Nominees for EPA award wanted

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging citizens from the Pacific islands, as well as other U.S. states to nominate a friend, peer, or organization for this year’s U.S. EPA Environmental Awards program.

Nominations from California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii are also included in the program, now in its seventh year.

According to EPA, the program seeks to recognize individuals and groups outside the EPA who made significant contributions to improve the environment in 2004.

“Anyone can be nominated, such as scientists, teachers, journalists, citizen activists, young people, organizations, business representatives, public officials, and others committed to protecting public health and preserving our natural surroundings,” EPA said.

Nominees for the awards would be judged on the promotion of innovative ideas, techniques, and technologies; ability to address an environmental problem or need; accomplishment of stated goals; ability of the program/activity to be replicated or widely shared; collaboration with others; clarity and effectiveness or the presentation; long-term benefits for the environment; and implementation of an Environmental Management System that is yielding results.

Nominations forms must be filled out and submitted online by Feb. 18, 2005. An EPA panel will review the applications and select finalists for this year. Finalists will be notified by mid-March.

Winners will then be recognized at a ceremony in San Francisco on April 21.

Last year, MOVER, a non-profit organization on Saipan, was one of the 36 recipients of the award after volunteering time and effort to clean up storm drainages on Saipan’s western shores. The organization also actively participated in cleanup projects organized by the Environmental Interagency Cleanup Operation Team, packing trash from tourists sites and illegal dumps sites.

Two reporters currently writing for local papers on Saipan were also recipients of the awards in the past, with Pedro Peterjun Z. Ravelo Jr. of the Saipan Tribune taking the media category award in 2002, and Heidee Eugenio of the Marianas Variety in 2003.

For more information or to submit a nomination form, visit the EPA website at www.epa.gov/region09/awards. Questions may be addressed by calling the Environmental Information Center at (866) EPA-WEST.