2007 Environmental Merit Award Recipients

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Lifetime Achievement Environmental Merit Awards

Canute E. Dalmasse
After 36 years of diligently protecting Vermont's environment, Canute Dalmasse is retiring later this month as the Deputy Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. As the number two environmental official in the State of Vermont since 2001, Canute has done a spectacular job holding together Vermont's great legacy of progressive environmental work through considerable fiscal and regulatory turbulence. Canute rose through the ranks of the Vermont environmental agency, distinguishing himself at each step by able environmental stewardship and staff management skills. Some of his recent accomplishments include management of Vermont's Clean and Clear program, which is accelerating water quality improvements statewide, and his leadership role in the Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog restoration programs.

Elaine T. Krueger (posthumous)
Elaine T. Krueger, Director of the Environmental Toxicology Program within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's (MDPH) Center for Environmental Health for over twenty-four years, died on October 20, 2006, after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Elaine dedicated her life to public health, specifically environmental health, for thirty-four years. As director of the MDPH Environmental Toxicology program, Elaine routinely evaluated the health risks from exposure to chemicals in the environment, and made critical recommendations based on her evaluations. She also shared her findings with the public to raise awareness, gaining much respect and appreciation throughout her community. Over the years, Elaine was involved in several seminal and high profile projects. She was interviewed by Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes, she led the Department's efforts to ban the use of the pesticide Alar in food products and urea formaldehyde foam insulation in homes, and was primarily responsible for validating the groundwater model used to demonstrate the link between a mother's consumption of contaminated drinking water during pregnancy and the incidence of childhood leukemia in Woburn, Massachusetts. She is largely credited for all of the fish advisories issued by MDPH over the last thirty years, and played a key role in assessing health impacts from PCBs in New Bedford Harbor fish. These accomplishments over her lifetime describe only a portion of her many accomplishments. We honor Elaine for a lifetime of service protecting the environment in Massachusetts, and the citizens who live in it.

Elaine O'Keefe
Former Director of Health and Welfare for the Town of Stratford, Connecticut, Elaine O'Keefe has worked in local public health for nearly twenty-five years. As a result of her efforts over the past two decades in the New Haven Health Department and the Stratford Health Department, she is nationally regarded for her work in HIV prevention, primary health care initiatives, community-based health care planning, tobacco prevention and environmental health. Under her leadership, the Stratford Health Department was selected as the recipient of two national awards for outstanding achievement, one for advocating primary care services and another for excellence for creating healthy communities. Beginning in 1993, Elaine built and maintained a successful model of collaboration among the local, state and federal environmental and health agencies that converged on Stratford during her first year there. No single agency could adequately address the environmental health concerns at a hazardous waste site literally spread across the backyards, school yards and playgrounds of an entire community of 50,000 people alone. With the experience of working in a high profile Superfund community, Elaine also worked as the President of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and emphasized the need to educate the local health officials about the connection between human health and the environment. Through her many achievements and accomplishments, Elaine has demonstrated a sustained commitment to health and environmental issues over her career. As a leader in the field of environmental health, she has worked on behalf of the citizens of Connecticut to create a model for effective local public health practice for years to come.

Tudor Richards
Tudor Richards' career as an ardent advocate on behalf of New Hampshire's environment stretches back to his arrival in the state in 1946, and includes an impressive array of accomplishments throughout the subsequent sixty years. In 1948, he began a long association with New Hampshire Audubon that remains strong to this day. As a newcomer, his leadership skills were not overlooked, and he was elected Vice President for five years before assuming the position of President, which he would keep for another fifteen years. Under his leadership the organization would come to purchase the 6,000 acres of land, which is now known as the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge of the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge. He played a key role in pushing many legislative actions though, such as the New Hampshire Birds of Prey law, the creation of the Loon Preservation Committee, and the passage of the endangered species program, to name a few. Tudor's love for birds has also shown throughout some of his work. He has updated and helped publish several seminal and historically important ornithological works including the Charles F. Goodhue's manuscript, Fifty Years among the Birds of New Hampshire. To this day, Tudor has maintained his love and interest for the environment around him, and kept up his keen interest in birds of the White Mountains. He has been instrumental in recording some of the first breeding records of several species in northern New Hampshire. Among his many accomplishments, Tudor has been an inspiration to countless birders and naturalists in New Hampshire, across New England and throughout the United States.

