Efforts by three businesses and one Region resident to improve air quality in Northwest Indiana have landed state honors.
Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean Air presented its 2020 awards during a virtual ceremony Aug. 7.
“Partners for Clean Air congratulates the award recipients and encourages others to follow their example by taking voluntary action to support clean air,” said Charles Breitenfeldt, Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean Air coordinator for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Four awards were presented for voluntary actions taken to improve air quality during 2019. Winners were selected from nominations submitted to the Partners for Clean Air Steering Committee earlier this year. Honorees included:
- Family Express Corp. of Valparaiso received the Business Award for its support of clean, domestic fuels that support the Hoosier economy and national energy security. Family Express was an early adopter and advocate for higher ethanol blend fuels and invested $1 million in energy efficient lighting at its convenience stores and offices.
- Praxair Inc. of East Chicago received the Industrial Award. Praxair planted 60 native trees at its East Chicago facility in April 2019 and organized an annual volunteer day in conjunction with Earth Day at Indiana Dunes National Park’s Chellberg Farm.
- The City of Hamond received the Municipal Award for its expansion of multi-use paths and bikeways. The city has added more than 10 miles of dedicated trail and seven pedestrian bridges, giving Hammond more miles of trails per capita than any other city in Indiana.
- The Mark Siminski Bicycle Award was presented to Dave Stokoski of Crown Point. He has spent more than 20 years to promote bicycling in Northwest Indiana by organizing the Crown Point Wednesday Night Ride.
The winners of the inaugural Partners for Clean Air scholarships also were recognized. Abigail Glover of Valparaiso High School and Taryn Schermer of La Lumiere School in La Porte were each selected to receive $2,500 scholarships from among the participants in the competitive essay contest judged by members of the Partners for Clean Air Steering Committee this spring.
Partners for Clean Air is a coalition of Northwest Indiana businesses, industries, local governments, community groups and individuals committed to improving overall air quality and public health through voluntary actions.
