============================================================ Wednesday, September 28, 2005 @ 10:31 AM ============================================================

DEP offers pollution prevention class to help West Virginians save money

CHARLESTON – If you would like to learn how to save thousands of dollars and reduce your impact on the environment, the Department of Environmental Protection will provide you with the training – for free!

The DEP is sponsoring a one-day workshop presented by A Nurtured World, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to a global change in thinking so that people live environmentally sustainable, financially successful and satisfying lives.

"Consumer Conservation: More in Your Wallet, Less From the Environment" will be held at the agency’s headquarters at 601 57th Street S.E., Charleston, in the Cooper’s Rock Training Room Tuesday, October 4, 2005. The class will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Anyone interested in saving money or protecting the environment may attend. Whether you are knowledgeable about environmental issues or not, this course will be valuable. The only requirements for the course are attending the entire session, active participation and a willingness to examine your personal behavior as it relates to the environment.

Attendees will learn the relative effects of consumer versus industrial activities, the types of consumer activities that have the largest impact on the environment, and how to change behavior in a way that makes a difference both for the environment and the pocketbook.

Previous participants report having saved an average of $1,500 per year and, in total, reducing energy use by 5,640 KWH per year, reducing fuel use by 252 gallons per year and reducing 11,805 pounds per year of carbon dioxide.

The course instructor will be Susan Roothaan, founder and executive director of A Nurtured World, Inc. She has more than 20 years of experience in the environmental field and has taught pollution prevention to thousands of individuals throughout the United States and Mexico. She is a certified ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems Lead Auditor, holds a Masters in Chemical Engineering, and has received numerous awards including the White House Closing the Circle Award for Greening Government.

The DEP-sponsored workshop still has space for 40 to 50 more participants. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre- registration is encouraged and appreciated.

For more information or to register, contact Greg Adolfson with the agency’s Office of Innovation at (304) 926-0499 ext. 1332 or by e-mail at gadolfson@wvdep.org.