Susan Snow-Cotter (posthumous)
As a born leader, in her community, in her work, and with her family, Susan Snow-Cotter's untimely death at age 45, does not diminish the impact of her life's work that will continue to be felt for future generations. For over a dozen years in state government, Mrs. Snow-Cotter cut a path where she rose to direct the office that creates policy to balance environmental protection with the human use of the ocean along the Massachusetts Coast. At the Office for Coastal Zone Management, she developed the state's first plan for aquaculture. Her expertise in coastal management turned Susan into a sought-after speaker nationally and internationally. Susan's dedication and enthusiasm for the environment was an inspiration to all. After being diagnosed with breast cancer just a few weeks prior to her death, Susan showed the same courage and strength that was a signature for how she lived her life. Susan Snow-Cotter is honored for all of her hard work protecting the beautiful coast of New England and for all of the love, leadership and devotion she showed to her family and friends throughout her life.

Marjory M. Swope
After spending the last 25 years devoting her time to environmental protection and education in New Hampshire, Marjory Swope (“Marge”) retired as the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissioners (NHACC). Marge has advised hundreds of conservation commissioners throughout the state and has been a tireless advocate for the protection of New Hampshire's wetlands, farms and forestlands. Marge has been highly influential on numerous projects that furthered New Hampshire's environmental protection goals and has testified on behalf of New Hampshire's conservation commissions on important environmental legislation. Marge has been effective in supporting conservation initiatives at the municipal level and worked diligently to make NH Association of Conservation Commissioners annual meeting and conference for over 200 participants a fun and educational experience for her commissioners each year.

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Individual Environmental Merit Awards

Judith Barrett
Public Health Nurse, Town of Kennebunkport, ME Public Health Department
Judith Barrett has demonstrated enormous personal commitment to environmental protection by effectively advocating and completing a study on potential bacterial contamination sources affecting Kennebunkport's Goose Rocks Beach, a destination for thousands of coastal visitors in New England's summer months. Judith coordinated a water quality program and public awareness campaign for the beach and personally posted bacterial monitoring results at several beach access locations. Additionally, Judith's presentation of the results at a public meeting was so effective that she won public approval for $30,000 to be utilized to evaluate the water quality monitoring program. Working with several state, local, and private partners, Judith's initiative provided essential baseline data of bacterial contamination sources at the beach and laid the groundwork for future remedial efforts to reduce existing and future contamination sources.

Jaci Barton
Executive Director, Barnstable Land Trust (BLT)
Jaci Barton is being recognized for her innovation and ambition to preserve the unique characteristics of the Town of Barnstable—its wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife—for the benefit of the community, and its future generations. After 22 years of Jaci's leadership, BLT's membership has grown to over 2,500 families and businesses, a volunteer base of more then 250 individuals and a staff of 4 full-time and 2 part-time professionals. Today BLT is the steward of 647 acres of permanently-protected land, and its assets exceed $15 million. Jaci has also assisted the Town with the preservation of more then 2,000 acres for conservation and recreation. To top these accomplishments, Jaci has been continually active in local politics and has led successful capital campaigns to preserve critical properties within the community. She is truly a leader in conservation and a visionary in her creative collaborations.

Ronald N. Gagnon
Division Chief, Office of Technical and Customer Assistance, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Ronald Gagnon's vision and environmental stewardship has helped reduce human health risks from environmental hazards by taking on several previously under-regulated industry sectors. He has been a constant champion of innovative cross-divisional environmental programs such as pollution prevention, metric and measurement, and the Environmental Results Program (ERP). To Mr. Gagnon's credit, Rhode Island was the first state to apply the ERP model to the underground storage tank sector, and is the first to conduct an interstate comparative study. Ronald's innovative ideas and leadership have had a positive impact on other state programs and is shared through various mentoring programs. Ronald Gagnon's dedication and hard work has resulted in significantly increasing comprehensive environmental facility audits in under-regulated facility sectors, thereby making the environment safer for the citizens of Rhode Island.

