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Department of Ecology News Release - October 7, 2004
04-184
OLYMPIA - Seven facilities that have demonstrated that they deserve Washington's highest honor for preventing pollution and using natural resources wisely today received the Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention & Sustainable Practices.
The awards were given to three businesses, a design lab, a university, a motor pool and a military base. All of the winners have used innovation and acumen to serve customers, offer services and make products in ways that also reduce or eliminate hazardous waste and conserve Washington's resources, such as energy and water.
In addition to preventing pollution, the winners also were honored for using "sustainable" business practices that support the vitality of the economy, the environment and the community. Tom Fitzsimmons, chief of staff for Gov. Locke, and Linda Hoffman, Department of Ecology director, presented the awards.
The winners of the 2004 awards are:
* Betterbricks Daylighting Lab, managed by the University of Washington's School of Architecture in Seattle, for providing free design services that improve energy conservation.
* Columbia Plateau Producers in Reardan, for achieving more-sustainable farming and conserving energy, water and soil while producing the first dry-land eco-friendly product, Shepherd's Grain(tm) wheat.
* Corry's Fine Dry Cleaning of Mercer Island, for eliminating the use of a significant toxic chemical and providing a new, non-toxic cleaning option for customers.
* Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane won the Continuing Excellence award for switching to renewable energy sources, conserving energy and water, and limiting waste.
* Granum Inc. of Seattle, for manufacturing organic products, conserving resources and contributing to the quality of life in communities growing the organic produce.
* Seattle University, for maintaining the campus organically, composting food waste, conserving resources, energy and water, and building according to environmental standards.
* University of Washington Motor Pool, for conserving energy and resources, recycling and using recycled products, and increasing the use of energy-efficient, low-polluting vehicles
In addition to these efforts, the award winners reached out to their customers, clients and other facilities in their fields to promote pollution prevention and sustainable practices.
"Our grandchildren should inherit a clean environment, a good economy and healthy communities. We know that this vision takes effort and costs money, and we deeply thank you for your investment," Fitzsimmons said to the award winners.
"I'm proud that the Ecology Department works with facilities like these to help lead them to thoughtful designs and processes that are easier on the environment," said Hoffman.
The entries were evaluated based on their innovative efforts to reduce the use of toxic materials and the amount of waste created, to increase the use of renewable and recycled materials, to reduce energy use or use renewable energy sources, to reduce water consumption and to minimize the environmental effect of a product throughout its life cycle.
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Media contact: Mariann Cook Andrews, award coordinator, 360-407-6740
Caitlin Cormier, public information manager, 360-407-6149
Award Web site:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/sustainability/GovAward/gov_awards.htm
Information about the winners:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0404013.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
