Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has been awarded two green thumbs up for tearing up the asphalt, burning rubber and building cells.
The MTO was awarded the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario's (ECO) 2011 Recognition Award for using two environmentally beneficial innovations at a carpool lot in Beamsville, Ont. that created benefits in stormwater management, waste diversion and carpool promotion. The projects were the installation of bioretention cells and the use of rubber-modified asphalt (RMA) in the carpool lot, located at the Queen Elizabeth Way and Ontario Street Interchange.
The MTO used bioretention cells to mimic the natural hydrologic cycle. The cells work as a plant-based filtration device that captures and evaporates sediments that flow from the carpool's parking lot.
According to the MTO, the bioretention cells have filtered approximately 4,000 cubic metres of runoff from the Beamsville parking lot, enough to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
By using RMA to pave the Ontario Street parking lot, the MTO diverted approximately four tonnes of rubber tires from landfills. RMA is composed of ground up rubber tires and conventional hot mix asphalt. The MTO were recognized for helping develop the technology by using it on the Beamsville project.
This is the second consecutive year that the MTO has won the ECO Award.
For a list of past recipients, visit http://www.eco.on.ca