Candace Page
Editor and Environmental Writer, Burlington Free Press
Through her extensive newspaper coverage and fine reporting, Candace Page significantly increased public awareness of the environmental issues facing Lake Champlain while touting the valuable work and effectiveness of the Lake Champlain Basin Program – a non-profit regional program that coordinates and funds efforts which benefit the Basin's water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. Candace published six front-page feature stories in 2006 about the Lake Champlain Basin in The Burlington Free Press, Vermont's largest daily paper with a Sunday circulation of about 50,000. The six feature stories on Lake Champlain provided more coverage of environmental issues than any non-profit organization could afford and brought to light the environmental problems plaguing the Lake Champlain Basin such as farm runoff, urban storm water pollution and other concerns. Her articles were broadly researched and included the economic and political implications surrounding development in the Basin. Through Candace's superb environmental reporting, there is a greater awareness among the people of Vermont about the plight of environmental issues surrounding Lake Champlain and Candace has increased the likelihood of garnering necessary support to address these important issues.

Jay Rutherford
Director, Water Supply Division
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Jay Rutherford has been a dedicated partner to EPA New England for over 15 years, as the head of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation's Drinking Water Program. Not only has his leadership been successful in the State of Vermont, but he has been recognized nationally for his contribution in many drinking water groups, including serving as President of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). Jay has been especially effective in working towards improving public health and championing innovative solutions for the 1,340 drinking water systems in Vermont that serve less then 3,300 people. These small systems are especially vulnerable because they have very limited resources for treatment, operation and maintenance. Jay's work helped the state achieve a rate of over 90% of “population protected and receiving safe, affordable drinking water to their customers.” Jay also placed emphasis on the importance of incorporating security education on vulnerabilities, asset management, and emergency planning in light of homeland security precautions needed after 9/11. Jay continues to display his leadership as an environmental steward though his commitment to non-regulatory source water protection and by finding innovative solutions to help protect our drinking water and public health.

Barbara Warren
Executive Director, Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSCW)
Barbara Warren has dedicated her professional and personal time to protecting Salem Sound and ensuring that the Salem coast is free from environmental hazards through her position as Executive Director of Salem Sound Coastwatch. Barbara has been instrumental to EPA New England's Clean Beaches and Streams Program by monitoring culverts and pipes that discharge to the many beaches and coastal waters in Salem Sound. She performs this work on a biweekly basis during the spring and summer while strategically targeting several areas thought to suffer from major sources of bacterial contamination. Barbara regularly publishes the results of her monitoring on-line for public access. Additionally, she recently spearheaded an initiative to survey boaters with the ultimate goal of designating Salem Sound a “no discharge area.”

Wig Zamore
Founding Member of the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP), Member of the Mystic View Task Force (MVTV)
Wig Zamore has committed himself to working to promote environmental justice within the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, through his work identifying sources of air pollution and educating others about it. In his quest to reduce air pollution and the number of cars and buses on the roads in Somerville, Wig has played a major role in advocating and securing plans for the State of Massachusetts to honor the Ozone State Improvement Plan that calls for an extension of the Green Line through the city. Wig has also worked to reduce the number of cars permitted at the Assembly Square Mall, and has secured $15 million to build an Orange Line stop at the mall. Among other accomplishments, Wig helped foster an agreement with developers to fund a study on air quality impacts on residents in close proximity to the Assembly Square Mall, I-93 and Route 28, and to look for ways to mitigate the air pollution effects for these residents. Wig has shown years of dedication and collaboration with partners at all levels to ensure human health is protected and preserved.

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Environmental, Community, Academia and Non-profit Organizations Environmental Merit Awards

The Cape Keepers Campaign
The Cape Keepers Campaign was established by a coalition of organizations led by the Barnstable County Water Protection Collaborative, to encourage Cape Cod residents and business owners to learn about the impacts of septic system use and to take responsibility for the health of their ponds, bays and estuaries. The purpose of this grassroots education campaign is to empower business, community, education and environmental leaders with the information needed to help limit nitrogen discharge. Over the past year, the Cape Keepers developed a series of initiatives to solve this problem, including an intense public awareness campaign reaching out to all age groups. The commitment, leadership and breadth of knowledge exhibited by this coalition has been a model for other communities during this time of financial constraints and limited resources.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)
In 2006 DFCI became the first hospital in New England to adopt contract language requiring its contractors to adhere to strict no-idling policies and install advanced pollution control technology on diesel equipment operating on-site. Working with their partner, Walsh Brothers Construction Company, DFCI took proactive measures to reduce diesel emissions by using cleaner diesel fuel and advanced pollution control technology that reduced emissions between twenty and forty percent per vehicle, creating a measurable and lasting benefit to both the public and the environment.

Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership
The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership was formed in 1994 to promote creative solutions to help protect key natural habitats and resources in the Great Bay area of coastal New Hampshire -- a large recessed estuary 15 miles from the New Hampshire coast that drains seven major rivers and receives tide flow from Maine. The Partnership consists of many local partners including nine principal partners and three of the state's largest conservation groups. Working to save the Great Bay's outstanding wildlife resources from the accelerating rate of development pressure, the Partnership has focused on conserving land and is responsible for protecting seventy-two properties, totaling 4,710 acres in the Great Bay region since 1995. In 2006 alone, ten properties, totaling 680 acres were protected, including the Langley Bison Farm, a fifty-five acre parcel in Durham with over 3,450 feet of tidal frontage.

Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative (Mt. A to Sea)
The Mt. A to Sea is a collaboration of ten nonprofit and governmental organizations that are working together to protect a full range of ecological and community values in a six-town region of southern Maine. The Mt. A to Sea represents the largest unfragmented coastal forest between Acadia National Park and the New Jersey Pine Barriers. Southern hardwood forests overlap with the northern softwood forests in the Mt. A to Sea region to create a rare and biologically diverse ecosystem with the largest number of endangered species in the state. The region also includes the headwaters of the York River which provides safe habitat for over one hundred coastal and migratory avian species and one half of all fish species found in the Gulf of Maine. The initiative has achieved remarkable results. They have raised several million dollars for conservation projects and completed thirty-three individual projects conserving 1600 acres of land.

New Hampshire College and University Compliance Assistance Cooperative (NHC3UA)
This Cooperative network emerged as a result of the U.S. EPA's enforcement initiative against colleges and universities, seeking compliance with numerous environmental laws that are applicable to the school sector. Unbudgeted expenses to conform to these statutes have caused an economic strain on New Hampshire educational institutions that are already financially challenged. As a result, Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire developed NHC3UA to assist the member institutions belonging to the New Hampshire College and University Council. The NHC3UA identifies specific federal, state and local regulatory requirements that apply to each institution by conducting on-site environmental and occupational health and safety audits. It is anticipated that the three-year project will result in substantial cost savings to these institutions by avoiding large fines or the necessity of hiring individual consultants to provide legal or technical assistance.

Portsmouth Abbey School
Brother Joseph Byron led an effort at the Portsmouth Abbey School to install the first large-scale wind turbine in the state. This was no small task since he needed the support of the school, the neighbors, Narragansett Electric and many other stakeholders. Through patience and perseverance, he was able to gain the necessary institutional and financial support, which resulted in the wind turbine starting up in the spring of 2006. The project accounts for about forty percent of the school's annual electric demand, and will save them approximately $150,000 per year and pay for itself in four years. It will also result in fewer emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, thereby reducing New England's dependence on fossil fuels.

Salem Alliance for the Environment (SAFE)
SAFE is a group dedicated to assuring that Salem, a historical maritime community, is a healthy and prosperous place to live by advocating for the protection of the city's air, land and water and encouraging energy efficiency and toxic waste cleanup. This year SAFE has aggressively encouraged Salem residents to take an energy conservation pledge, organized a campaign to convince residents to participate in the GreenUP program, promoted the “ENERGY STAR Change a Light Pledge” and played a vital role in the creation of Salem's first Renewable Energy Task Force. SAFE is also renewing and recommending energy conservation policies and projects and educating residents on how they can implement energy efficient ideas within their own households.

