GetGo Gains LEED Silver-Certified

PITTSBURGH -- Multi-format food retailer Giant Eagle Inc., based here, received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for its GetGo convenience store and fuel station located at 140 Towne Center Drive in Wexford, Pa.

"Adding a LEED-certified convenience store and fuel station to our wealth of sustainable business practices underscores Giant Eagle's commitment to environmental responsibility," Giant Eagle Senior Vice President of Real Estate Shelly Sponholz said in a statement. "It is a continuation of our work thus far, and a step toward future initiatives."

This is Giant Eagle's first LEED-certified fuel and convenience store location, and is the first of its kind in the western Pennsylvania region and one of the first in the nation, according to the company. The 1,942 square-foot GetGo opened in February 2009.

The LEED Silver-certified GetGo features:
-- Air-quality sensors monitoring carbon dioxide;
-- The use of adhesives, sealants, paints, carpeting and wood products that are low in volatile organic compounds;
-- Landscaping with drought-tolerant vegetation that requires no irrigation;
-- A design to consume 21 percent less energy than comparable, conventionally designed supermarkets, with all the electricity produced by green energy sources;
-- Increased insulation and day lighting help save energy;
-- Use of no-ozone-depleting refrigerants in its refrigeration and cooling systems;
-- A majority of construction waste, such as steel and drywall, was sent to various companies for reuse;
-- Nearly all wood used was harvested from sustainable services;
-- Cabinetry is free of urea formaldehyde, and all gypsum wallboard is made from 10 percent recycled materials; and,
-- Nearly all food byproducts, such as cooking oil and trimmings, are reused for things including bio-diesel fuel, animal feed and lubricants.

"GetGo has been incorporating green practices into our operations for a number of years, highlighted by our alternative fuel offerings at many locations and the water reclamation system in place at our WetGo car wash locations," Giant Eagle Vice President of Fuel and Convenience Stores Dan Pastor said in a statement. "There are some 150,000 convenience stores across the nation. To have our Township of Pine location recognized as one of a handful of LEED-certified stores in the country is an exceptional honor."

LEED, a national green building rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), has four levels of certification -- Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum -- based on the number of credits a facility achieves. To earn certification, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks , or "credits," within each category.

In December 2004, Giant Eagle opened the world's first LEED-certified supermarket in the Cleveland suburb of Brunswick, Ohio. Giant Eagle was also been awarded LEED certification for its Shadyside Market District and New Albany (Columbus) Giant Eagle stores.

The LEED designation builds on Giant Eagle's green commitment. The company was recognized several times by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) and with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award (2004, 2005) for its energy practices, according to the company.

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