Excellence in air quality is the tie that binds an Oklahoma tribe, a Texas Judge and a New York company that makes demolition hammers. They are among the 13 businesses, organizations and individuals, chosen from 75 applicants around the country, receiving EPA's 7th Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards tonight in Washington, D.C., for outstanding accomplishments in reducing air emissions.

"Congratulations to the winners of the 7th annual Clean Air Excellence Awards. One should never underestimate the power of American innovation," said William L. Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for Air and Radiation. "These original ideas and cutting-edge projects embody our nation's unwavering commitment to cleaner, healthier air."

The Clean Air Excellence Awards program recognizes and honors outstanding, innovative efforts in achieving cleaner air. The awards are broken up into 5 categories; clean air technology, community action, education/outreach, regulatory/policy innovations and transportation efficiency innovations -- with two additional special awards for visionary programs and individual achievement.

The program was established in the year 2000 at the recommendation of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, a senior-level policy committee that advises EPA on implementing the Clean Air Act. This year's ceremony includes a new award category, the Gregg Cooke Visionary Program Award. This award is in honor of the late, former EPA Region 6 Administrator Gregg Cooke and his success in achieving cleaner and healthier air. The seven categories and this year's winners are listed below.

Clean Air Technology

Eli Lilly Co. (Lafayette, Ind.) - Development of the Xact™ Multi-Metal CEMS

Environmental Safety Solutions, LLC (New York, N.Y.) - Enviroboot

Leak Surveys Inc. (Early, Texas) - The "HAWK" Leak Detection System

Railpower Hybrid Corp. (Erie, Pa.) - Railpower Switching Locomotives: Ultra Clean Power

Community Action

Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs (Tahlequah, Okla.) - Cherokee Nation Clean Air Program

Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District (Louisville, Ky.) - Strategic Toxic Air Reduction (STAR) Program

Education/Outreach

City of Lawton & Evergreen Productions Inc. (Lawton, Okla.) - Carpool Crazy

Mothers for Clean Air (Houston, Texas) - Ozone Theater: Setting the Stage for Air Pollution Education

Regulatory/Policy Innovations

Environmental Services (Minneapolis, Minn.) - City of Minneapolis Sustainability Initiative

New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (Lyndhurst, N.J.) - Emissions Reductions, Green Building & Renewable Energy

Transportation Efficiency Innovations

Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (Springfield, Ore.) - Everybody Wins

Gregg Cooke Visionary Program Award

3M (St. Paul, Minn.) - 3M's Sustainability Program Reduces Air Emissions Worldwide

Thomas W. Zosel Outstanding Individual Achievement Award

Ron Harris, Former County Judge (Collin County, Texas)

(Por Dave Ryan, EPA, 09/05/2007)