Shelburne Farms and the Vermont Forum on Sprawl
Shelburne Farms and the Vermont Forum on Sprawl's Sustainable Schools Project set out to address the problems of childhood obesity, rampant sprawl and the decline of urban centers by developing an innovative and easy-to-use Healthy Neighborhoods/Healthy Kids Teacher's Guide. The Teacher's Guide was developed to help teachers across the country adopt a new approach to help get children involved in solving problems associated with sprawl and childhood obesity by advocating for neighborhoods that are greener, more walkable and more conducive to physical activity. Children are asked through this project to grade their own neighborhoods and to suggest means of making the neighborhood greener and more environmentally friendly. Through this program, children receive lessons on civic engagement, such as how to write persuasive letters and how to make effective presentations—skills that will stay with them for a lifetime.

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Governmental Environmental Merit Awards

Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection's - No Child Left Inside Initiative Team
Commissioner Gina McCarthy, Diane Joy, Cyndy Chanaca, Pam Adams, Tom Morrissey, Doris Johnson
In 2005, CT DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy created the “No Child Left Inside” initiative. At the root of the initiative is the basic notion that children do not go outside and play anymore. This initiative was developed to attract Connecticut families, particularly those in urban areas, to the wide range of recreational opportunities available in Connecticut's parks and forests, and to reconnect children with the natural world. Through this initiative, the Team is increasing public awareness of the recreational, cultural, and historical opportunities available through the state's park and forest system using an outreach and marketing campaign to encourage the public to visit state parks and experience all that these great assets have to offer. Through this initiative, the Team hopes to foster the development of future generations of environmental stewards and to nurture partnerships with other state agencies, municipalities, universities, schools, non-profit organizations and private entities, to encourage healthy lifestyles, science-based education and opportunities in urban areas.

City of Cambridge, Massachusetts - Climate Change Team
The City of Cambridge has proven itself as an environmental leader by implementing many climate change policies throughout the city and has established a laudable record of creative activities to further its environmental protection goals. Cambridge was one of the first East Coast cities to join the EPA-supported “Cities for Climate Protection” program. Through this program, Cambridge is undertaking a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory and energy audit, and plans to adopt, though a broadly based stakeholder process, a comprehensive Climate Action Plan. The Plan sets a specific and aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goal of twenty percent below 1990 levels by 2020, for the city. Cambridge has promoted “green buildings,” pursued a “climate friendly” procurement program, maintains a comprehensive climate protection website, and purchased low mpg vehicles for the city's fleet. Through these and many other efforts, the City of Cambridge has been an inspiration for other communities across New England working on climate change and energy issues.

Town of Danvers, Massachusetts
The Town of Danvers, Massachusetts, is being honored for their extraordinary response to the massive explosion at the CAI/Arnell facility in the early morning hours of November 22, 2006. The Town's police and fire departments immediately implemented rescue and evacuation operations while working side-by-side with environmental responders to ensure that the explosion did not threaten public health or nearby waterways. While miraculously there were no casualties or serious injuries in the over 100 homes and businesses that were evacuated, the Town overcame unique challenges during its evacuation operations. Danvers was able to immediately and effectively integrate numerous state, federal and local resources into its operations, worked heroically to extinguish the fire, and initiated and coordinated investigations into its cause. The Town Manager and Town Department Chiefs conducted daily public briefings to enable affected citizens to express their concerns and helped secure resources to the citizens who were forced to cope with their losses. Considering the magnitude of the incident, the national media attention, and the large number of state and federal agencies involved in this response, the Town did an incredible job of maintaining calm while compassionately and effectively addressing both the physical and environmental damage from this explosion.

Massachusetts Clean Diesel Team
To address state-wide lifetime asthma rates of more than 14 percent, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made a firm commitment to reduce pollution from diesel engines. Over the past few years, the Commonwealth has demonstrated this commitment through efforts to educate stakeholders while building state capacity to address diesel pollution. These efforts include: the development of a school bus drive anti-idling video, adoption of bid specifications requiring the use of advanced pollution control technology in all Massachusetts highway department construction projects, retrofitting approximately twenty-five pieces of paving equipment statewide, encouraging the development of Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) sites across the state by committing more than $500,000 toward the purchase of TSE hours, and making the purchase of cleaner fuel and advanced pollution control equipment less onerous by adding these specifications to statewide purchasing contracts. Additionally, the Commonwealth has allocated $22.5 million to retrofit school busses and transit busses across the state. Through outreach, education and a designated pool of funding, the state has laid the groundwork for a cleaner, healthier Massachusetts.

