The Pennsylvania Environmental Council announced the finalists this week for the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards Program and the awards dinner which will be held on May 26 in Pittsburgh.

Michael DiBerardinis, Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will be the keynote speaker for the event.

The Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Dominion, will celebrate the achievements of 16 organizations, businesses, schools, individuals, governments, and community groups that have made significant environmental contributions in the western Pennsylvania region. The finalists in each category include (in alphabetical order):

Community

Neighborhood Watch #13 - Snoops Association ¨C Community Garden Project (Erie, Erie County)

PA CleanWays Westmoreland County (Greensburg, Westmoreland County)

Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force

Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program (Alexandria, Huntingdon County)

Government

Cranberry Township's Collection Connection (Butler County)

PA Department of Environmental Protection - Herron Avenue Project (Pittsburgh, Allegheny County)

Dennis Tubbs (PA Fish & Boat Commission) (Southwestern Pennsylvania)

Green Design

AMD & ART (Vintondale, Cambria County)

Amerikohl Mining, Inc. AMD Restoration Project (Ernest, Indiana County)

An Ecological and Physical Investigation of Pittsburgh Hillsides (Pittsburgh, Allegheny County)

Higher Education

Arts & Environment Initiative, Center for Economic and Environmental Development, Allegheny College (Meadville, Crawford County)

Enviro Education Online Education Resource (Allison Park, Allegheny County)

Jan & Lowell Steinbrenner ¨C Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County)

Primary & Secondary Education

Millbrook Marsh Nature Center (State College, Centre County)

SCUBA Do's Project (Erie, Erie County)

Shaver's Creek Environmental Center/Juniata Valley School District - Shaver's Creek Watershed Study (Petersburg, Huntingdon County)

Five award winners will be announced at the dinner, each receiving a cash prize of $1,000 to be donated to local nonprofit environmental organizations of their choice.

For more information, please visit the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards webpage.

4/29/2005