Environment DEC
From the April 2009 issue
Get Recognized for Your Environmental Excellence
Are you a New York State resident, or employee of a New York business, school, non-profit, or government agency that is setting an example of leadership, innovation and commitment to improving the environment? If you are, then let DEC know by entering the 6th annual New York State Environmental Excellence Awards.
Innovators Wanted
The Environmental Excellence Awards honor businesses, not-for-profit organizations, governments (local, state and federal), educational institutions, or individuals that achieve environmental excellence through uniquely innovative and environmentally sustainable practices, or creative and unique partnerships.
Impressive Accomplishments
Colorful native plants replace the typical asphalt on the roof of the Green Arrow Resort, a 2008 Environmental Excellence Award winner.
Since 2004, Environmental Excellence Award winners have contributed incredible improvements to New York's environment:
- Saving 25.33 million kilowatt hours of energy
- Replacing 365,000 gallons per year of fuel oil with renewable biogas
- Eliminating 2.01 million pounds of hazardous waste
- Recycling 324 million pounds of solid waste
- Reducing 5.48 million gallons of water use
- Eliminating 18.49 tons per year of volatile organic compounds
- Preserving 149,000 acres of land
- Educating 2,400 students through sustainability enrichment programs and environmental "learning days"
- Greening and cleaning more than 10,000 farms using environmental management practices
Project Examples and Applications
For examples of the kind of projects and programs that have received awards in the past, see the DEC Environmental Excellence Awards web page. The awards application is now available for download. To set a better example itself, DEC is not mailing paper copies of the application as it has in the past. Instead, a single sheet announcement indicating the application is available for download is being mailed. If you are unable to access the Internet, you can receive a printed application by calling the DEC Pollution Prevention Unit at 518-402-9469.
