Gray Russell

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news “The earth is not flat; the earth is round,” said Jerry Vorbach, one of the presenters at the Acting Locally for a More Sustainable World Conference. “What?!” Gray Russell, the township sustainability officer, said in mock surprise as the audience laughed. Jokes about flat-ea...

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission is reportedly planning to cut down a swath of trees alongside a water line running through Montclair and other towns. And that project could mean trouble for Montclair’s Alonso F. Bons...

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news It’s a happy day for Montclair residents who have been throwing out their yogurt cups and other plastics that aren’t marked with a 1 or 2. Starting on Monday, Nov. 6, residents will be able to put #5 plastics — including many types of yogurt containers — in with their plastics and glass for recycling. The news was posted...

Montclair had a visit from members of the state Board of Public Utilities Wednesday afternoon as the township investigates the prospect of installing a microgrid: a backup grid that could supply power to key buildings in the event of a widespread power failure...

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news Imagine if there were another Sandy-sized power outage in Montclair. It will probably happen. But what if there was a small energy grid, separate from the township’s main grid, that could keep a handful of essential buildings running? T...

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news Some Montclair High School students are encouraging the district to take a look at solar energy. Noa Putman, Victoria DeLaRosa and Gabbi Carson are all sophomores in MHS’s Center for Social Justice, a small learning community within the high school. The ...

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news Montclair has encouraged at least two dozen businesses to sign up for its sustainable business program, and the township hopes that others will join later on in the year. As of last week, at least 23 businesses had enrolled in the program, according to Gray Russell, the township’s sustainability officer. And ...

By ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news Between an onslaught of ash borers threatening to wipe out Montclair’s ash trees, and a series of less-than-ideal weather patterns putting stress on the township’s older trees, it’s been a challenging few years for Montclair’s shade trees, and the challenges aren’t letting up. “Old trees, like old cars...

by ERIN ROLL roll@montclairlocal.news Last year, Montclair rolled out a new program, in partnership with Montclair State University, to encourage local businesses to adopt eco-friendly practices. This year, the partners hope that the Green Business Program will expand, with more businesses joining...