On October 14, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the winners of the 2020 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence.

More than 60 applicants from across the commonwealth nominated projects on energy efficiency, emissions reduction, watershed restoration and protection, environmental education opportunities, and smart growth planning and design.

The Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence is open to any Pennsylvania business, farm, government agency, educational institution, non-profit organization and individual that has created, or participated in, the development of a project that promotes environmental stewardship and economic development in Pennsylvania.

“These awards highlight the ingenuity and commitment Pennsylvanians have for protecting and improving our environment,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “The unique projects show how communities, businesses, and educational organizations can come together to meet the diverse needs of our environment.”

DEP oversees the awards selection process, evaluating projects on environmental protection, climate change, sustainability, partnership, economic impact, innovation, environmental education and outreach. Projects will also be judged on their commitment to environmental justice.

Here’s the list of the 2020 Award winners--

Allegheny County

-- Etna EcoDistrict, Etna Community Organization and Borough of Etna

-- Forest Hills Net Zero Energy Municipal Building, Borough of Forest Hills

-- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Living Campus, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

-- Pittsburgh International Airport Honey Bee Project, Pittsburgh International Airport

-- Youth Empowerment and Climate Change Education, Communitopia

Butler County

-- Innovative Guaranteed Energy Savings Act (GESA) Program, Slippery Rock University

Dauphin County

-- Youth Agriculture Projects & The Environment, Penn State Extension

-- PA Housing Finance Agency Passive House & Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Tower Expansion and Historical Renovation. PA Housing Finance Agency

Huntingdon County

-- Correctional Conservation Collaborative, Riparian Forest Buffer Vocational Training, SCI Huntingdon

Indiana County

-- 8th Street Lot Renovations, Indiana Borough

Lehigh County

-- Preservation and Restoration of the Lehigh River Headwaters, Wildlands Conservancy

Montgomery County

-- Nature-based STEM Riverbend Environmental Education Center

-- Pennypack Creek Headwaters Stormwater Management, Upper Moreland School District

Montour County

-- Geisinger Catawissa Clinic Photovoltaic Project, Geisinger Medical Center

2021 Award Nominations Open

In addition to the 2020 winners being announced, the nomination period for the 2021 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence is now open.  The deadline for applications is December 21.

Applications must be submitted via DEP’s online application system. Questions should be directed to: ra-epgovenviroawards@pa.gov.

For more information, visit DEP’s Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence webpage.

[Posted: October 14, 2020]

10/19/2020