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EPA honors Coloradans for protecting the environment

Release Date: 6/6/2000
Contact Information:
EPA 303-312-6331,

Release Date: 6/6/2000
Contact Information:
EPA 303-312-6401,

Release Date: 6/6/2000
Contact Information:
EPA 303-312-6780

Denver -- Raising Agood bugs@ to battle pests without chemicals, improving air quality in schools and finding ways to provide safe drinking water with fewer chemicals in small communities were among achievements of Coloradans recognized Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a ceremony at the downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel.

In all, EPA recognized 31 Coloradans for outstanding contributions to environmental protection. Achievement awards went to:

Robert de Haas, manager of the Pine Brook Water District in northwestern Boulder County for researching and adopting a drinking water treatment system that eliminated the use of two chemicals and cut chlorine use by a third.

Colleen and Mark Williams of Jamestown, CO who forged a coalition that ultimately halted water contamination by four-wheel and off-road vehicles in the James Creek watershed that supplies the town and parts of Boulder.

Bob Little, Bob Comer and Bence Close of ASARCO, Inc. for cleaning up an abandoned mine in the Clear Creek watershed for which they had no responsibility. Business has been slow to warm to this AOrphan Sites@ program started by the Conservation Foundation and National Geographic Society for fear of liability. EPA saluted ASARCO and consultants McCully, Frick and Gilman Inc. for taking a lead.

Dr. Shelly L. Miller, of CU=s Engineering School, who assigned her 20 students to develop their engineering skills while actively participating in service that met actual community needs. The students worked with five schools in Boulder County to analyze and help solve Aindoor environmental@ problems.

Colorado Dept. of Agriculture=s Insectary Team and its chief, Kent Mowrer for its biological control program. The team imports, raises, establishes and Acolonizes@ natural enemies for use against plant and animal pests that attack crops and desirable plants. The team, based in Palisade, includes Fred Stahl, Becky Byrd, Colleen Jandreau, Andrea Judson, Terri Kenz-Locke, Dan Nees and Shane Chatfield.

The 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, for an aggressive program of pollution reduction that cut generation of hazardous waste, expanded recycling from one building to 35 on the base, launched a composting project and expanded base purchasing of Agreen@ or recycled materials.

John Fisher and Kathy Cleas of the El Paso County Solid Waste Management Dept. for operating the County=s household hazardous waste collection program that helps keep oil, chemicals and toxic materials out of landfills and groundwater. Also, the Department=s recycling education program helps recycle some 31,000 tons of paper yearly. Yard waste and slash/mulch programs diverts usable organic materials from the landfill.

Diane Hirschinger Gallegos and the children of Tope and Lincoln Park elementary schools, Grand Junction for producing the book, AThrough the Eyes of the Children,@
an interactive field guide to the Colorado Plateau. Based on more than 25 field trips with kindergartners through fifth-graders and including their writing, photos and drawings, the guide is one kids can use themselves. It recently won the Colorado Book Award for best children=s book.

Michael Schene, of the National Park Service for major improvements in pollution control in national parks in the west. Even parks are troubled by hazardous wastes, toxic chemicals, solid waste woes and their workers are often confused by regulations. Working directly with parks= staff he designed a Afriendly@ guidebook, presented training, helped design plans to cut waste and costs, eliminate hazardous materials and find Agreen@ replacements for hazardous products used in the parks.

Other awards went to:

Melissa AMel@ Munoz and Michael Maes of the Globeville, Swansea, Elyria area for creating a Pollution Prevention Youth Corps in those north Denver neighborhoods that teaches young people about pollution and how it can be reduced.

Dr. Mark Johnson, Dr. James Dale, and engineer Craig Snyder of the Jefferson County Dept. of Health and Environment who helped EPA with a first-of-its-kind study of dioxin in urban soils which will help shape land use decisions at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.

Denver Rocky Mountain News reporter Deborah Frazier who designed and wrote a brochure to help the National Park Service and EPA publicize a successful program that folds pollution prevention into national park operations. Frazier did the work as a class project in the environmental policy program at the University of Colorado at Denver.

Bob Stewart, environmental officer for the Dept. of Interior, Region 8 in Denver for his work with EPA=s emergency response team. Spills or emergencies in the west often involve public lands or cultural resources under the control of any of several Interior agencies. For years, Stewart has kept bureaucracy from getting in the way of effective responses on those lands.

A Bureau of Reclamation team from Denver received a special Regional Administrator=s award for support it provided to EPA when its laboratory was knocked out of commission by freezing and flooding in December of 1998. Team members include Chris Haldren, Rick Roline, Barbara Frost and Renee Bellew.

The Coloradans were among 54 groups or individuals EPA recognized in its six-state region (CO, WY, UT, MT, ND, SD).

Rebecca Hanmer, EPA=s Acting Regional Administrator in Denver said, the awards recognize exceptional work by exceptional people whose commitment makes real and tangible differences in the environment.Editors: For details on any awardee, please contact his/her nominator:

Robert de Haas Marie Zanowick 303 312 6403
Colleen, Mark Williams Victor Ketellapper 303 312 6578
ASARCO Holly Fliniau 303 312 6535
Dr. Shelly L. Miller Megan Williams 303 312 6431
Kent Mowrer Debra Kovacs 303 312 6020
21st Space Wing Dean Dunn 719 556 7305
El Paso Cnty. SW Dept. Kirk Fraser 719 597 2116
Diane Gallegos Doug Johnson 303 312 6834
Michael Schene Marie Zanowick 303 312 6403
Munoz/Maes Jean Belille 303 312 6291
Johnson, Dale, Snyder Diane Sanelli 303 312 7822
Deborah Frazier Marie Zanowick 303 312 6403
Bob Stewart Jim Knoy 303 312 6838
Chris Haldren et al Debra Griffin 303 312 6329