The Air Quality Stewardship Awards
NOMINATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 19, 2009
The Air Quality Stewardship Awards (formerly the Environmental Stewardship Awards) have been presented by the Alamo Area Council of Governments since 2006 to recognize and highlight businesses, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, and other groups that have shown outstanding leadership in making voluntary air quality improvements within the 12-county Alamo Region.[*]
Those who attain this award enjoy positive attention from the news media and inclusion in AACOG’s 12-county region newsletter. This coming year, award recipients will also receive an award emblem that they may proudly display on their website or though other media.
Nominees for this prestigious award will be considered for their efforts in the following categories: Commuter Assistance (such as reimbursing employees who ride the bus or providing special parking for carpoolers); Fleet Management (such as enforcing policies that reduce the idling of company vehicle engines or using low emissions vehicles); Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Building (such as using light-colored roofing material, providing recycling bins for employees, or using low or no-VOC paint); Process Pollution reduction (such as going above and beyond what is required by law to reduce the amount of ozone precursor pollutants, nitrogen oxides and/or volatile organic compounds, being emitted from manufacturing processes); Landscaping Practices (such as planting additional shade trees on grounds to shade buildings or using electric mowing equipment); and Air Quality Education (such as hosting informational presentation to employees by AACOG on air pollution issues or distributing informational materials on ozone’s health effects to employees).
To allow flexibility in granting the Air Quality Stewardship Awards, neither the number of awardees nor categories for the awards are firmly set from year to year. Usually, four to six organizations are awarded each year. Last year’s categories and awardees, along with just a few examples of the exceptional measures that were adopted by them, are as follows:
Rackspace (Category: Large Business)
- Created an internal portal through which employees who want to carpool can register and find matches.
- Established a “Green Council” that meets regularly to assess its progression toward several goals related to increasing energy efficiency, conservation, recycling, and other environmental efforts.
- Hosted its second annual Green Day information fair this year, along with other efforts to educate employees and encourage them to take measures to be more environmentally friendly.
Cintas Corporation (Category: Small Business)
- Allows employees to adjust working hours to mass transit schedules.
- Gives fleet weekly maintenance checks to reduce emissions, has an idle-reduction policy, and employs ozone-sensitive fueling practices such as not topping off tanks and properly securing gas caps.
- Uses energy-saving lighting in its building, and employees are encouraged to turn off lights when not needed. Air conditioning is set at 78 degrees during the day and shut off in areas not used at night. Old equipment is repaired and overhauled to make it more efficient.
- Recycles its uniform hangers; reuses 40%. Also recycles old batteries, fluorescent lights, and cardboard.
Southwest Research Institute (Category: Large Institution of Learning)
- Pays 50% for VIA passes and provides a shuttle service between the bus stop and various campus buildings.
Created and uses its own internal rideshare matching service for employees.
- Built on-site subsidized cafeteria for employees to use, to which most employees can walk.
Hosted an Alternative Transportation information fair for its employees this year and has provided environmental education on other occasions.
Northwood Elementary School (Small Institution of Learning)
- As a part of the Northeast Independent School District, Northwood Elementary adheres to the many environmentally friendly policies of that district, which was one of our 2007 Environmental Stewardship winners. For example, it uses energy-efficient lighting, heating air conditioning equipment, plants shade trees to reduce the need for air conditioning, and posts Air Quality Health Alerts.
- In addition, however, Northwood Elementary has initiated the “Care to Share: Computers with Compassion” program, whereby the school’s gifted and talented 3rd - 5th grade students recycle, clean, and match components of unwanted home computers and then provide the computer systems to students whose families do not own a computer. They have thus far given computers to 20 families while helping to keep electronic waste out of the city landfill.
Final decisions for the 2010 Air quality Stewardship Awards will be made by AACOG’s Air Improvement Resources Executive Committee and announced during March. An award ceremony will take place during the Fresh Air Friday event on Main Plaza, April 2, 2010.
For further information, contact Annette Prosterman, aprosterman@aacog.com or (210) 362-5213. To submit a nomination, click here.
[*] The Alamo Region includes Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, and Wilson Counties.