To commemorate Earth Day 2005, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, a wholly owned subsidiary of NiSource Inc., awarded 14 grants totaling $34,000 through the NiSource Environmental Challenge Fund.

Organizations and the projects receiving funding this year are:

· National Pike Trail Council (Claysville, Pa.) - Streambank Stabilization and Environmental Cleanup - $3,500;

· Centre County Solid Waste Authority (Bellefonte, Pa.) - Centre County Household Hazardous Waste Collection - $2,500;

· Education Innovations (Pittsburgh, Pa.) - NatureLAB Community - $3,500;

· Pennsylvania Environmental Council (Franklin, Pa.) - Stream Bank Revitalization Demonstration - $5,000;

· Township of Upper St. Clair (Pittsburgh, Pa.) - McLaughlin Run Streambank Planting - $1,000;

· Township of Upper St. Clair (Pittsburgh, Pa.) - Bluebird Project - $500;

· Conservation Society of York County (Brogue, Pa.) - Bonham-Wake-Robin Wildlife Sanctuary Wildlife Floodplot - $3,000;

· Municipality of Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh, Pa.) - Bird Park Streambank Stabilization Demonstration - $3,500;

· Ten Mile Valley National Wild Turkey Federation (Washington, Pa.) - Western Pennsylvania Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project - $3,500;

· McDonald Sportsman's Club (Midway, Pa.) - Venture Crew 1390 Small Bird Habitat Restoration - $2,000;

· Independence Marsh Foundation (Aliquippa, Pa.) - Kennedy Hill Restoration - $2,500;

· Student Conservation Association (Pittsburgh, Pa.) - Native Plant Restoration Partnership - $2,500;

· Washington County Watershed Alliance (Washington, Pa.) - Cross Creek Stream Assessment and Study - $500;

· Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association (Gettysburg, Pa.) - Wildlife Nesting and Wetlands Access Project - $500.

The Environmental Challenge Fund, a not-for-profit corporation, offers an annual grant competition that supports local natural resource and wildlife enhancement projects and related educational efforts in communities across NiSource's market area in 19 states.

Within Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania's communities, a local Environmental Challenge Fund Advisory Board reviewed and selected the winning proposals from 35 grant requests submitted earlier this year.

In total, NiSource operating companies are awarding about $208,000 in grants to not-for-profit organizations in conjunction with Earth Day 2005.

4/22/2005