News Releases - 2002

Annual Partners for Clean Air Breakfast Honors Participants for Activities on Ozone Action Days

Chicago, Ill. -- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Renee Cipriano today joined the Partners for Clean Air to recognize the achievements of businesses and local governments in improving air quality. Awards were presented at the 7th Annual Partners Recognition Ceremony in Chicago.

The program was emceed by NBC, Channel 5 meteorologist Tammie Suoza with the keynote address presented by Director Cipriano, and highlighted those Partners that took extra steps to reduce air pollution. Some of the activities recognized included postponing landscaping, encouraging carpooling and notifying employees of Ozone Action Days.

"We estimate that your voluntary efforts on Ozone Action Days and throughout the summer months have resulted in a reduction of at least 20 tons of volatile organic compounds per day that contribute to ozone formation," Director Cipriano said.

The event marked a historic milestone as the Chicago area measured attainment at the close of the 2001 Ozone Season. "During the past three years, there have been no recorded violations of the one-hour federal health standard for ozone at any of the more than 20 monitoring stations throughout the metropolitan region," noted Director Cipriano.

Awards were presented for a number of categories, which included Partners for Clean Air Awards, Engineering Awards, Rideshare Excellence, Illinois Green Fleet designations, and Alternate Fuels Rebate Program Awards. A complete list of award recipients is attached.

Partners for Clean Air, formed in 1995 with 15 charter members, is now a coalition of more than 300 businesses, organizations and local governments who have pledged to take voluntary actions to reduce air pollution on Ozone Action Days.

2002 Award Recipients

Partners for Clean Air Awards
Presented to Partners who have taken extra steps to reduce air pollution through their businesses.

Industry Category -- Fellowes Manufacturing, Inc.
Government Category -- Argonne National Laboratory
Small Business Category -- Plano Metals, Inc.
Special or Non-Profit Category -- Montrose Cemetary Company

Engineering Award
Awards presented for the University of Illinois at Chicago engineering Project compositions

First Place -- "Gasoline Fuel Oxygenate Replacement via Biomass-Ethanol Production." Team Members include: Manuel Anguiano, Zahid Chowdhury, and Nikunj Patel. Their professor is G.A. Mansooki.

Rideshare Excellence Awards
Awards presented to companies who encouraged employees to Rideshare

Fermi Labs, Hewitt Associates, Northwestern University, and Northwest Metro Transportation Management Association

Illinois Green Fleets
Awards presented to those being designated as "Green Fleets" in the Illinois Green Fleets Program

F.J. Kerrigan Plumbing and the Village of Palatine

Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program
Presented to recipients of Alternate Fuels Rebates

Advance Presort Services, Hollub Heating, Inc., Lansing Cleaners, Peoples
Energy, The University of Illinois at Chicago, The Village of Northbrook, The
Village of Lake Zurich, Mr. Alan Wagner, and Mr. Gary Gullet

Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program and Illinois Green Fleets
Awards presented to companies and local governments as recipients of the Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program as well as being designated as an Illinois Green Fleet

Chicago Transit Authority, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County,
Underwriters Laboratories, Village of Downers Grove, and the Village of Oak
Park.