The Field Investigation and Remediation
Support Team (FIRST) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM)
FIRST is a team of five staff members from RI DEM's Waste Management Division, who came together though a collective desire to improve the progress at the DEM's contaminated waste site programs. Through their creative thinking and hard work, the team members garnered management support to gain and utilize in-house expertise for field investigation work, instead of relying on contract support at clean-up sites. Through in-house training, the team gained the necessary expertise and performed extensive field work at clean-up sites -- work done previously by contractors. Through this work, FIRST quickly began to demonstrate its importance by making an early discovery of MtBE, a gasoline additive, in groundwater samples of a public water supply, immediately leading to its closure. Over forty assessment and remediation projects have been completed since the team's inception. In 2006 alone, their accomplishments included the closure of five leaking underground storage tank sites (LUSTs). The FIRST team is truly a grassroots story of staff vision, ingenuity and success, particularly relative to LUST site closures. Their work results in cost savings, remedial actions, and faster site closures which supports economic growth in Rhode Island by encouraging land re-use and redevelopment.

Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)
Beginning in the early 1980's, the waters of Western Long Island Sound showed significant degradation and low dissolved oxygen caused primarily by nitrogen enrichment from runoff, atmospheric deposition and sewage plant discharges. The Stamford WPCA recently completed and commissioned a $105 million upgrade and expansion of nitrogen removal, which has been effective at eighty to ninety percent nitrogen removal rates since it began operating in the spring of 2006. Since June 2006, the treatment process has removed ninety-seven percent of influent suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand. Most importantly, since that time the average discharge for total nitrogen was 646 pounds per day far below the 1342 pounds per day permit limit. This translates into an additional 150,000 pounds less nitrogen discharged into the Long Island Sound in a seven-month period.

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Business, Industry and Professional Organizations Environmental Merit Awards

Computershare's eTree Program
The eTree initiative aims to protect the environment by changing the way listed companies communicate with their shareholders. Millions of shareholders can help the environment by registering to receive company documents electronically, triggering a contribution of one dollar to American Forests by the member company, which in turn goes to American Forests' tree planting efforts. Shareholders can thus contribute directly to the environment without spending a cent. As of January 2007, 83,000 trees have been planted in the U.S., which means there will be 83,000 fewer shareholder annual reports in landfills every year. As a result, eTree estimates that over 3,600 trees have been allowed to continue growing. The use of eTree initiative funds for large-scale reforestation programs results in the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The trees planted in the U.S. represent the removal of more than 27,000 tons of carbon over a forty-year period. The eTree Program has partnered with over 120 companies and over 600,000 shareholders worldwide and has ultimately helped reduce significantly the amount of waste generated from printed shareholder communications while also battling climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide and planting trees.

Hannaford Brothers, Inc.
Hannaford Trucking Company provides retail delivery service to 158 Hannaford Brothers grocery stores in New England. They enrolled their delivery fleet of 101 tractors and 370 trailers in the EPA's SmartWay program in 2005, resulting in reduced emissions of carbon dioxide by 8.657 tons, particulate matter by 1.6 tons, and nitrogen oxides by 59.5 tons, and saved over 115,000 gallons of diesel fuel. In 2006, Hannaford continued to use equipment upgrades, idle reduction strategies and driver education to reduce diesel fuel consumption and decrease air pollution. Additionally, Hannaford Brothers has been awarded the ENERGY STAR labels by EPA for demonstrating superior energy performance at six of its Vermont grocery stores. EPA estimates that these stores averted more then nineteen million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 1,800 cars off the road. They are also one of the few companies in New England to earn the EPA's prestigious ENERGY STAR Leaders designation for 2006 for the overall performance of their 158 stores throughout New England. Hannaford Brothers has clearly demonstrated their commitment to working with partners, a company-wide willingness to implement new policies and procedures, and an ability to translate that commitment into tangible results with positive environmental impacts.

