2015 ENVY Award Finalists Chosen

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality named six finalists for the 2015 Arkansas Environmental Stewardship awards, also known as ENVY awards.

The winners will be announced later this month as part of Earth Week activities.

The annual presentation was established in 2005 by ADEQ to recognize a major contribution by an individual or organization for efforts to enhance and protect Arkansas’ natural resources. Last year’s winner was the Pratt and Whitney aircraft engine manufacturing facility at Springdale for its comprehensive pollution prevention program.

The finalists for this year’s award are:

• Camfil Air Pollution Control of Jonesboro, which operates the world’s largest air filter manufacturing facility, for its overall sustainability program involving a wide range of activities.
• The City of Fayetteville, now a finalist for three consecutive years, in addition to being a finalist in 2008 and 2009, for its “Recycle Something” educational and marketing program designed to increase recycling by city residents and commercial interests.
• Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, also a finalist for the third straight year, for a comprehensive sustainability program involving such elements as energy and waste reduction; recycling and salvage efforts; use of green building principles in construction and remodeling of office facilities; fleet management techniques to reduce fuel and operating costs; and purchase of green products whenever possible.
• Kraft Foods Group for its sustainability and recycling efforts at its Fort Smith facility, which processes various nut products under the Planters label. In 2011 the plant was the first of Kraft’s 37 plants to be certified as being zero waste for landfill material and today is one of only five such Kraft plants.
• The Lake Fayetteville Environmental Science Center for its environmental educational and outreach programs and conservation activities. The center, formerly known as the Aquatic Center, has been a cooperative effort between the Fayetteville and Springdale School Districts since 1974.
• The Saline County Regional Solid Waste District for its “YEA! Team” (Youth Environmental Ambassadors) educational program to teach Saline County students about environmental issues and provide them with assistance for recycling efforts.

All six finalists have been invited to attend the April 24, 2015, meeting of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, where this year’s ENVY Award winner will be announced as the final event in the ADEQ’s annual Earth Week observance.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the ADEQ Headquarters Building, 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock.