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Westminster College Environmental Science student helps local borough earn sustainability recognition

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Posted on Thursday, August 1, 2019

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Pennsylvania communities are eligible to apply for the voluntary performance recognition program “Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification” and thanks to an analysis by a Westminster College intern, the New Wilmington Borough qualified for Bronze Status.

Justin Anuszek, a Natrona Heights native who graduated in May with a degree in environmental science, interned with the New Wilmington Borough—the home of Westminster College—over the past academic year. During his internship, he investigated the borough’s operations, practices and policies with respect to sustainability.

Anuszek worked with New Wilmington Borough Council representatives Katanya Cathcart and Morgan Boyd and borough administrator Sharonn Edmiston to research the borough’s criteria in the categories of governance and community engagement, healthy communities, energy use, conservation and green building and environmental stewardship.

Anuszek’s findings, which he presented at the May borough council meeting, indicated that the borough was eligible for Bronze Status by documenting some sustainability practices that they were already doing.

“The New Wilmington Borough is very thankful for the opportunity to work with our neighbors at Westminster College on projects like this,” said Cathcart. “Justin’s time and efforts on the sustainability analysis have not only helped us secure a Bronze designation, but he also identified other possibilities for the borough to care for and advance our local environment.”

“We just used the new designation to apply for our streetscape grant, so it’s already having an impact on the borough,” said Boyd.

The Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification, a project of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh, is a voluntary performance recognition program designed to help municipalities achieve sustainability goals, which in turn will allow them to save money, conserve resources, and encourage innovation.

New Wilmington’s certification details are available at: https://www.sustainablepacommunitycertification.org/assessments/view_muni/278

Photo: Justin Anuszek '19, center, with New Wilmington Borough Council members Morgan Boyd, left, and Katanya Cathcart.