FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2018  

Three Recipients Receive Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence
Showcasing Innovation in Sustainability

INDIANAPOLIS – Organizations from across the state of Indiana submitted their top ideas for the 20th annual Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. Three organizations have been selected and are being recognized by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and Governor Eric J. Holcomb later this month.

“These awards recognize Hoosier organizations that employ innovation, energy efficiency, pollution prevention and environmental stewardship,” said Bruno Pigott, IDEM Commissioner. “We are excited to share these best practices with other organizations across the Hoosier state.”

The 2017 award winners are:

• Hansen Park Restoration Project – Michigan City High School, Michigan City, IN – Michigan City High School launched the Hansen Park Restoration Project during the 2016-17 school year. The project focused on restoring and monitoring riparian areas of the park along Trail Creek, a tributary of Lake Michigan. The project worked to remove invasive plant species, monitored water quality and invasive species, established a native plant buffer and conducted GIS mapping. The park is used for educational field trips and teaches watershed best management practices.
• Conversion to Natural Refrigerants – Roche Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN – Roche Indianapolis converted 98 percent of its halogenated hydrocarbon refrigeration systems to natural refrigerant systems from 2002 to 2016. Roche originally had 6,451 kg of halogenated hydrocarbon refrigerants and reduced it to 161 kg in the last 14 years. This project protects the environment by removing substances that affect ozone in our atmosphere. The innovative nature of this project is evident because the refrigerator, cooler and freezer options were not available on the market when the process began in 2002. Roche partnered with manufacturers to design and develop unique and environmentally safe refrigeration applications. This new energy efficient technology is now a part of the Roche product line.
• Useful to Usable – Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN – The Useful to Usable project was launched in 2011 to improve the usability and acceptance of stakeholder-driven, applied climate research information for agricultural production in Indiana and the Midwest. The six year project developed climate-based decision support tools which assisted farmers and agricultural advisors regarding planning, purchasing and marketing decisions. This online supported tool assisted with decisions on over 15.5 million acres.

The Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence are open to all Indiana facilities, government agencies, individuals, and other groups that implement exemplar environmental projects with measurable results. The awards recognize Indiana’s leaders who have implemented outstanding environmental strategies into their operations and decision-making processes. By seeking out and utilizing innovative environmental practices, these facilities and programs have reduced waste, saved money and contributed greatly to Indiana’s environmental protection efforts.

About IDEM
IDEM (www.idem.IN.gov) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids businesses and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment.