New England Organizations and Residents Receive EPA Environmental Award

Twenty eight organizations and individuals in New England were recently honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their significant contributions to environmental awareness and problem-solving.

These honorees included:

• the Northwest Conservation District, Torrington, CT, which received an Environmental Merit Award for its efforts in drinking water and aquifer protection, wetland protection and restoration, aquatic resource protection through low impact development measures, as well as open space and farmland preservation;
• the Shaping the Future of Your Community Program, Mass Audubon, Lincoln, MA, which was honored for its efforts to help communities understand and use tools for sustainable development, an initiative based on the idea that economic development and conservation go hand-in-hand, rather than being in conflict
• the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Wastewater Management School (also known as Wastewater Management Boot Camp), an initiative that is designed to help wastewater operators to gain essential management skills to deal with aging infrastructure, elected officials, and staff; and
• the Junior WIN Team of Westerly Innovations Network, Westerly, RI, which was honored for its project to recycle used cooking oil by turning it into biodiesel to help heat the homes of needy people.

Among those receiving Lifetime awards were:

• Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston, for his efforts to make Boston a more sustainable community now and into the future;
• Kevin Mallory, transportation director for the Portland, ME, Public Schools, for his efforts to make the Portland Public Schools bus fleet greener; and
• Linda Schier, Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance, Union, NH, for her efforts to bring people together with a persistence and devotion to water quality protection and restoration.

For a complete list of the 2013 2013 Environmental Merit Award Recipients, please visit:

EPA Region 1 (New England): 2013 Environmental Merit Award Recipients

For more information about the EPA New England Environmental Merit Awards, please visit:

EPA Region 1 (New England): Environmental Merit Awards

Background information:

EPA Region 1 (New England)

Northwest Conservation District, Torrington, CT

Portland, ME, Public Schools

City of Portland, ME

City of Boston, MA

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission

Mass Audubon: Land Advocacy and Community Planning

Facebook: Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance, Union, NH

The WIN Team/Westerly Innovations Network, Westerly, RI