'Green' initiatives earn Lombard kudos

Breathe in. Breathe easy.

The village of Lombard's latest award has the sweet aroma of being environmentally friendly.

The village has taken home a bronze award for its "green" initiatives in the Clean Air Counts program.

Trustee Greg Gron, who chairs the village's environmental concerns committee, said given the early success of current programs, "We are looking to advance to a silver award within a year."

The village, however, received a different kind of award last month in the form of a raw onion from Landmarks Illinois, a historic preservation advocacy group, for a 4-2 vote that led to the demolition of the DuPage Theatre in May.

The Clean Air Counts recognition is centered on a different kind of preservation.

Along with Lombard, Roselle and Wood Dale also have been recognized for their participation in the Clean Air Counts program instituted by the city of Chicago and other municipalities.

"When we got involved this summer, we found we were doing a lot of the requirements already," said Public Works Director Wes Anderson.

Using paints low in chemicals is one of the many reasons the village was lauded, Village President William Mueller said during the board's Thursday night meeting.

The village is also committed to replacing existing light bulbs with low voltage LED for its traffic signals.

"I'm very proud Lombard is moving forward in being 'Green with Pride,' " Mueller said.

Later this year, the village will purchase its first hybrid vehicle to be used by the police department, Gron said.

Lombard won its award partly for its commitment to use public access cable Channel 6 and the village's newsletter in promoting awareness of green programs.

Gron said residents can get involved in preserving and improving the environment through the "Recycling Extravaganza."

Scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15 at village hall, 255 E. Wilson Ave., the event will enable residents to safely recycle materials such as glass, wood, books, flags and electronic items, including computers.

Through the gas can exchange program, the first 100 cans brought in will be replaced with environmentally friendly cans.

There are some changes within this year's event.

"We will no longer accept treated or painted wood," Gron said, because it would end up in a landfill. "We are a recycling community."