents get the best return on their home’s energy efficiency and promote water conservation.
The first workshop series provides residents with information to help reduce their home energy costs, increase comfort and maintain the structural integrity of their home. The program is part of the City’s Aurora GreenWorks Community Education Workshop series and is funded by an U.S. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block federal stimulus grant.
Seminars will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m. on the following Thursdays:
Oct. 20, Fred Rodgers Community Center, 501 College Ave.; (presented in Spanish only)
Nov. 10, Eola Road Branch Library, 555 S. Eola Road;
Dec. 15, Fred Rodgers Community Center;
Jan. 19, 2012, Aurora Police Department, 1200 E. Indian Trail Road;
Feb. 16, Fred Rodgers Community Center;
Another GreenWorks workshop series will focus on reducing water consumption to save money and protect the environment. Seminar topics will touch on how to conserve water, time and money in the backyard with water efficient landscapes, rain barrels and other green tips. Remaining sessions will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m.  Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Customer Service Center.
Attendance at the seminars is free, but pre-registration is requested. To register, call Karen Zilly, Neighborhood Redevelopment Division Development Coordinator, at 630-256-3323. Registration also can be completed online by visiting www.aurora-il.org, clicking on the “Community Services” tab, selecting the “Neighborhood Redevelopment Division” link and then choosing the “Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program.”
Future dates for both programs will be announced in the spring.

Aurora gets the lead out—The City of Aurora has garnered recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for replacing lead wheel weights with steel on City vehicles and equipment.
The EPA’s National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) focuses on reducing the use of potentially hazardous chemicals and products, such as mercury and lead.
The voluntary program also promotes identifying environmentally preferable alternatives and eco-friendly technology while fostering collaborative relationships between the EPA and public and private organizations.
Under the NPEP program, the City launched a successful campaign to cut down the amount of lead automotive balancing wheel weights with new steel models.
The City’s Equipment Services Division targeted replacing 100 pounds of lead from 360 fleet vehicles.