[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   THE ENERGY RESOURCE CENTER OF DOWNEY, CA, LEADING THE WAY FOR AN 
                        ENERGY-EFFICIENT NATION

                                 ______


                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 1995
  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, in this day of growing concern over both the 
economic and the environmental future of our Nation, I rise to 
spotlight a ``new'' building in my district that sets a national 
standard in energy efficiency, environmental concern, and the use of 
recycled materials. It is the Southern California Gas Company's Energy 
Resource Center [ERC] which is located in Downey, CA. Envisioned as a 
clearinghouse on energy and energy conservation information, the 
planners of the ERC sought to house this information center in a 
building that embodied the environmental goals of recycling and energy 
and resource conservation. They succeeded magnificently.
  The ERC opened its doors in April in its ``new'' recycled building as 
a one-stop center where customers can find the most efficient, cost-
effective, and environmentally sensitive solutions to all their energy 
needs. At the ERC, people will be able to get answers to energy 
questions on such diverse subjects as natural day lighting, gas 
cooling, and low emissivity windows. The ERC will also house an air 
quality permitting office of the South Coast Air Quality Management 
District, that will allow businesses to make energy decisions and 
understand air quality permitting requirements in one stop. The ERC 
will provide meeting space for up to 700 people.
  Designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] as an 
``Energy Star Building,'' the ERC is one of the Nation's best working 
models of energy efficiency and cutting-edge environmental products--a 
living example of how to recycle a building and use energy in the most 
efficient way. When construction began on the 38-year-old building in 
April of 1994, there were no wrecking balls. Instead, builders reused 
many of the materials that were already there. They incorporated those 
materials with many of the most advanced and environmentally sensitive 
technologies which are available today.
  During the construction process, all of the 550 tons of material 
removed from the building--asphalt, red clay brick, porcelain plumbing 
fixtures among others--were sorted and stockpiled. Materials that could 
not be used again in the building were taken to recycling centers or 
were given to other builders. About 60 percent of the materials 
removed--approximately 350 tons--were recycled one way or another.
  Contractors were required to use recycled, toxic-free, and 
environmentally-sensitive materials. As a result, 80 percent of the 
materials used in the construction of the ERC came from recycled or 
reused materials. The ERC building now features many unusual recycled 
materials such as concrete reinforcement bars made of recycled steel 
from weapons confiscated by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department; 
flooring made of wood recovered from a condemned turn-of-the-century 
building in San Francisco; a wall made from recycled aircraft aluminum; 
and sections of the movie set used in the recent Warner Bros. film 
``Disclosure.''
  In addition to the construction materials, other state-of-the art, 
environmentally-sensitive methods were used such as soil protection, 
dust minimization, and adherence to noise control regulations. The 
preservation of existing land resources was not forgotten--whether they 
were trees, shrubs, vines, and or top soil. Drought-resistant plants 
were used for exterior landscaping. There are plans for an underground 
drip irrigation system to be fed by reclaimed water.
  The Southern California Gas Company's Energy Resource Center in 
Downey, CA, is leading the way for sound environmental construction 
that is economics-friendly. Mr. Speaker, the Energy Resource Center 
will enable those who use it to have a much better energy-efficiency 
future and that is good news for our Nation.


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