News Releases - 2003

Area Businesses, Governments Honored by Partners for Clean Air for Reducing Pollution on Ozone Action Days

Springfield, Ill. -- Thirty-five area businesses and government entities and ten individual citizens received awards recognizing their outstanding voluntary efforts to improve air quality in the Greater Chicagoland area at the 8th Annual Partners for Clean Air Awards and Recognition Breakfast.

Brant Miller, meteorologist for NBC5, WMAQ-TV in Chicago emceed the program, which included remarks from Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano and U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Tom Skinner.

Several government units and businesses were recognized for their continued use of alternative fueled vehicles, such as natural gas, ethanol (E-85) and biodiesel, with many of them installing their own fueling stations. Others received awards for their outstanding participation in the Chicago area RIDESHARE program and for taking part in activities to reduce air pollution such as delaying landscaping and alerting employees on ozone action days and the voluntary steps to take to reduce emissions.

Partners for Clean Air was formed in 1995 by fifteen charter members, including the Illinois EPA, who organized as a collaborative effort to reduce air pollution that leads to the formation of ground-level ozone. Since the creation of the Partners, more than 300 businesses, government entities and health advocacy groups have joined the coalition with overwhelming results. It is estimated that the voluntary activities of the Partners coalition reduce volatile organic compounds, a precursor of ozone, by 20 ton each day.

“Partners for Clean Air has become one of the most successful organizations of its kind in the nation,” said Director Cipriano. “The program has been used as a model by other metropolitan areas, and just recently, we were recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a recipient of the 2002 Clean Air Excellence Awards.”

In addition to the awards presentations, Director Cipriano officially announced the start of the Green Pays on Green Days program for 2003. On days when the Chicago air quality is forecasted to be good or “green”, Green Pays on Green Days will award environmentally-friendly products to individual citizens who pledge to reduce air pollution on Ozone Action Days. “Green day” winners will then be entered into a Grand Prize drawing for a 2004 Toyota Prius, an ultra-low emissions/gas-hybrid vehicle.

“Education is the key to improving our air, and we will continue to combat pollution by educating businesses as well as individual citizens in the area,” noted Director Cipriano. “Partners for Clean Air has made great strides in reaching out to those who want to improve the environment, and we will continue to do so with our voluntary programs.”

Awards were presented for categories including 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.

2003 Partners For Clean Air Recognition Breakfast

Award Recipients

Partners For Clean Air Awards

Presented to Partners who have taken extra steps to reduce air pollution through their businesses.

• Industry Category - The Dow Company, Joliet
• Government Category - Chicago Department of Environment, Chicago
• Small Business Category - H.A. Framburg, Bellwood
• Non-Profit Category - Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Chicago

Engineering Award

Awards presented to the team who received First Place for the University of Illinois at Chicago Engineering Project compositions

“Cyanide Recovery and Recycling in Metal Plating Plants Using Gas Filled Membrane Absorption.”

Team Members include: Theresa Feltes of Bourbonnais, Elizabeth Flannigan of Chicago and Matt Heermann of Naperville. The Project Advisor was Professor Sohail Murad.

Rideshare Excellence Award

Awards presented to companies who encouraged employees to Rideshare

• Village of Hoffman Estates, nominated by Metra
• Discover Financial Service, nominated by PACE
• TMA of Lake-Cook, also nominated by PACE
• Unicare, nominated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
• Abbott Laboratories, nominated by the Chicago Area Transportation Study
• Cardinal Health Care, also nominated by CATS.

Illinois Green Fleet Recognition

Awards presented to those being designated as “Green Fleets” in the Illinois Green Fleets Program. The 15 new members bring the total number of Illinois Green Fleets to 40.

• Chicago Department of Aviation
• Chicago Department of Fleet Management
• Commonwealth Edison
• City of Darien
• City of Evanston
• City of Highland Park
• Forest Preserve District of Will County
• Globe Ground North America
• Navy Public Works Center
• Northwestern University
• Village of Homewood
• Village of Lake in the Hills
• Village of Lake Zurich
• Village of Skokie
• Village of Winnetka

Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program

Presented to recipients of Alternate Fuels Rebates. The Rebate Program provides a rebate check for 80 percent of the additional cost of an alternate fuel vehicle, the cost of a conversion, or for purchasing ethanol fuel, up to $4,000 per vehicle.

• Blackhawk Propane of South Beloit, $2,626.40 for one propane vehicle.
• College of Lake County in Grayslake, $8,000 for two natural gas vehicles.
• Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, $47,622.40 for seven propane and five natural gas vehicles.
• Lansing Cleaners in Lansing, $8,000 for two natural gas vehicles.
• Peoples Energy, $152,820 for 45 natural gas vehicles.
• Sci-Tech Museum in Aurora, $4,000 for one natural gas vehicle.
• Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, $12,000 for three natural gas vehicles
• University of Illinois at Chicago, $4,000 for one natural gas vehicle.
• Village of Northbrook, $3,060 for nine ethanol vehicles.
• John Berton of Chicago, $4,000 for one electric vehicle.
• Todd Dore of Brookfield, $3,881.25 for one electric vehicle.
• Stephen Grushas of LaGrange, $3,454.16 for one electric vehicle.
• Paul Harris of Lincolnshire, $4,000 for one electric vehicle.
• Troy Lyon of Crystal Lake, $2,958.71 for one natural gas vehicle.
• Timothy Moore or Hillside, $4,000 for one electric vehicle.

Ethanol (E-85) Award For Outstanding Citizen Support

Nancy Wise of Chicago

Outstanding Participation And Support Of Clean Air Programs

Larry Wert, President and General Manger of NBC5, WMAQ-TV Chicago