DEQ News Release

 

News Release

Contact Information: Doug Szenher / 501.682.0915 / doug@adeq.state.ar.us

FOR RELEASE: April 15, 2016

FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR 2016 ADEQ ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS

A mixture of familiar faces, along with some new candidates, make up this year’s finalists for the first ever Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) Arkansas Technology Award (“TECHe Award”). This award will be presented along with the 11th annual ADEQ Arkansas Environmental Stewardship Award on Earth Day, 2016, April 22.

The TECHe Award is being presented for the first time this year as recognition for advances or innovative use of technology that breaks new ground in protecting resources or improving the environment by going beyond traditional environmental control measures, approaches, or outcomes. Nominations were solicited for Arkansas-based projects which showcase technology and computer use in advancing environmental objectives. The nominations ranged from remote data collection systems, energy solutions, and wastewater treatment technology, among others.

Dubbed the “ENVY Award,” the original ADEQ award was established in 2005 to recognize a major contribution by an individual or organization for efforts to enhance and protect Arkansas’ natural resources through sustainability programs and commitments to stewardship of the environment.

The winners of both awards will be announced by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and ADEQ Director Becky W. Keogh at an April 22, 2016, ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. in the Governor’s Conference Room at the State Capitol Building in Little Rock.

The three finalists for the inaugural TECHe award are the Aerojet Rocketdyne Solar Farm at the Highland Industrial Park in East Camden; FTN Associates, Ltd., of Little Rock; and Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. These finalists have demonstrated a broad spectrum of technological advances including the advance of scalable renewable energy electrical generation; effective wastewater treatment through replication of natural systems; and a unique partnership which makes reuse, resale or recycling of unused or outdated technology more readily accessible to all Arkansans.

The TECHe Award finalist Aerojet Rocketdyne Solar Farm, located on a 76-acre site at the Highland Industrial Park, is owned and operated by Silicon Ranch Corp. of Nashville, TN. The facility will supply about 30 percent of the electrical power for Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility at the industrial park, as well as low-cost electricity to rural consumers throughout the state. The plant can generate more than 30 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, with an estimated reduction of nearly 62 million pounds of carbon dioxide that would have been created by fossil fuel-generating sources.

FTN Associates, a Little Rock environmental consulting firm, was chosen as a TECHe finalist for its work creating constructed wetlands used in wastewater treatment systems at several industrial sites in the state, including the Remington Arms Co. in Lonoke; Acme Brick Co. at Perla; and a former Entergy gas-fired electric generating station in Lafayette County. The systems have been highly effective in eliminating a variety of heavy metals from the treated wastewater effluent, in some instances showing as much as 90 percent removal. In addition, the systems have proven to be very cost-effective, not only because of lower operating expenses, but also because they have a considerably longer operating lifespan than more conventional wastewater treatment methods.

Goodwill Industries, a finalist for three consecutive years in the ENVY competition, was named a finalist for the TECHe Award this year for its ability to broadly expand access to electronic resale and waste recycling programs. This partnership also enhances consumer experience and access through the use of computers for on-line purchase options for reuse. The nonprofit is now partnering with Dell ReConnect for the recycling or proper disposal of a wide range of electronic products and associated materials, such as computers and monitors, batteries, and ink cartridges, many of which contain potentially hazardous materials. Goodwill has now opened a computer lab and store in Little Rock where refurbished electronic equipment is sold at low cost to consumers.

Since the e-waste program began in 2009, Goodwill has collected and processed an estimated three million pounds of residential and commercial equipment, and is partnering with schools and businesses to collect equipment, as well as advising other organizations on how to develop their own e-waste programs.

There are five finalists for the 2016 ENVY Award: Central Arkansas Water; the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas; the Kraft Heinz Co. Fort Smith facility; Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s Camden Operations; and the YEA! Team, sponsored by Recycle Saline, part of the Saline County Regional Solid Waste Management District. Both the Kraft Heinz facility and the YEA! Team were ENVY finalists last year.

Central Arkansas Water (CAW) was selected as an ENVY Award finalist for its comprehensive sustainability program featuring elements of recycling, fuel savings, facilities energy efficiency efforts, public outreach and education, advanced pipe replacement procedures, and water source sustainability efforts to protect the drinking water used by 400,000 Central Arkansas residents. During 2014 and 2015, CAW recycled more than 110 tons of material, ranging from paper products to cast iron. Recent energy efficiency efforts are resulting in an estimated savings of more than 390,000 kilowatt hours annually. In addition, CAW employees participate in events throughout the year with other local organizations to encourage sustainability, recycling, and resource conservation.

The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas (ECA) was chosen as an ENVY finalist for its sustainability efforts which include recent investments in wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass power generating projects which will produce electricity at lower costs for consumers. The utility has either constructed projects, or entered into long-term lease agreements with other entities to produce or acquire nearly 753 megawatts of power for its customers. The portfolio includes wind projects in Oklahoma, as well as partnering in the construction of the Aerojet Rocketdyne East Camden solar project which is a finalist for the TECHe Award. In addition, ECA has launched a new subsidiary, Today’s Power, Inc., which is providing installation services for private solar power projects in Arkansas and nearby states.

The Kraft Heinz Co., also an ENVY finalist last year, is again under consideration for the award as a result of its comprehensive sustainability and recycling efforts at its Fort Smith food processing facility. Among the highlights of the program have been achieving a “zero landfill status” in 2012 by either recycling or reusing all waste materials produced at the plant; reducing material usage by 25 million pounds a year by converting from glass to plastic jars in packaging; saving nearly 800,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year by using a variety of energy efficiency practices; and recycling almost 5,000 tons of waste in the past 3.5 years.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s Camden Operations facility also conducts a sustainability program which was chosen as an ENVY finalist. Last year the company recycled nearly 378 tons of materials, including almost 18 tons of hazardous waste, as well as designating almost 170 additional tons of material for conversion from waste-to-energy (WtE) processing. Another important aspect of the program is its emphasis on reclaiming precious metals, which, in its first 2.5 years produced about 3.25 tons of silver-containing paint wastes for reclamation of the silver. The reclamation process was then significantly improved in 2015, resulting in nearly 13.5 tons of silver-containing paint wastes shipped to a silver reclamation facility. Since starting the silver reclamation program, more than 40,000 Troy ounces of silver have been reclaimed. Last year the plant also recycled more than 158 tons of wood waste, 166.5 tons of scrap metal, and 7,580 gallons of used oil.

The YEA! Team (Youth Environmental Ambassadors) sponsored by Recycle Saline is an ENVY Award finalist for the second year in a row. The group conducts recycling education programs in all 25 Saline County public schools in the Benton, Bryant, Bauxite, and Harmony Grove School Districts, as well as offering single-stream recycling collection in every school. The group sponsors or participates in a number of events throughout the year to provide information and education about recycling and offer opportunities for recycling various materials in Saline County. Since beginning the single-stream recycling program in 2015, the group has recycled more than 25,000 pounds of materials. In addition, electronic waste drives at two schools diverted nearly 5,000 pounds of e-wastes from landfill disposal.

Last year’s ENVY Award winner was the City of Fayetteville for its “Recycle Something” educational and marketing program designed to increase recycling by city residents and commercial interests.

The 2016 ENVY and TECHe finalists have been invited to attend the April 22 Earth Day awards ceremony in the Governor’s Conference Room.

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