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Last updated 1:58PM ET
February 13, 2012
KPLU Local News
KPLU Local News
Seattle City Council Ponders Greening Industrial Areas
Liam Moriarty (2010-06-14)
Seattle's Duwamish waterway. AP photo.
SEATTLE (KPLU) - For more than a century, Seattle's Duwamish River has supported dozens of heavy industrial businesses. That's boosted the economy, but left a legacy of poisoned water and land. Now, the Seattle City Council is looking at a vision of an industrial future that's cleaner and greener.

The buzzword? "Eco-industrial development."

It envisions industrial areas where businesses collaborate to save energy, conserve raw materials and minimize pollution.

Andreas Koenig, consultant with the Frankfurt-based non-profit Ecoindustry, says a growing number of places in Europe, Asia and the U-S are developing industrial parks that are more sustainable and more profitable.

"It is not a concept just for the environment," Koenig told the Seattle City Council. "It's definitely something that I would call smart business practices because if you reduce your energy and materials through-put in your company, you save costs and you also do something good for the environment."

Koenig made the presentation to the council as part of a preliminary look at ways to anchor green jobs and green technology in the city. He said the existing industrial base along the Duwamish presents challenges, but also holds potential for making the transition to cleaner ways of doing business.


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