DEP HONORS ENVIRONMENTAL
LEADERS AND INNOVATORS
Excellence Awards Recognize Significant
Environmental Achievements in New Jersey
(04/131) ATLANTIC CITY - New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner
Bradley M. Campbell will honor environmental leaders at
a ceremony this evening, handing out the annual Environmental
Excellence Awards to winners in nine categories. The awards
recognize individuals, businesses, and communities who have
made significant contributions to environmental protection
in New Jersey.
"These awards recognize the leaders in New Jersey's
towns, companies, authorities, and military bases who are
achieving superior environmental performance," said
Campbell. "These leaders are setting the standard for
innovation and commitment, while reminding us that the best
ideas in environmental protection emerge from local problem
solving rather than traditional regulation."
Once again, DEP received a record number of nominations,
with winners judged on the basis of the documented environmental
benefits, innovation, and long-term impact of their work
to the environment. This year, DEP added a ninth category
for awards that recognizes achievement in Environmental
Education. In addition, DEP received nominations in eight
other categories: Clean Air, Clean and Plentiful Water,
Safe and Healthy Communities, Open Space Protection and
Preservation, Healthy Ecosystems, Innovative Technology,
Environmental Stewardship and Environmental Leadership.
This is the fifth year the awards - co-sponsored by DEP,
the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology (NJCAT),
and the NJ League of Municipalities - have been bestowed
on state environmental leaders. Last year's winners included
the Naval Air Engineering Station at Lakehurst, Hackensack
Riverkeeper, Chesterfield Township, and James Shissias.
NJCAT is a public-private partnership that pools the resources
of business and industry, entrepreneurs, university research
centers, utilities and government to promote New Jersey's
emerging environmental technologies.
Below is a list of this year's winners and honorable mentions:
Clean Air Winner - Mannington Mills, Inc.
Mannington Mills produces residential and commercial flooring
products at their corporate headquarters located in Mannington
Township in Salem County. This award recognizes Mannington
for implementing a number of clean air initiatives at their
facility including switching from solvent-based to water-based
inks. In addition to decreasing and eliminating air emissions
for a number of compounds, their efforts have also resulted
in significant energy savings each year.
Clean and Plentiful Water Winner - Sourlands Planning
Council
The Sourlands Planning Council is a nonprofit, volunteer
organization dedicated to preservation and conservation
issues in the Sourlands Mountain region in the central New
Jersey counties of Hunterdon, Mercer and Somerset. This
award recognizes the Council for their comprehensive efforts
to improve this region's water quality and quantity. Efforts
include advocating and promoting municipal rezoning and
resource protective ordinances as well as developing a comprehensive
management plan designed to preserve natural and cultural
resources and to encourage consistent smart growth land-use
strategies.
Clean and Plentiful Water Honorable Mention - Atlantic
County Utilities Authority
The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) operates
a 40-million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant in
Atlantic City, a regional sewerage collection system serving
14 municipalities in Atlantic County, and a solid waste
management system that includes a landfill, transfer station,
recycling center, and composting facility at the 350-acre
Haneman Environmental Park in Egg Harbor. This honorable
mention recognizes the ACUA for, among other things, its
efforts in wastewater treatment, wastewater recycling, promoting
water conservation, household hazardous waste collection,
and sponsorship of Americorps Volunteers.
Clean and Plentiful Water Honorable Mention - Southeast
Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority
The Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority
(SMCMUA) is a regional water authority formed in 1977 with
four member municipalities: Morristown, Morris Township,
Morris Plains and Hanover Township. SMCMUA provides water
service to member municipalities and portions of several
surrounding communities serving approximately 17,500 customers
representing a population of over 65,000 plus a large commercial
and industrial base. This honorable mention recognizes SMCMUA's
project to construct a state-of-the-art membrane water filtration
plant with a 2.5 million gallons per day capacity at the
Clyde Potts Reservoir to ensure provision of high quality
drinking water to their customers.
Clean and Plentiful Water Honorable Mention -
Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc.
Janssen Pharmaceutica, located in Titusville, Mercer County,
received an honorable mention award for several initiatives
related to watershed protection that have yielded environmental
benefits in improving water quality over the past year.
Janssen's wide-ranging program includes innovative stormwater
management techniques, use of environmentally sensitive
fertilizers and pest controls, establishment of no-mow and
no-spray zones around all water bodies, construction of
a solar powered aeration system to minimize algae growth
at an on-site pond, and a cooling condensate recycling program
that saves approximately 400,000 gallons of water annually.
Other beneficial activities include establishing a natural
buffer around their fence-line consisting of native grasses
and trees, and the construction of a number of bluebird
and bat houses.
Clean and Plentiful Water Honorable Mention - North
Jersey Resource Conservation & Development Council and
Hunterdon County Planning Board
The North Jersey Resource Conservation & Development
Council is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping communities with the wise use and management of
their human and natural resources. The Hunterdon County
Planning Board has led many successful collaborative planning
and technical assessment programs with municipalities and
has long recognized the need for providing communities with
useful tools to deal with growth issues. Together these
agencies are awarded with an honorable mention for their
joint effort in producing a handbook on woodland conservation
entitled "Building Greener Communities - Planning for
Woodland Conservation." Among other benefits, healthy
woodlands are essential to maintaining continued clean and
plentiful ground and surface water supplies.
Environmental Education Winner - Hillside School
Environmental Leaders and Protectors
Hillside School Environmental Leaders and Protectors (HELP),
a 100-member environmental club comprised of fourth and
fifth graders, received this year's Environmental Education
award for a student activity. These students of the Hillside
Intermediate School located in Bridgewater performed a number
of tasks related to habitat loss and wildlife populations.
Among these were transformation of six acres of school property
into a nature preserve. Other projects included reforestation,
establishing a wildlife meadow, a freshwater marsh and hosting
an annual Forest Fest environmental festival.
Environmental Education Honorable Mention - Washington
Township Environmental Commission
Washington Township Environmental Commission, located in
Gloucester County, received an honorable mention award for
its continued efforts directed toward public education and
public involvement. Particularly notable is the Washington
Township Earth Day Celebration. This annual event has evolved
into a community celebration for over 3,000 people in Washington
Lake Park. The Washington Township Environmental Commission
has also received and completed more than six DEP environmental
service grants.
Healthy Ecosystems Winner - NJ Corporate Wetlands
Restoration Partnership
The NJ Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP),
formed in 2003, is an innovative public/private partnership
between government agencies, business, community groups,
conservation organizations, and academia to protect, enhance
and restore important coastal habitats. This year the organization
is honored for their part in projects resulting in the construction
of a fish ladder at Batsto Village and an innovative oil
spill protection project whereby anchors for rapid deployment
of booms are installed on pilings at the mouth of tributaries
in ecologically sensitive waterways. CWRP has also contributed
toward continued research of Delaware Bay shorebird and
horseshoe crab populations.
Healthy Ecosystems Honorable Mention - Pine Hill
Scout Reservation
The Pine Hill Scout Reservation of the Southern New Jersey
Council, Boy Scouts of America, are recognized with an honorable
mention award for their comprehensive conservation plan
to protect, restore and enhance the ecosystems present on
the camp's 225 acres located in a Pinelands area of Camden
County. Specific projects undertaken by the scouts included
vernal pool and habitat restoration, erosion prevention,
invasive species removal and habitat enhancement. The Pine
Hill Scout Reservation's efforts have resulted in substantial
environmental improvements to its section of the Pinelands
ecosystem of New Jersey.
Healthy Ecosystems Honorable Mention - Franklin
Township
Franklin Township, located in southeastern Somerset County,
is recognized with an honorable mention for its open space
planning efforts. The Township's Open Space Plan promotes
preservation of natural habitats and provides opportunities
for recreation. Together with other non-profit organizations,
Franklin Township has created an open space network that
includes 3,000 acres of Six Mile Run, 22 miles of the Delaware
& Raritan Canal, forest preserves, large tracts of agricultural
land and a well-developed park system. Presently, almost
one-third of the acreage in Franklin Township is open space.
Innovative Technology Winner - Township of Burlington
In response to a surge of residential and commercial development
during the 1990's, the Township of Burlington decided to
expand and upgrade their original Central Avenue Wastewater
Treatment Facility. Using a New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure
Trust/New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
low-interest loan for the construction of the project, the
new expanded and upgraded facility was dedicated on October
21, 2000. In addition to preventing pollution by discharging
a cleaner effluent, other environmental benefits of this
facility include resource and energy conservation. This
award recognizes the Township of Burlington's innovative
wastewater treatment facility.
