The Pennsylvania Environmental Council announced the winners of the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards Program which were included in the May 30 Digest. But, the finalists selected in that program also deserve recognition for their good work.

The Digest will publish articles on the finalists over the next few weeks to help inspire others to take positive action to improve Pennsylvania’s environment.

The Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Dominion, celebrate the achievements of nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools, individuals, governments, and community groups that have made significant environmental contributions in the western Pennsylvania region.

Neighborhood Watch #13 - Snoops Association Friendship Park

Neighborhood Watch #13 in Erie focuses on community volunteer activities for land use enhancement and protection. For the past two years, community members have worked together with sponsors to create “Friendship Park” in a vacant 100-year-old inner-city lot once used to store coal for residents’ heating needs.

Watch #13 conducted fundraising to purchase the land from the city and utilized volunteer time to convert the lot into a community park and garden. The 100’ by 100’ space was transformed by volunteers who worked one night per week over two years.

Their Park now boasts flower beds, trees, a community garden, a storage shed, benches, a bird house, an underground watering system, and volunteers who are responsible for its maintenance.

Friendship Park has indeed fostered friendships and partnerships and has reunited the inner-city neighborhood by providing a means for neighbors to work together to improve their quality of life. (Photo by Peter Argentine)

Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force

The improper and illegal disposal of household hazardous waste (HHW) negatively impacts the region and its residents by creating environmental and public health hazards.

In order to address this growing problem, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force was formed in 2002 to secure funding, organize HHW collection events, and educate the public.

It is comprised of members from non-profit, academia, government, and environmental organizations across southwestern Pennsylvania. Their mission is “To facilitate proper collection and disposal of HHW and minimize its generation through education in southwestern Pennsylvania.”

As part of their two-pronged mission, the Task Force organizes HHW collection programs to give homeowners a safe, economical, and environmentally-sound means to dispose of dangerous products, and they promote ongoing public awareness through brochures, posters, displays and street banners.

In 2004, five collection events were held across southwestern PA and 255,396 pounds of HHW were collected from 3,205 vehicles in five counties.

6/12/2005