Oregon American Public Works Association recognizes 3 with Julian prizes

Three Oregon agencies have been recognized for excellence in sustainability by the Oregon chapter of the American Public Works Association.

The organization's 2006 Julian prizes were awarded to the city of Gresham, the city of Portland and the Port of Portland during the APWA fall conference

Gresham's co-generation of electricity - by converting methane gas to electrical power - at its wastewater treatment plant was recognized. The co-generator produced heat and electricity to meet 55 percent of the plant's power needs, which reduced annual power costs by $239,000.

Portland's Transportation Maintenance Bureau received the award for its recycling program, which every year converts up to 50,000 cubic yards of municipal waste, such as leaves, asphalt and lumber, into reusable products. The recycling site runs partially through power generated by a wind turbine and solar panels.

A porous paving project at Terminal 6 earned the Port of Portland its prize. The project, designed by Century West Engineering, Greenworks and Cahill Associates, saw construction of a 51-acre parking lot to offload and process import cars. Almost 36 acres of the site used bioswales and porous paving to allow rainwater infiltration.

Also recognized were Don Holmes for converting the Portland Water Bureau's fleet to biofuels, and the Cooperative Public Agencies of Washington County for cooperative resource sharing.

The Julian Prize was established by the APWA chapter in 2004 to recognize the role of pubic works in furthering sustainability.