Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, October 16, 2009

CONTACT
Contact: Mark Salley
Director Office of Communications
303-692-2013

Companies to Receive Colorado Environmental Leadership Awards

DENVER - On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Gov. Bill Ritter will recognize more than 80 companies for their outstanding environmental achievements that help keep Colorado a popular place for people to work and to live. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in cooperation with the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board and the Colorado Environmental Partnership, will present the 10th annual Environmental Leadership Awards at the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The awards recognize Colorado organizations with gold, silver and bronze designations for voluntarily going beyond compliance with state and federal regulations and for their commitment to continual environmental improvement.

“I am pleased to be part of a program that recognizes so many companies and other agencies for their leadership in helping to make Colorado a greener state,” said Gov. Ritter. “It is my hope that the voluntary efforts of these companies - to go beyond what is required in the state’s environmental regulations - will set an example for others to follow.”

This year’s program will recognize 26 new Gold Leaders, including Ellis Elementary School, the City and County of Denver and InfoPrint Solutions. For a complete list of all 26 Gold Leaders, please see the attachment. These 26 new Gold Leaders join 33 other companies and organizations already designated as Gold Leaders. Twenty-eight companies will be added as Silver Partners and 33 new companies will be designated as Bronze Leaders.

In addition, Gov. Ritter will present a Gold Leader company with the “24-Karat Gold Award.” Each year, the other Gold Leader companies submit one environmental/sustainable event, project or community outreach effort to be considered for the“24-Karat Gold Award.” The winner, whose efforts went above and beyond what’s required in environmental statutes, will be announced at the event.

The Colorado Environmental Leadership Program is a statewide environmental recognition and reward program administered by the Department of Public Health and Environment's Office of Environmental Integration and Sustainability. The program is open to all Colorado businesses, industries, offices, educational institutions, municipalities, government agencies, communities, nonprofits and other organizations. This year more than 300 government, business and community leaders are expected to attend the award ceremony.

For a complete list of the gold, silver and bronze leaders and summaries of their environmental efforts, please contact Lynette Myers, Environmental Leaders Program manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, at lynette.myers@state.co.us., or visit the Web site at http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/oeis/elp/index.html.

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