FOR RELEASE: April 22, 2016 AEROJET SOLAR PROJECT WINS INAUGURAL TECHe AWARD; KRAFT-HEINZ FOODS SELECTED FOR ANNUAL ENVY PRIZE The Aerojet Rocketdyne Solar Farm, largest solar power project in the state, was chosen Friday as the first winner of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) Arkansas Technology Award (“TECHe Award”) in a presentation ceremony involving Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and ADEQ Director Becky W. Keogh. The Kraft-Heinz Co. Fort Smith food processing facility received the ADEQ’s Arkansas Environmental Stewardship Award (“ENVY Award”) for 2016. The ENVY Award has been bestowed annually since 2005. Both winners were announced in the Governor’s Conference Room at the State Capitol at a ceremony attended by the finalists for the two awards, their supporters, state and local government officials, and others. The Aerojet Rocketdyne Solar Farm, located on a 76-acre site at the Highland Industrial Park in East Camden, 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. The other two finalists for the TECHe award were FTN Associates, a Little Rock environmental consulting firm, for its work creating constructed wetlands used in wastewater treatment systems at several industrial sites in the state; and Goodwill Industries, a nonprofit organization, for its ability to broadly expand access to electronic resale and waste recycling programs it operates. Goodwill was an ENVY award finalist for three consecutive years from 2013 to 2015. The TECHe Award was 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. The Kraft Heinz Co., an ENVY finalist last year, made it to the top of the selection process this year, winning 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. There were four other finalists for the 2016 ENVY Award: Central Arkansas Water for its 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; The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas for its sustainability efforts which include recent investments in wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass power generating projects; Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s Camden Operations facility, which also conducts a sustainability program that involves recycling/reuse of hazardous materials, as well as a waste-to-energy conversion operation; and The YEA! Team (Youth Environmental Ambassadors) sponsored by Recycle Saline (part of the Saline County Regional Solid Waste Management District) for its recycling education programs and single-stream recycling collection efforts in all 25 Saline County public schools. Like this year’s winner, the YEA! Team was also an ENVY finalist last year. 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 2015 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. https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/poa/pi/news_item.aspx?nr=2016-04-22_Winners_of_2016_ADEQ_Environmental_Awards_Announced

• published: 25 Apr 2016
• views: 5