April 3, 2008

Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester announced today that Pilgrim Manor Retirement Community in Grand Rapids is the first retirement community in Michigan to become a member of the Clean Corporate Citizen (C3) Program, a voluntary environmental program that recognizes environmental stewardship at Michigan's facilities.

"I am happy to welcome Pilgrim Manor as Michigan's first retirement community to join our Clean Corporate Citizen program," said Director Chester. "Pilgrim Manor has recognized that protecting our environment furthers their efforts to create a healthy living environment for their community."

Pilgrim Manor Retirement Community is a non-profit residential community in northeast Grand Rapids. They provide residence for 230 elderly adults that are in need of independent living, assisted care living, and nursing care.

"This important designation follows nearly two years of preparation, planning and implementation," said Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, who also serves as Pilgrim Manor's CEO. "Our residents and staff understand that environmental stewardship is the responsibility of every person and institution on the globe. We are proud to receive this designation and look forward to continuing to identify innovative ways to lead our `green stewardship' on behalf of our residents and their families."

Some of the activities that Pilgrim Manor has initiated under the guidance of their environmental management system include the installation of energy efficiency lighting, implementation of a recycling program for plastics and glass, the safe disposal of mercury products, and using green cleaning products where possible.

Clean Corporate Citizen designation is made to candidates that adopt facility-specific Environmental Management Systems, have active and on-going pollution prevention initiatives at their facility, and have a consistent record of compliance with state and federal environmental requirements. The C3 program is open to companies regulated under any of Michigan's environmental statutes, and designations are reviewed and renewed on a regular basis.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised April 3, 2008 by Pat Watson