In The Community
I have been working at ArcelorMittal Dofasco in the Environmental department for the past 18 years and in 2018 took on the position of General Manager / Director of Environment.
After taking on the role of vice chair in the fall of 2016 it was my pleasure to step into the role as chair of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Industrial Environmental Association (HIEA) in 2018. Throughout this time on the board I have been able to see the continuing positive impact our HIEA members make on our community.
As a strong, dedicated group of companies, HIEA members continue to work closely with their neighbours, community initiative and not-for-profit environmental sector groups and many local representatives from the City of Hamilton and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
HIEA member companies are committed to making improvements to their facilities. The many major environmentally focused projects have and will continue to have positive and lasting impacts on the Hamilton community and the local air quality – drastically reducing Total Particulate Matter (TPM), Green House Gas (GHG) and other emissions. These positive impacts are clearly demonstrated in our annual survey where the aggregated environmental performance report results continue to show an overall improving trend for the years 1997 through 2018. As shown later in this report these statistics are a concrete example of the continued success that HIEA member companies are achieving to improve the environment in the Hamilton community.
HIEA’s survey results are presented in this publication, at the association’s Annual General Meeting and to the Community Advisory Panel. They are also available to the public both in print and on the association’s website - www.hiea.org.
Besides being committed to environmental improvements our HIEA member companies continue to participate in, and support, a number of local environmental initiatives including: Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC), Children’s Water Festival, Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) Green Angels Program and the McQuesten Urban Farm. You can learn about these groups here in this report as well as by following up on the contact information in their stories.
2018 was an interesting year for HIEA as it marked a significant change in our organizational structure with the hiring of a second part time staff. HIEA welcomed Ed Cocchiarella to the team in June to take on the role of General Manager. Ed will use his expertise to support our members in their environmental work and will actively make efforts to increase our corporate membership and Community Advisory Panel (CAP) participation, bringing more local industries and community members to the table.
You’re invited to Join Us …
As a local business or a neighbour to industry, your input is integral to HIEA’s continued success and we welcome your involvement. For more information about how to get involved as a member, with CAP meetings and other current initiatives, please visit www.hiea.org or contact us at 905-662-2131 or communications@hiea.org.
John Lundrigan
Chair, HIEA Board of Directors