[GreenYes] Syracuse City School District Receives DEC Environmental Excellence Award

["Pete Wirth" <pwirth2@no.address>]

For More Information
Contact                                                    
For Immediate Release
Mark Naef
President Naef  Recycling
315-463-7266
Mark@no.address
Neil Driscoll
Communications Director, Syracuse City School District
435-5800

DEC Announces
Environmental Excellence Awards
Syracuse City School District Receives Award

Syracuse, NY - Friday, Dec. 7 The Syracuse City School District was one
of six projects receiving  the 2007 NYS Environmental Excellence
Awards from DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. The awards were 
presented in a ceremony in Albany, NY on Friday Dec. 7.

In all, DEC named six award winners for 2007, with the winning projects
coming from industry, local governments and an environmental advocacy
group.

Ned Deuel, President of the school board received the award on behalf of
the Syracuse City School District (SCSD). 

Attending the awards ceremony with him from the Syracuse city school
district  were James Smith - Corcoron High School, Afzal Khan -
Science and Technology Coordinator, Richard Stefanko -  Assistant
Superintendent of Buildings & Grounds, Daryl Hall - Principal, Ed
Smith School and  Mark Naef, - Go Green Initiative, state committee
chair and  Jennifer Spoor - Syracuse GGI coordinator. 

Syracuse City School District. The district  implemented a
``Going Green'' agenda in 30 schools that involves recycling and tracking
of materials, and education efforts. Cafeterias switched to paper bags
from Styrofoam trays and, in the 2006-07 academic year, 500 tons of paper
were collected and recycled. 

The district also employed "vermicomposting" to reduce
cafeteria waste. This involves using ventilated bins containing
earthworms and various types of bedding material (paper, peat moss or
other) to turn kitchen waste into a dark, nutrient-rich soil conditioner.

As a result of its efforts, the district estimates it has saved 8,500
trees, 231,500 gallons of oil and 350,000 gallons of water.

"The winners come from a wide array of sources. But what they all
have in common is creativity and resourcefulness, and a desire to make a
positive impact on the environment,'' Grannis said. "In their
separate ways, they have made a significant contribution to the
protection and stewardship of our natural resources."

An aggressive school "go green" program that features the
creative use of earthworms, an energy innovation that boosted a North
Country yogurt plant and some old-fashioned elbow grease applied to
invasive plants in the Adirondacks were just some of the projects to
receive awards  from Commissioner Pete Grannis.

This year's winners were:

Delphi Thermal Systems, Lockport (Niagara County)
Ecovation and Breyers Yogurt Co., North Lawrence Facility (St. Lawrence
County)
Gloversville-Johnstown Joint Sewer Board (Fulton County)
IBM East Fishkill (Dutchess County)
Syracuse City School District.
The Nature Conservancy, Adirondack Chapter. 

Full project details available at

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/40337.html

DEC established the Environmental Excellence Awards in 2004 to
recognize ingenuity, creative partnerships and leadership efforts that
achieve noteworthy environmental, social and economic benefits for New
York State. The program has now honored 25 winners. For additional
information about the program and past winners, and to learn about
applying for the 2008 awards, visit the DEC Web site at 
 
http://www.dec.ny.gov/

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