News Release

HRM Launches Enviro Public Awareness Campaign

(Monday, February 5/2001)-- Residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality will soon be seeing a new "Naturally Green" logo on municipal advertising, signage and some vehicles to help create greater public awareness about the need to protect and preserve the environment.

"Caring for our environment in the regional municipality is everyone's responsibility, and the Halifax Regional Municipality is just one of a number of local organizations that is working hard to help preserve and protect our environment, " according to Brian Smith, chair of HRM's Environmental Initiatives Group (EIG).

Mr. Smith added " We have developed the concept of "Naturally Green" to provide a single, focused effort to bring together separate environmental activities within HRM, and to provide more opportunities to work together with our residents."

He stressed that the "Naturally Green" initiative is designed to create public awareness-- it does not involve any new funding for environmental protection efforts and does not exceed the existing HRM commitments to preserve and protect our environment.

The internal ad hoc Environmental Initiatives Group includes representatives of the various HRM business or service units that are involved in programs or activities related to greater protection of the environment, such as: solid waste resource management; buildings/facilities management (e.g. greater energy efficiency); pollution control (wastewater emissions); public transit (providing an alternative to private vehicle use); parks and natural services (the new pesticide by-law); the Harbour Solutions Project; etc.

The EIG provides an opportunity for the municipality's business and services units to exchange information and experiences regarding environmental problems and protection efforts, as well as create great awareness of environment issues within the HRM organization and the community-at-large.

"We hope the "Naturally Green" logo, whether on a pesticide by-law lawn sign, a municipal building or other facility, or a transit bus or another municipal service vehicle will remind our citizens of the global responsibility for everyone to do their part to protect our environment, " Mr. Smith said.

One of the first applications of the "Naturally Green" logo will be on the Solid Waste Resource division's quarterly WasteLess newsletter, which is distributed to 150,000 households throughout HRM.

The scope of the newsletter has been broadened to not only include information about solid waste resource management issues, but provide information to citizens on a number of other environment initiatives currently underway or being examined by the regional municipality.

In addition, public information/education materials now being prepared regarding HRM's new Pesticide By-Law registration program, which comes into effect on April 1^st, will also carry the "Naturally Green" logo.

(The "Naturally Green" logo cannot be used independently-- it must be used in conjunction with the HRM corporate logo).

The new blue/green logo was designed by Ms. Kelsie Williams, of the Marketing and Design section HRM Shared Services.

-- 30 --

Brian Smith
Chair, HRM Environmental Initiatives Group
(902) 490-6606

John O'Brien
Corporate Communications Officer
(902) 490-6531