DEC Accepting Applications for Environmental Excellence Awards

ALBANY, NY (02/23/2010)(readMedia)-- Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Environmental Excellence Awards program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. The program recognizes businesses, governments, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and individuals that are implementing creative and environmentally sustainable practices or partnerships.

DEC is especially interested in acknowledging projects that achieve significant environmental benefits through: cutting-edge pollution prevention technologies; improvements in manufacturing processes; initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; programs that make schools and businesses more "green"; energy conservation and green energy production efforts; waste reduction and recycling efforts; stormwater management and watershed planning; environmental protection and restoration efforts; and land conservation.

Past award winners have helped improve New York's environment by developing initiatives that eliminated 2.1 million pounds of hazardous waste, recycled more than 382 million pounds of solid waste, and preserved 149,000 acres of open space.

Applications for the awards must be postmarked no later than Friday, May 21, 2010. For information about the award program, the application materials and information on past award winners, go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/945.html. Potential applicants may also write to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Pollution Prevention Unit, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-1750, telephone DEC's Pollution Prevention Unit at (518) 402-9469, or send an e-mail to eeawards@gw.dec.state.ny.us .

Examples of previous winners include:

The Golden Arrow Resort in Lake Placid instituted green programs on a variety of fronts to reduce the environmental impact not only of the hotel, but also of the traveler. The resort features a "green roof" - a rooftop expanse of native plants that provides wildlife habitat, reduces water runoff and helps keep the inn warm in the winter and cool in the summer – and a limestone beach that reduces the impacts of acid rain. Guest rooms feature in-room recycling, insulated windows, energyefficient lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

The City of Kingston partnered with Aslan Environmental Group to develop a new system for managing wastewater in an economical and environmentally sound manner. The project efficiently uses methane gas as a fuel, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, there is no waste being landfilled, truck traffic is minimized, local plant odors are reduced, and the system operates fully automatically at nearly zero energy cost.

Town of North Hempstead put into action a groundbreaking recycling partnership program involving eight of the 11 school districts within its borders. More than 28,000 students have been involved with this comprehensive recycling program. Each classroom in every participating school maintains statistical records of the recyclables collected. As a result, students are becoming environmental stewards, taxpayers are saving money, school districts are receiving the benefit of a worthwhile service they otherwise would had to pay for, and 279 tons of material has been diverted from landfills.