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Special Recognition

New England Performance Track Facilities
The 46 New England facilities that are part of EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track program voluntarily achieve environmental improvements that exceed required compliance levels and focus on specific improvements to minimize their environmental impacts. The members utilize environmental management systems to strengthen their performance, publicly report on their progress annually, and perform outreach to their local community. Since the start of the program in 2000 through 2005, the New England Performance Track facilities that accepted the New England “Energy Challenge” decreased their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 23,738 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2E) or 8% in the first two years of the three-year Challenge.  Additionally, other commitments to energy reduction saved 333,818 mmBtus of energy use at facilities and an additional 154,606 gallons of fuel in transportation.  Facilities have collectively reduced non-energy-related air emissions by more than 260,000 tons, lowered water consumption by 397 million gallons, reduced materials use by almost 13,491 tons, and cut solid waste by nearly 13,824 tons.

The following are the New England Performance Track facilities:

Connecticut:

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford
Covanta Bristol, Inc, Bristol
Covanta Mid-Connecticut, Inc., Hartford
Covanta Projects of Wallingford, Wallingford
Pratt & Whitney – Cheshire
Southeastern CT Resource Recovery Facility, Preston
U.S. Postal Service, Hartford Processing and Distribution Center, Hartford
U.S. Postal Service, Hartford Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Hartford

Maine:

Bath Iron Works, Bath
Fairchild Semiconductor Corp., S. Portland
Interface Fabrics Group, Guilford Facility
Fraser Papers Ltd., Madawaska
Lyman Morse Boat Building, Thomaston
Louisiana-Pacific, Houlton OSB, New Limerick
Pratt & Whitney North Berwick Parts Center
Verso Paper - Androscoggin Mill, Jay
Verso Paper - Bucksport Mill

Massachusetts:

Acushnet Rubber Co., DBA PRECIX, Inc., New Bedford
Analog Devices, Inc. – Wilmington Manufacturing
Covanta Haverhill, Inc., Haverhill
Covanta of SEMASS, Rochester
DePuy Orthopaedics, New Bedford
DePuy Orthopaedics, Raynham
Gillette Andover Manufacturing Center
Intel Massachusetts, Inc., Hudson
PerkinElmer Optoelectronics, Salem
Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, LLC, Marlborough
Teradyne (Building 1), North Reading
Tyco Healthcare Group LP, Ludlow, MA
Sensata Technologies,   Attleboro
The Top-Flite Golf Company, Chicopee
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod

New Hampshire:

BAE Systems - Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc., Nashua
Henkel Corporation, Seabrook
Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., Bennington
New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc., Peterborough
New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc., Astro Division, Laconia
OSRAM Sylvania Products, Inc.,Hillsborough
TransCanada Hydro, Concord
Vectron International, Hudson

Rhode Island:

John Crane, Inc. Cranston RI Div., RI
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Div, Newport
Stanley Fastening Systems, East Greenwich
US Postal Service Rhode Island Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Providence

Vermont:

IBM Corporation, Essex Junction
Stanley Tools Pittsfield Plant, Pittsfield

ENERGY STAR® Award for Sustained Excellence—Energy Management

OSRAM SYLVANIA
Danvers, Massachusetts
SYLVANIA continues as a leading manufacturer in the ENERGY STAR program with their growth in ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that it makes available to consumers. In 2006, SYLVANIA increased their number of ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs, and now has the highest percentage of qualified CFLs of any major manufacturer.  SYLVANIA also significantly expanded their line of ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs, introducing smaller “T2” bare lamps, brighter and longer lasting reflector products, and a line of higher-wattage bulbs.  In addition, SYLVANIA continued their commitment to support ENERGY STAR programs and partner promotions, including efforts that were key to making the 2006 ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World” campaign the most successful ever.  SYLVANIA successfully executed a media campaign, public relations events, extensive community outreach, and promotional partnerships with retailers and energy efficiency program sponsors in every part of the country.

ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year—Energy Management

Raytheon Company
Waltham, Massachusetts
Raytheon Company, a U.S.-based aerospace defense and systems supplier, launched their Energy Conservation for a Competitive Advantage program in 2006, resulting in energy savings of more than 200 billion Btus.  If normalized for business revenue, this is equivalent to a 9% improvement over 2005.  This impressive improvement  was a result of Raytheon’s CEO establishing an aggressive company-wide electricity reduction goal of 10% and a 33% greenhouse gas emission reduction goal over 5 years as part of EPA’s Climate Leaders program. To reach these impressive goals, Raytheon employed the strategies of corporate-wide energy planning, energy management, employee education, goal setting, aggressive tracking and measurement. The company established an extensive network of 600 energy champions who manage energy efficiency in specific work areas and motivate and serve as role models for the company’s employees.  To build capacity across the entire corporation and to motivate change, performance tracking scorecards were used for rewarding good performers, Success Stories helped highlight specific energy reduction measures and monthly raffles were instituted to give away among other things, ENERGY STAR qualified products.  These and other incentives enhance awareness and drive change through Raytheon.

