EPA Region 4 Honors Five Mississippi Environmental Merit Award Recipients.

Business Editors & Environmental Writers

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 2000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 today honored recipients of its inaugural Environmental Merit Award at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

These awards were presented in recognition of the creative and productive activities of those outside of EPA in the Southeast who are working in their communities to sustain our natural systems and promote environmental stewardship. The Environmental Merit Awards program provides the Agency an opportunity to reach out to individuals, states, Federal partners, local governments, stakeholder groups, businesses and others who have made specific contributions in 1999-2000 to improve the environment.

"Those honored today have gone above and beyond the call of duty to address public health and natural resource protection issues of concern and, in so doing, have made this region a better place for all of us," said John H. Hankinson, Jr., EPA Regional Administrator in Atlanta. "They have demonstrated that hard work and collaborative problem solving can bring positive environmental results."

The Agency sought nominations of individuals and groups throughout the Southeast who have made special efforts to identify environmental problems or needs and have worked to address them by utilizing innovative techniques and/or successful collaborations with others. As a result, 47 winners were selected from more than 250 nominations. The award categories included individuals, businesses, governmental and not-for-profit organizations from EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee).

A list of the award winners and a description of their projects is attached. A complete list of award recipients in the Southeast is available at http://www.epa.gov/region4/.

2000 Environmental Merit Awards Winners from Mississippi

Individuals

Harvey Huffstatler, Jackson, MS

During his 34-year career as a wildlife biologist, Mr. Huffstatler has been instrumental in the development and implementation of wetland conservation programs designed to reverse wetland losses and restore important hydrological aspects of converted wetlands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. He currently works for Ducks Unlimited and is responsible for implementing the Private Lands Conservation Program in four southeastern states. Recognizing that approximately 70% of the remaining wetlands are privately held, this innovative program assists landowners who enhance or restore and then guarantee long-term management of wetlands on agricultural lands, moist soil areas and bottomland hardwood forests. These seasonal wetlands provide wildlife habitats, help improve water quality and reduce soil erosion at an estimated rate of one ton per acre per year. Last year, Mr. Huffstatler's efforts resulted in the conservation of 15,197 acres of wetland habitat.

Bruce Reid, Jackson, MS

Mr. Reid, an environmental writer for the Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi, reports on a wide range of environmental issues including floodplain management, pesticide regulation and environmental enforcement. He has been recognized by the Association of State Floodplain Managers for a series of articles on costs of recurring flood damage. Mr. Reid also wrote extensively about the first joint meeting of the Upper and Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee. He recently covered a criminal case where several companies and their executives were indicted for violating the Clean Water Act at a rendering plant for chicken processors. His articles are consistently focused on issues with major effects on the local and regional environments.

Local, State, Tribal & Federal Government

Hancock County Board of Supervisors, Hancock County Water and

Sewer District and Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, Bay St.

Louis, MS

Each of these groups brought together people in the community to develop a strategic plan for the management of wastewater in Hancock County. The community initiated the effort to find solutions to the impairment of local water bodies from malfunctioning septic tanks and improve public health from the threat of drinking water contamination in private wells. Through community planning and consensus building, support from the public, business and political sectors has generated more than $15 million in grants and loans for wastewater collection lines. It is projected that by the end of fiscal year 2001, wastewater collection and treatment will be available to all homes and businesses in Southern Hancock County. Twenty-six organizations, agencies and businesses participated in this effort, including small businesses, industries and individuals. Through this process, a unified solution was developed to address the problem.

Environmental, Community and Non-profit organizations

Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Vicksburg, MS

The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee (LMRCC) was formed in 1994 by natural resource conservation and environmental quality agencies in the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee to ensure the existence of a regional forum for facilitating conservation activities associated with the river. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Lower Mississippi Valley Division of the Corps of Engineers were important to the organization's formation. Historically, the 954 mile-long Lower Mississippi River was the most dynamic force in the largest floodplain ecosystem in North America. Its 22 million acre floodplain contained an array of diverse aquatic habitats before civil works projects to enhance flood control and navigation reduced the surface area to 0.6 million acres and restricted it to 10% of its historical floodplain. To address these issues, the LMRCC developed a strategic plan for restoring aquatic habitat, improving water quality, increasing public awareness of the Lower Mississippi River and promoting sustainable economic benefits. They also conducted the first joint meeting between the Upper and Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committees in March 2000. This historic meeting provided the impetus for an ongoing partnership between the 11 states bordering the Mississippi River and ensured that future decisions affecting the river's natural resources would be considered from an ecosystem rather than regional perspective.

Mississippi Association of Supervisors, Jackson, MS

The Mississippi Association of Supervisors is a non-profit association of elected county supervisors in Mississippi. They have partnered with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Mississippi Municipal League and other organizations to develop and implement several programs that have resulted in environmental improvements in the state. This partnership prompted legislation to begin a Solid Waste Assistance Grant Program for local governments to clean up unauthorized dumps, establish a collection center for white goods and provide education on proper solid waste management. A safe drinking water Peer Review Team was established to help small water systems with training and proper system operation so they can provide safe and reliable drinking water to their customers. The association also sponsored the first Local Governments Environmental Conference bringing together county and municipal officials as well as representatives from state and federal agencies. The conference addressed air, water and solid wastes issues and, more importantly, fostered a better working relationship among the groups represented. These activities directly support the association's goal of promoting and developing responsible stewardship of Mississippi's valuable natural resources.