Open Space Protection and Preservation Winner (tie)
- Delaware and Raritan Greenway
The Delaware and Raritan Greenway is being honored for being
a model in the open space protection movement in New Jersey.
For the last 15 years, Delaware and Raritan Greenway's efforts
have resulted in the protection of thousands of acres in
central New Jersey. In conjunction with the DEP Green Acres
Program, Delaware and Raritan Greenway's work led to protection
of 1,190 acres of mature forests and perched wetlands in
the Sourlands region, in the last d in Atlantic City, a
ryear alone, which will provide for critical wildlife habitat
and water resource protection.
Open Space Protection and Preservation Winner (tie)
- New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is honored for its
open space work involving development and adoption of a
master plan presenting a multifaceted approach to smart
growth and sustainability for the Hackensack Meadowlands
District. The 30-square mile Meadowlands District is located
approximately five miles west of New York City and encompasses
portions of fourteen municipalities. One of the features
of the Master Plan is the preservation of 8,400 acres of
wetlands in this heavily urbanized area. Other smart growth
efforts are designed to enhance the quality of life throughout
the Meadowlands for generations to come.
Open Space Protection and Preservation Honorable
Mention - Township of Mount Olive
The Township of Mount Olive in Morris County received an
honorable mention for demonstrating commitment to the preservation
of open space in protecting 600 acres of open space in the
heart of New Jersey's Highlands region. This project required
coordinating five funding partners including the Trust for
Public Land, Morris County, DEP Green Acres Program, Forest
Legacy and the U.S. Department of the Interior over a four-year
period and serves as an example for other towns to follow.
In addition, during the last eight years, Mount Olive has
protected over 1,300 acres of municipal open space.
Safe and Healthy Communities Winner - United States
Postal Service
On October 18, 2001, the Hamilton Postal facility was closed
due to the first case of anthrax bio-terrorism in this country.
The United States Postal Service is receiving this award
in recognition of the recently completed anthrax cleanup
at the Hamilton Postal facility in Mercer County. Through
the Postal Service's hard work and leadership, the largest
anthrax decontamination in United States history was completed
safely and efficiently. This unique challenge resulted in
the development of innovative cleanup strategies with far
reaching implications in public health and emergency response
and planning.
Safe and Healthy Communities Honorable Mention
- K. Hovnanian Homes
In February 2001, K. Hovnanian Homes purchased from the
City of North Wildwood a 20-acre tract that included a landfill
abandoned 30 years previously. K. Hovnanian Homes is receiving
an honorable mention for its efforts to close properly the
landfill, thereby providing protection to the surrounding
environment and allowing for the construction of a number
of garden homes on approximately 20 percent of the site.
The remainder of the property is open space consisting of
landscaped areas, wetlands, wetland buffers and an avian
preserve.
Environmental Leadership Winner - Lucy S. Bottomley
Until her recent retirement, Lucy Bottomley was the inspirational
leader of the Navy Lakehurst Environmental Program. For
over 25 years, Lucy Bottomley, dedicated her career to improving
the environment in the areas of potable water and air compliance,
recycling, waste water and hazardous waste management. In
addition, she was responsible for initiating partnerships
with several local schools that resulted in a number of
novel science programs for students. Her unwavering dedication
to protection of the environment while supporting the Navy
mission, have contributed to this recognition for her many
accomplishments.
Environmental Stewardship Winner - Alice Hemphill
Alice Hemphill, Chairwoman of the Manasquan Environmental
Commission since 1990, is recognized as this year's recipient
of the Environmental Stewardship award for her tireless
efforts as an environmental advocate and for preserving
land and protecting Manasquan's natural resources. Among
her accomplishments are land, waterway and beach cleanups,
promoting recycling efforts, initiating environmental educatd
in Atlantic City, a rional programs, water quality monitoring,
and implementation of a stream restoration project. She
was also instrumental in spearheading the drive to save
Fisherman's Cove that ultimately resulted in the establishment
of a new Monmouth County park.
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