Public and private sector groups honored for environmental improvement efforts

Governor Glenn Youngkin recognized the winners of the 2022 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards at the recent Environment Virginia Symposium. Held at the Virginia Military Institute, 13 winners and two honorable mention recipients were awarded for innovative projects that improve Virginia’s environment. Winners represent business, industry, higher education, and state, local, and federal government entities that successfully implemented projects that achieved considerable beneficial results for the environment.

“The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards recognize those that are leading by example in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Youngkin. “These thirteen winners and two honorable mentions have created proactive solutions in their communities. I’m proud that Virginia has problem solvers in our private sector and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

Awards were given in the categories of sustainability program, environmental project, the greening of government, and implementation of the Virginia Outdoors Plan. The awards are sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Gold Medal Winners:

• Catawba Hospital – Greening of Government: The Catawba Hospital campus is striving to become a zero-waste facility. To reach this goal, Catawba has focused on preventing production and diverting waste.
• City of Harrisonburg, Department of Public Works – Harrisonburg Urban Forestry Program: The Urban Forestry program in Harrisonburg seeks to maintain and grow the city’s urban forests through planting diverse native species and species most likely to be acclimated to a changing climate.
• Coastal Virginia Ecotourism Alliance – Virginia Water Trail: The Coastal Virginia Ecotourism Alliance is a coalition created to increase public access and tourism through strategic promotional advertisement of the unique natural scenery, eco-tourism opportunities, and outdoor recreational activities the Virginia coast has to offer.
• Fauquier County – Upper Rappahannock River Water Trail: The Upper Rappahannock River Water Trail was created through a multi-year collaborative effort that expanded public access, including three new canoe and kayak launches.
• George Mason University – Mason Sustainability Council’s Circular Economy & Zero Waste Task Force: George Mason University formed a Circular Economy and Zero Waste Task Force, which worked with all campus food vendors to transition to compostable items.
• University of Virginia – Waste Minimization: The University of Virginia created a working group to develop and implement a robust communication strategy to successfully transition to reusable and compostable materials.

Silver Medal Winners

• City of Petersburg – Appomattox River Trail University boulevard Overlook & Trailhead
• Virginia Tech – Plastic Pollution and Solid Waste Reduction Campus-Wide Working Group
• William & Mary – Institutionalized Composting

Bronze Medal Winners

• Arlington-Fairfax Chapter Inc., Izaak Walton League of America – Environmental Management System
• Chesterfield County – North Courthouse Library Neighborhood Connector Trail
• Defense Supply Center Richmond – Fuel Reduction Program
• Virginia Tech – Office of Sustainability – Student Internship Program

Honorable Mention

• Hitachi Energy USA Inc. – Paint Line Process Improvement Project
• Smith Creek Watershed Partnership/ C/O Ridge to Reefs, Inc. – Yancey Bioreactor

Additional information is available on the DEQ website.