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Colorado’s marquee sports and entertainment facilities join EPA “Greener Venues” partnership

Release Date: 03/19/2009
Contact Information: Ron Lillich, 303 312-6149; Richard Mylott 303 312-6654

Mayor Hickenlooper, George Karl kickoff greening effort with Coors Field, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Folsom Field, the Denver Zoo, the Pepsi Center, and more

(Denver, Colo. – March 19, 2009) Colorado’s green economy, and green reputation, got a big boost on Thursday night when ten of the state’s marquee sports, recreation and entertainment facilities joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greener Venues partnership.

The Greener Venues launch was held as part of the Sustainable Opportunities Summit at the Colorado Convention Center and featured remarks from Denver Mayor, John Hickenlooper and Denver Nuggets coach, George Karl.

“Greener Venues partners will make measureable improvements in energy use, water consumption, materials and waste management, and other performance areas,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator, Carol Rushin. “These venues highlight Colorado’s progressive business environment and provide visible examples of green practices for the millions of people who visit every year.”

The following facilities are joining the Greener Venues partnership:

• Invesco Field at Mile High
• The Denver Zoo
• The Pepsi Center
• The Denver Performing Arts Complex
• Coors Field
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• CU’s Folsom Field
• The Colorado Convention Center
• Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
• The Denver Coliseum

The Greener Venues partnership is the latest effort in an ongoing collaboration between EPA, the City of Denver, the State of Colorado, the Colorado Alliance for Sustainable Business Associations, and the progressive businesses that make up Colorado’s hospitality sector.

The partnership recognizes that facilities that host millions of people each year share special operational challenges. These include energy use, water use, waste management and disposal, food and beverage packaging, and materials management – to name a few. This partnership will enable these venues to share and extend green practices.

Greener Venues offers facilities a simple and flexible framework to adopt specific sustainability goals and measures. Instead of a piecemeal approach -- where operations managers negotiate programs and resources on their own -- Greener Venues provides facilities direct access to voluntary programs, information and resources from EPA, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations.

Greener Venues facilities will choose from a list of EPA voluntary programs, including: Energy Star, Green Power, WasteWise, Smartway Transport, and Best Workplace for Commuters.

Venues will also have access to state and local programs that include:

• the Greener Denver Business program
• Greenprint Denver’s community-wide bicycle sharing program
• the Denver County Anti-Idling program
• the Denver Parks Mile High Tree Planting project
• the Denver Urban Gardens community garden program
• the Colorado Carbon Fund
• the Colorado Association for Recycling

Greener Venues recognizes the economic aspects of sustainability. The partnership’s network of sponsors and venues will take advantage of applied experience, emerging technologies and markets, and economies of scale.

Sponsors of the Rocky Mountain Greener Venues Partnership include: The City and County of Denver, Greenprint Denver, the State of Colorado, the Governor’s Energy Office, Visit Denver, Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy (CORE), and the Colorado Alliance of Sustainable Business Associations.