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New Corpus Christi Partners Named to Blue Skyways Collaborative

Release Date: 10/03/2007
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(Dallas, Texas -- October 3, 2007) Cleaner air is on the horizon in Texas and across the nation's Heartland as the Port of Corpus Christi Authority and the Pollution Prevention Partnership – Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and 13 new partners and communities were welcomed into the Blue Skyways Collaborative today at a meeting in St. Louis.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrators Richard Greene, Region 6, and John Askew, Region 7, presented the partnership awards during the collaborative's semi-annual meeting at the Drury Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The theme of the meeting is "Making Energy Connections."

“The Pollution Prevention Partnership of Texas A&M and the Port of Corpus Christi Authority have gone the extra mile to help cut down on air pollution,” said Greene. “We’re proud to welcome these new partners to the Blue Skyways Collaborative.”

The Pollution Prevention Partnership of Texas A&M’s AutoCheck program has screened over 20,000 vehicles and funded the repair of over 120 polluting vehicles, reducing pollution in the Corpus Christi area by 766 tons per year. The Port of Corpus Christi Authority has implemented an Environmental Management System that includes anti-idling policies, carpooling to job sites, preventive maintenance and repairs, and the use of alternative fuels where available.

"We're pleased to recognize our new partners and to spend time sharing information with all our Blue Skyways participants this week,” said John Askew. "The kind of interaction we're having here is important to advancing the goals of cleaner air for all of us."

The meeting, which encourages participants to share expertise on air pollution technologies, features presentations on renewable energy, green buildings, transportation, fuels, and funding opportunities, along with updates on the collaborative’s progress and goals.

The Blue Skyways Collaborative was formed to encourage voluntary air emissions reductions. Collaborative participants implement projects that use innovations in diesel equipment, alternative fuels, renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency. Participants include private industry, non-profit and environmental groups, and international, federal, state, tribal and local governments.

Following are the organizations being recognized and the type of projects they are conducting:
• Port of Corpus Christi, Texas (idle reduction and alternative fuels)
• Pollution Prevention Partnership - Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, Texas (vehicle maintenance)
• Anheuser-Busch Inc., Houston, Texas, Brewery (energy efficiency)
• City of Tulsa, Okla. (alternative fuels and idle reduction)
• Green Mountain Energy Co., Austin, Texas (renewable energy)
• Houston-Galveston Area Council, Texas (diesel retrofits)
• Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (renewable energy)
• Silver Eagle Distributors, Houston, Texas (alternative fuels)
• Entegrity Wind Systems Inc., Boulder, Colo. (renewable energy)
• Grace Hill Settlement House, St. Louis, Mo. (idle reduction)
• Metropolitan Energy Center, Kansas City, Mo. (energy efficiency)
• Missouri Botanical Garden's Earthways Center, St. Louis, Mo. (renewable energy)
• Omaha Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, Omaha, Neb. (alternative transportation)
• St. Louis Association for Community Organizations (idle reduction)
• Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. (renewable energy)

The collaborative comprises ten states - Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas - and the areas along the borders with Mexico and Canada.