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EPA HONORS SEVEN ARIZONA INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS AT VALLEY FORWARD EARTHFEST 2000 CELEBRATION

Release Date: 4/11/2000
Contact Information: Paula Bruin, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1587

     SAN FRANCISCO --  During the Valley Forward Earthfest 2000 in Phoenix today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Felicia Marcus presented Earth Day awards to seven individuals and organizations from Arizona in recognition of their efforts to protect and preserve the environment in 1999.

     "Today's honorees have applied creativity, teamwork and leadership in addressing many of Arizona's most pressing and complex environmental problems," Marcus said.  "Thanks to the efforts of these individuals, our air, water and land will be cleaner and safer for generations to come.  The winners set an example for all of us to follow."

     The EPA Region 9 Earth Day Award acknowledges demonstrated commitment and significant contributions to the environment in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and tribal lands.  Forty-six groups and individuals were selected from more than 160 nominees received this year from businesses, media, local and state government officials, tribes, environmental organizations, and citizen activists.  An  Earth Day Ceremony for all the winners will be held April 18 in the region's home office in San Francisco.

The Arizona winners and basis for recognition are:  

(In Memoriam) Conner Byestewa Jr. of Colorado River Indian Tribes:  Since the 1970's, Conner worked on pesticide issues as the Colorado River Indian Tribes' representative to the Intertribal Council of Arizona (ITCA).  He worked with the Arizona Department of Agriculture in developing the tribes' pesticide ordinance so that it would not conflict with the state's requirements.  In the late 80's/early 90's, Conner worked in collaboration with Arizona State Department of Agriculture partners, USDA, and cotton growers to pilot an integrated pest management program which resulted in the eradication of the pink bollworm and the whitefly on Colorado River Indian Tribes land.  Byestewa was widely identified as a significant contributor to the founding of the national Tribal Pesticide Program Council in 1999.  Conner Byestewa, Jr passed away in October 1999.

Placido Dos Santos, Border Environmental Manager, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality:  Placido has been an incredible force in the US/Mexico border area providing tremendous leadership and vision in building a team and program which effectively cut across typical media and binational lines.  He has been vital in working on a solid waste landfill fire in Naco, Border XXI's "Coordinating Principles", the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, gaining binational support for Nogales wastewater treatment plant, completion of the air toxic study in Nogales and coordinating an air monitoring program in Sonora.  He also created the "AMIGO" program - a voluntary pollution prevention initiative on the border.

VIVA RECICLAJE!  Viva Reciclaje is a project developed by Tucson's Solid Waste Management Department to raise the awareness of Tucson's Hispanic resident about waste reduction, reuse and recycling.   Through media and marketing efforts, especially a bilingual outreach program with over 85 percent of the outreach done in Spanish, the project dramatically boosted recycling by Hispanic residents.  As a result of Viva, participation in curbside recycling has increased 19 percent and there has been a near 40 percent increase in tonnages collected at neighborhood recycling centers in targeted areas.  The Southwest Public Recycling Association awarded Viva Reciclaje the 1999 Urban Recycling Program of the Year.

White Mountain Apache Tribe: The White Mountain Apache Tribe is on the cutting edge of environmental protection programs in the United States. The Tribe has established an environmental protection office with an excellent staff that have significant achievements in nearly every environmental field.  For example, the Tribe was one of the first Indian Tribes in the West to demonstrate jurisdiction and financial capability under the Clean Water Act.  The Tribe has completed a nonpoint source assessment if its watershed.  Last August, the Tribe became one of only 14 tribes nationwide to adopt water quality standards to protect its water resources.  The White Mountain Apache Tribe has done a remarkable job in protecting an exceptional piece of Indian Country and the American landscape.

Luke Air Force Base: The Restoration Advisory Board has been one of the most consistently successful such bodies in the West in providing input in the selection of cleanup alternatives at Luke Air Force Base.   The cleanup requires the prevention of human exposure to soil where chemical concentrations exceeded risk levels, and the prevention of chemicals from seeping into groundwater.  The board is also responsible for reviewing investigation result, remediation plans and cleanup progress.  The group which consists of community members, state and federal regulatory agencies and the Air Force, has convened regularly since 1994 to discuss complex technical remediation issues as well as potential reuse scenarios for partials of the installation that have been cleaned up.

Chris Warner, Director of Earth's 911 HOTLINE in Arizona: Through an innovative, public-private partnership, Chris has set up a nationwide HOTLINE  1-800 CLEANUP -- and a web site that serves as a call to action for the environment.  Earth's 911 provides people with geographically specific environmental and recycling information that allows them to protect the environment in their own backyard.  By entering their zip code, callers can learn everything from the nearest recycling center to the latest volunteer opportunity.  In 1999 the program expanded to include information for air, water, composting, environmentally smart shopping and other areas.  The California Integrated Waste Management Board now uses Earth's 911 exclusively as the medium for citizens in the state to obtain environmental information.  Partners include U.S. EPA, the National Governor's Association, the State of California, Home Depot, Bank of America and dozens of others.

"Mowing Down Pollution" of Maricopa County and Salt River Project Electric Company: The Mowing Down Pollution program is the largest lawn mower recycling program in the United States.  It allows lawn mower owners to trade in their gas-powered lawn mowers and hand-held gas powered lawn equipment for $100 discounts on new electric mowers, and $50 discounts for handheld equipment.  Funded by the state legislature, the program's participating manufacturers include Fyobi, Toro, Grassmasters and Black & Decker.  During two weekend-long trade-in events in 1999, 2,111 mowers and 403 pieces of hand-held gas powered lawn equipment were traded in.   Over 16 tons of ozone-causing pollutants and 145 tons of carbon monoxide were eliminated by last year's trade-ins.  Gas mowers are recycled, and proceeds are donated to local nonprofits and schools.