ENERGY STAR® Award for Excellence in Home Improvement

Efficiency Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
 In 2006 Efficiency Vermont made a committed effort to inform Vermonters, whether a homeowner looking to make improvements, or a contractor looking for ways to improve and expand their business, about the value of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. Efficiency Vermont’s primary strategy has been to build and promote a market infrastructure that has the building-science expertise necessary to address consumer needs, while raising awareness about the benefits of their of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.  Building off of three years of promoting energy efficiency best practices, Efficiency Vermont sponsored four 8-day contractor training sessions, that has resulted in 18 contractors certified (by Building Performance Institute) to deliver whole house services across the state. 

National Grid
Northborough, Massachusetts
Under National Grid’s leadership, over 1,100 home improvement retrofits have occurred under the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR banner since 2002, with a total of
$3 million of home owners’ investments in energy efficiency. The estimated savings from these retrofits are projected to be close to 50,000 MMBtus by the end of 2006. National Grid attributes their broad energy awareness campaign, targeted mailing, low-interest financing and a strong commitment to customer service to their success under Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. And that success is expected to grow in 2007.

ENERGY STAR® Award for Excellence in Energy Promotion

Northeast Lighting and Appliance Initiative
Lexington, Massachusetts
Sponsors: Cape Light Compact, Connecticut Light & Power, Efficiency Vermont, Long Island Power Authority, National Grid, NSTAR Electric, The United Illuminating Company, Unitil, and Western Massachusetts Electric Company

In the fourth quarter of 2006, the Northeast Lighting and Appliance Initiative Sponsors implemented a powerful, fully integrated advertising and marketing promotion in support of the national ENERGY STAR “Change a Light, Change the World” Campaign.  Promotional events were held at more than 200 Shaw’s Supermarkets, helping to get energy efficient bulbs into the stores consumers shop in most frequently. The in-store promotions were accompanied by radio advertising, grassroots events, vital outreach, online pledge hosting, and in-store materials.  The promotion yielded over 19 million media impressions during the month of October alone, and the Northeast secured almost 80,000 pledges during their campaign, with an estimated savings of over $2.2 million dollars in energy costs, and avoiding the release of over 35.3 million pounds of greenhouse gases. 

Special Recognition for Excellence in Energy Efficient Affordable Housing

Denton Affordable Housing Corporation
Denton, Texas

Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity
Nashville, Tennessee

Worcester East Side Community Development Corporation
Worcester, Massachusetts

These three organizations have each made a commitment to ENERGY STAR as their platform for improving the energy efficiency and affordability of their housing.  Between them they were responsible for developing and building 66 new affordable ENERGY STAR qualified homes in 2006. They have collectively demonstrated their commitment to ENERGY STAR in a variety of ways, including qualifying 100 percent of their new affordable housing as ENERGY STAR, installing only ENERGY STAR qualified appliances in new and existing housing, educating low-income residents on using the energy-efficient features of their homes, and working with other organizations to encourage replication of their efforts.

Special Recognition for Excellence in Promoting ENERGY STAR® to HUD Grantees

HUD Region 1 - New England
Energy Coordinator, Bob Paquin
Director, Community Planning and Development (CPD) Field Office, Boston
Mr. Paquin has initiated and organized numerous workshops and presentations to promote ENERGY STAR’s energy efficiency guidelines for new residential construction to HUD grantees throughout the New England states.  Mr. Paquin’s work has extended beyond New England, with his ENERGY STAR presentations having been adopted and used by all of HUD’s Community Planning and Development field offices around the country.  As a direct result, nearly 40 HOME and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program grantee localities have adopted ENERGY STAR residential new construction guidelines in their procurement process for affordable housing.  This has led to the initiation of construction of 5,100 units qualified or to be qualified as ENERGY STAR.

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