Clean Air Excellence Award Recipients: Year 2000 Contents: Award Categories Clean Air Technology Community Action Education/Outreach Regulatory/Policy Innovations Transportation Efficiency Innovations Thomas W. Zosel Outstanding Individual Achievement 3 3 2 2 1 1 Clean Air Technology Advanced Catalytic Converter Substrates. For many years, Corning Inc. has been developing catalytic converters that reduce mobile source emissions. The incorporation of Coming's advanced substrates into existing and new vehicles will significantly reduce levels of hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions. Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant. Portland, Oregon was the first city on the West Coast to use fuel cell technology to convert anaerobic digester gas into electric power. The City installed the fuel cells at its Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant, preventing the annual release of 621 tons of carbon dioxide and reducing methane emissions. Compression Wave Injection Technology. Developed by John Deere and Company and Design and Manufacturing Solutions, Inc., the Compression Wave Injection technology reduces hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions and improves fuel economy for two-stroke engines. Xonon™ Cool Combustion System. Catalytica Combustion Systems, Inc. has been developing the Xonon™ Cool Combustion system to reduce nitrogen oxides by 90 percent. Xonon™ prevents the formation of nitrogen oxides before they can form and has been applied in Santa Clara, California in an industrial gas turbine. Community Action Sustainable Development/Affordable Housing Pilot Program. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Program seeks to identify innovative and cost-effective approaches to housing design that decrease air pollution and energy costs due to their increased energy efficiency. ------- Education/Outreach Air Quality Index Work Group. This Work Group strives to promote a clear message about the relationship between air pollution and public health throughout the Tampa Bay Area. The Work Group created and distributes daily the Air Quality Index Resource Guide, an information kit that educates local media sources about the Air Quality Index. Air World CD-ROM. Developed by the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District and Media 360, Air World is an innovative approach to air quality outreach, using video-clips, photos, graphics, and more to provide air quality information to users of all ages. Pima County Clean Air Program. Pima County's Program promotes a Voluntary No-Drive Day Program, which encourages Arizona residents to use alternative modes of transportation, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and telecommute or work compressed schedules. This outreach effort reinforces the direct relationship between motor vehicle use, traffic congestion, and air pollution. Going Places, Making Choices: Transportation and the Environmental Curriculum. The National 4-H Council encourages individual action through its Going Places, Making Choices curriculum. The curriculum provides students in grades 9 through 12 and educators the tools and information necessary to make more-informed transportation choices. Susquehanna Valley Ozone Action Program. This Program informs and educates the public about Susquehanna Valley's ground-level ozone problem. With the help of its private sector partners, the Partnership produced educational and promotional materials distributed at community events. The Program prompts residents and businesses to adopt practices that decrease ground-level ozone production. Regulatory/Policy Innovations Michigan Source Reduction Initiative. This Initiative is a public-private partnership formed to reduce waste and emissions through pollution prevention and waste minimization activities. Through collaborative approaches, the Initiative led to waste and emissions reductions from Dow Chemical Company's Michigan Operations and significant annual savings. Pollution Prevention in Permitting Pilot Program. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Intel-Oregon, and U.S. EPA Region 10 collaborated to write an air permit that promotes environmental protection and streamlines regulatory compliance requirements. Implementation of this permitting system has resulted in a 56-percent reduction in volatile organic compounds and has enabled an Intel Corporation facility to achieve minor source status. Maryland's Smart Growth Initiative. Maryland has introduced measures that encourage redevelopment of existing urban areas and increase development densities. The Smart Growth Initiative provides better planning for the land ------- already in use, preserves rural landscapes, and emphasizes public transportation and pedestrian access to reduce air pollutants from mobile sources. Voluntary Low Reid Vapor Pressure Program. In the summer of 1999, several petroleum companies stepped forward, at the request of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, to combat high regional emissions by voluntarily producing lower Reid Vapor Pressure gasoline. The use of the new gasoline resulted in a 10-percent reduction of volatile organic compounds in one summer, helping the region meet the federal air quality ozone standard. Transportation Efficiency Innovations Quick Charge L.A. and Electrical Vehicle Charge Infrastructure. The City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department is working to introduce electric vehicles into the daily lives of Los Angeles residents. With the help of over 70 private companies and public agencies, the City has established a network of about 380 EV charging stations with complimentary electricity for charging. Thomas W. Zosel Outstanding Individual Achievement Michael P. Walsh has over 30 years of dedicated service in addressing air pollution problems worldwide, at the local, national, and international level. As a senior expert on air quality control issues, Mr. Walsh has contributed to more than 120 publications on topics ranging from vehicle emissions and catalyst performance, global warming, acid rain deposition, and air pollution control policy assessment. ------- |