Officials move to make Summit County a greener place

(Park Record) Summit County officials hope to lead by example in their efforts to promote sustainability. A former planner in the County Courthouse has been tapped to manage the government's environmental programs.

Summit County Sustainability Coordinator Ashley Koehler said she will be working on a full-time basis to lessen the impact the county has on the environment.

Light bulbs at county buildings have been replaced with bulbs that are more energy efficient. A recycling program for computer equipment helps ensure that electronics devices the government uses are disposed of properly and some county vehicles operate on cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel.

"All of our county buses run on biodiesel from April through November," Summit County Public Works Administrator Kevin Callahan said.

On Wednesday, officials were slated to unveil the first county building fully powered by renewable energy. With funding from Rocky Mountain Power, a photovoltaic system was mounted to the roof of the Utah State University Agricultural Extension offices in Coalville.

The building can now run on solar power, Koehler explained.

As sustainability coordinator, Koehler will help the government ramp up its environmental efforts, Summit County Manager Bob Jasper said.

Jasper said he wants her to promote sustainability in the community.

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