Local Economic Development Organizations Have Big Impact!
We, along with many of our counterparts throughout the Commonwealth, recently participated in a study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA), our state-wide professional organization, to evaluate the impact local economic development organizations had on the state’s economy from 2003 through 2006. Just a few of the more salient findings for the period:
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Local economic development organizations partnered with local, state and federal government and the private sector to leverage $4.8 billion in investment
- These investments supported the creation of 186,000 jobs
- More than $1.45 billion in the form of grants, loans and tax credits were provided to businesses by local economic development organizations
- The primary means of job creation was through the provision of support services to existing businesses
- Most commonly used public funding sources were PIDA, the federal Economic Development Administration, and programs associated with the state’s economic stimulus package
J. Patrick Killian, President of PEDA, noted that “the study clearly identified economic development in Pennsylvania as a partnership of private sector, state, federal and local government…”
The report was completed by Urban Research and Development Corporation of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with funding provided by a grant from the Team Pennsylvania Foundation.
Until next time...
Mark Turner
News and Developments . . .
Electronic products have become such a major staple in our everyday lives that it is hard to imagine never having them. Wasn't there always television, didn't we always travel by airplane, couldn't we always call our friends and family on the telephone, and didn't we always have computers and computer games? Some of us do still remember when we didn't have all these things but can't picture life without them now. On top of it all, every year brings new electronic gadgets. Every time new products and uses come out, more doors open to further possibilities. Much like the industrial revolution, the digital age is improving the population's life style and making the world a smaller place.
However, with all the improvements and new equipment, other products become outdated and obsolete, adding to the universal problem of how to deal with the discarded equipment. In 2005, used or unwanted electronics amounted to approximately 1.9 to 2.2 million tons. Of that, about 1.5 to 1.9 million tons were primarily discarded in landfills with It is estimated that 130,000 computers were discarded in a single day. Along with computers and peripherals, TVs, VCRs, cell phones and monitors, an estimated 304 million electronics were removed from U.S. households in 2005. As our use of and reliance on electronic products increases, so does the amount of discarded equipment added to our solid waste stream.
Electronic products can contain lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc and brominated flame retardants. When not disposed of or recycled properly, these toxic materials can cause health and environmental problems. Recognizing the need for better end-of-life management for these products, many states are considering or have already enacted legislation dealing with this issue, some have instituted recovery programs and some have gone as far as banning electronics from landfills.
Safely recycling outdated electronics can promote the safe management of hazardous components, and support the recovery and reuse of valuable materials. Pennsylvania has a number of recyclers and reusers, one of which is in Crawford County. Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling Inc. (ECS&R), recycles electronics through its sister company, ReCom Services. It is a permitted electronics recycler and demanufacturer, and hauler. They re-use components from CRTs, computers and cell phones; and de-manufacture and recycle CRTs, televisions, computers, printers, peripherals, cell phones, radios, remote controls, copiers - just about everything as long as it does not have Freon in it. They have also recently purchased an industrial two-phase shredder to destroy hard drives and make the information irretrievable.
ECS&R, located at 3237 US Highway 19, Cochranton, is a diversified company that utilizes state-of-the-art technologies to provide a variety of services ranging from on-site waste management programs and environmental consultation services to complete remediation. If you have any questions regarding your recycling needs, call them at 814-425-7773.
savings measure. The Department of Energy will monitor any energy savings and will report the impact of this time change to Congress. After this report is completed, Congress will decide on which schedule to maintain, retaining the right to resume the previous time schedule.
Daylight Saving Time is not a new concept. It was first conceived by Ben Franklin while he was a delegate in Paris but was not really used until 1916 in Europe in an effort to conserve fuel needed in World War I. Through 1916 and 1917, it was adopted by numerous other countries but was not formally adopted in the U.S. until 1918. Observance of DST had been quite inconsistent since then with a hodgepodge of time observances and participation until legislation in 1986 set the April and October schedule.
Even though that schedule has currently been changed to study energy savings, and not every state or territory observes DST, it seems like it is here to stay. Preliminary studies do indicate that it does save energy in small but significant amounts but it remains to be seen if this is offset by other expenses. However, as our society changes from an agricultural economy to a more predominant industrial economy, so does the popularity of DST. People enjoy having that extra hour of sunlight to enjoy longer summer evenings!
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will host a waste management seminar on March 13, 2008 in Butler. The seminar will be held from 8:45 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the Community Development Corporation of Butler County, 112 Woody Drive.
Representatives of companies that generate hazardous or residual waste will learn about waste handling regulations during the session. Other topics to be discussed include emergency response plans, employee training, record keeping and storage requirements.
Pre-registration is required as seating is limited. If you are interested in attending the seminar, contact Cindy Fry by March 7th at 814-332-6848 or by fax 814-332-6117. There is no registration fee.
The Chamber of Commerce's 7th Annual Wing Cook-Off, sponsored by Ruble Construction, will be held from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20th, at the Italian Civic Club, 869 Water Street, Meadville. The event will feature wings from several local restaurants, door prizes and Conneaut Cellars wines. Celebrity judges will pick the "Judges' Choice" for the best wings. This year there will also be a "People's Choice" award for the best wings, votes tallied from a random sampling of people chosen the night of the cook-off.
Cost for the event is $11 each. One dollar per ticket will benefit the Crawford County Chapter of the Safe Kids Network. To make reservations, contact the Chamber by email, phone 337-8030 or fax 337-8022.
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Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County
764 Bessemer Street, Suite 101
Meadville PA 16335
814-333-2299
03/13/2008