The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mid-Atlantic region this week announced 10 winners of its firstEnvironmental Achievement Awards, including four in Pennsylvania - a Philadelphia car-sharing program, a Bucks County township, a Lehigh Valley land recycling initiative and a Huntingdon Valley company.

"Environmental protection is a team effort and these awards highlight some of the remarkable work being done by our partners throughout the region," said EPA Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

The Mid-Atlantic Environmental Achievement Awards recognize groups, agencies, individuals and businesses making extraordinary contributions to improving the environment in the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The winning entries were selected from among more than 100 nominations.

The Pennsylvania award winners include:

1. PhillyCarShare, Philadelphia, for air quality improvements in the Philadelphia region through shared car ownership. Since 2002, PhillyCarShare has produced measurable environmental impacts by making car-sharing convenient, affordable and flexible for more than 40,000 members.

2. Lower Makefield Townshipfor numerous initiatives to serve as a model of environmental leadership among municipalities in Bucks County and across Pennsylvania.

3. Lehigh Valley Land Recycling Initiative, Bethlehem, for its partnerships to achieve smart growth and economic development through brownfields revitalization.

4. Waterside (Mignatti Companies), Huntingdon Valley, for a cleanup site converted to residential and commercial transit-oriented development along the Delaware River in Bensalem.

The awards were presented in three categories: non-profit or volunteer organization; business and industry; and state, local or other federal government agency.

The full list of winners is available online.

9/26/2008