EPA names Environmental Merit Award winners in R.I.

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Agency recognized two Rhode Island organizations and a resident this week with 2016 Environmental Merit Awards.
THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Agency recognized two Rhode Island organizations and a resident this week with 2016 Environmental Merit Awards.

(Updated 2:19 p.m.)
BOSTON – Two Rhode Island organizations, a resident and an official were recognized this week with 2016 Environmental Merit Awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England regional office.
The environmental leaders were among three dozen recipients across New England honored with the annual awards for helping to improve New England’s environment.
“We are proud to honor those citizens, businesses and organizations who have gone the extra mile to help protect and preserve our region’s natural resources,” Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office, said in a statement. “These New England award winners are committed to making our towns, cities and countryside of New England healthy, vibrant places with clean air, land and water.”
The Environmental Merit Awards, which are given to people who already have taken action, are awarded in the categories of: individual; business (including professional organizations); local, state or federal government; and environmental, community, academia or nonprofit organization. Also, each year EPA presents lifetime achievement awards for individuals.
Merit Award Winners from Rhode Island listed by category are:
Lifetime

  • Robert McMahon, of Providence. McMahon retired as superintendent of Providence’s Parks Department last year after almost 30 years of public service, mostly with the city.
    Design and construction of more than 70 neighborhood park improvement projects, 11 water splash parks, nine community gardens, 25 walking tracks, 40 park stewardship groups, support for bike paths and a new boat ramp to the Seekonk River are just some of McMahon’s contributions to a better environment for Providence, the EPA said.

Business, Industry, Trade or Professional

  • Arpin Group Inc., of West Warwick. Arpin is a fourth-generation, family-owned company specializing in domestic and international moving, global information storage management and environmental stewardship through its subsidiaries Arpin Van Lines, Arpin International Group, Creative Storage Solutions and Arpin Renewable Energy.
    Arpin also recently partnered with Wind Energy Development to construct a wind turbine at its headquarters. The turbine will supplement existing clean energy systems and will completely offset its utility usage. Arpin also is adding a second major solar array at its headquarters and soon will be a net-zero energy consumer, the EPA said.

Enviro, Community, Academia & Nonprofit

  • Clean Ocean Access, Middletown. Clean Ocean Access was founded in 2006 as a grassroots movement of surfers and outdoor enthusiasts concerned about public access to water and water quality at beaches.
    With more than 5,000 volunteers, Clean Ocean Access has led more than 200 marine debris removal projects, cleaning up more than 73,000 pounds of debris. The organization started monitoring two access points in 2008 and now, in partnership with the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, is on track to adopt all 50 public rights-of-way to Aquidneck Island’s coastline. In addition to working closely with the three communities on Aquidneck Island – Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth – Clean Ocean Access works with local schools and community groups.

Governmental

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  • N.H. Department of Environmental Services, a team which included Terry Gray from the R.I. Department of Environmental Management.
    This State Performance Partnership Improvement Team made the concept of E-Enterprise a reality by using 21st century tools to streamline work plan negotiations and ultimately strengthen oversight and management of the Performance Partnership Grant progress for New England state partners, EPA said.

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