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Midwest Clean Diesel Leadership Awards
The 2008 Midwest Clean Diesel Leadership Awards raise awareness and recognize individuals or organizations that have made significant, measurable improvements in air quality through the development and/or implementation of clean diesel actions (i.e. retrofits, replacements, fuels, education, leveraged funding, etc.)
The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is a collaborative effort to reduce emissions from the on-road and non-road diesel vehicles in the Midwest (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI). In order to reach the goal of reducing emissions from one million engines by 2010, there will need to be many leaders across the Midwest who take actions that make a real, lasting impact on air quality. There are many ways to demonstrate leadership. This may include bringing organizations together to identify and implement emissions reduction projects, education and outreach, leveraging of funding, technology development, innovative financing, and other efforts that demonstrate leadership. These awards signify the recipients commitment to air quality improvement and clean diesel actions.
About the Awards
Who is eligible?- Both public and private entities are eligible. Organizations can self-nominate or have others nominate them.
- Entries are due by August 1, 2008. Awards will be presented at the Fall/Winter 2008 Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative Leadership Group meeting in Chicago, IL.
How do I submit my entry?
- Applicants need to fill out an application form (PDF, 1 page, 68 KB) and email it to Anthony Maietta (maietta.anthony@epa.gov) or by fax at (312) 886-5824 (put "ATTN: Anthony Maietta" on the coversheet).
- The co-chairs of the Leadership Group (Cummins, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, and United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 5) will review and select the awardees.
How will the entries be judged?
Each entry will be reviewed on the following general criteria:- The entry directly or indirectly (i.e., by encouraging actions) reduces air pollution through clean diesel actions.
- The entry provides a model for others to follow (is replicable) .
- The entry's positive outcomes are continuing/sustainable.
- The entry demonstrates effective collaboration and partnerships.
- The individual or organization submitting the entry has effectively measured/evaluated the outcomes of the project, program, or technology.
- The entry uses innovative technology and/or takes an innovative approach to reducing emissions from diesel engines.
- The number of awards will be contingent upon the quality of nominations submitted.
2007 Award Winners
This year, three Midwest Clean Diesel Leadership Awards were presented to groups who represent diverse backgrounds and interests. In no particular order, here are this year's winners:
Hamilton County, Ohio, Department of Environmental Services serves as a model for what local communities can do to affect voluntary emission reductions and clean the air in their communities. The department started the Southwest Ohio Clean Diesel Campaign in 2003, which continues today. It has partnered with public and private sector organizations, and since 2004 the department has retrofitted 265 buses and is on its way to meeting its goal of retrofitting 800 school buses.
South Shore Clean Cities, Inc. was recognized for demonstrating leadership by creating and implementing clean diesel programs in Northwest Indiana and beyond. SSCC is a nonprofit organization that has forged many partnerships in the area. It has organized and contributed to more than 30 outreach events, retrofitted 35 school buses and seven other locally owned vehicles, and created a Web site and an anti-idling print, radio, and Web campaign that reached thousands of Indiana residents.
Marten Transport, Ltd. is a trucking company with a fleet of about 2,200 vehicles. The company's goal is to retrofit its entire fleet with auxiliary power units to reduce whole-engine idling in 18 months starting in June 2007. The project will save more than four million gallons of fuel a year and cut air pollution. So far, 800 vehicles have been retrofitted.
Special Recognition Award:
The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative Leadership Group also presented a special recognition award to the Ohio Environmental Council, a founding member of the MCDI Leadership Group, for its efforts in helping to create the group as well as its leadership in reducing diesel emissions in Ohio. Across the state, OEC is working with school districts to secure funding and to implement retrofit, refueling, repowering, replacement, and idle-redcution projects. So far OEC has helped bring more than $1.5 million to reduce Ohio school bus emissions. It is working with 17 school districts in the Canton-Massillon areas and with eight school districts in the Columbus area.