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Among the lessons learned from his recent trip to The Netherlands, Economic Development Director Bill Murphy said he was very impressed with how the Dutch look at sustainable development.

"Here in the U.S., we think 10 to 20 years is looking long term," Murphy said. "When they look at sustainable development, they're looking at future resources and how to allocate them 50 years out."

The April 6-10 trip, which was led by the Cincinnati USA Partnership, included visits to Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It focused on better understanding sustainable development as communities and companies are increasingly looking to "go green" in respect to the environment.

"We have a long way a lot to do in terms of sustainable development," he said. "The Dutch were challenged by limited geography and resources. Dutch limitations forced them to think creatively."

Murphy pointed out how functional facilities were in The Netherlands, such as the World Trade Center in Amsterdam, where officials built highways, rail lines and service corridors underground, so more green space could be preserved with limited vehicle traffic.

He also said a district heating and cooling facility that provides those utilities for several thousand buildings used water from a nearby lake to create steam to run its turbines .

"They take climate control issues very seriously over there," Murphy said. "For example, they don't landfill their solid waste. Instead, they ... incinerate Amsterdam's trash at a high temperature to eliminate the carcinogens."

He said it reminded him of the SunCoke Energy coke-making facility in Haverhill, Ohio, similar to a facility being proposed for Middletown. "They use a similar technology to make steam into electricity."

Murphy said the Dutch have also realized that they can "go green" not because it's the environmentally friendly thing to do but because there is money to be made.

"They learned that if they were going to sell it, it has to be profitable," he said.

He also learned that there needs to be an open dialogue between industry and the community. Murphy said Dutch manufacturers are much more open to letting the public see their operations than U.S. manufacturers are.

One example he cited was a Dutch manufacturer who gave tours of its facility. Murphy said when the manufacturer wanted to expand its operations, there was no public dissent because the community understood the what the developer wanted to do with the project. In addition, everyone understood the importance of long-range planning.

Murphy said one way to apply the Dutch experience locally is to engage elected officials and the private sector to look at the financial advantages of sustainable development and to incorporate that into their projects.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or erichter@coxohio.com.

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