The Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean Air recently presented the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor with the 2019 PCA Industrial Award.
The award recognizes voluntary actions taken by the port in 2018 to improve air quality in Northwest Indiana.
PCA’s award system has four categories: municipal, industrial, business, and bicycle. According to PCA, the awards recognize those entities that go above and beyond their regulatory requirements.
“We are extremely honored to receive this award,” said Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Port Director Ian Hirt. “Operating as a good steward of the environment is integral to our commitment to be a good community neighbor.”
The PCA said the following actions are among those the organization considered noteworthy at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor:
- Its long-term commitment to environmental stewardship, including its membership in the binational Green Marine program
- Its eco-friendly and waterborne transporting of goods by reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, a 1,000-foot Great Lakes ship can move the same tonnage as 564 rail cars or 2,340 semi-trucks
- The commitment by port management to convene an interactive meeting three times a year with tenants to discuss environmental goals such as air emissions
- The Port’s close association with South Shore Clean Cities to reduce diesel emissions throughout the port
- The Port secured a grant to minimize runoff by planting native trees and dune grasses
- The Port and many of its businesses have received diesel emission grants over the years to purchase things like hybrid vehicles and cleaner-burning diesel engines
