2009 Blue Sky Awards

Maricopa County’s Air Quality Department is pleased to announce the winners of the Blue Sky Awards presented during the 2009 Annual Air Quality Conference, October 20, 2009.  Awards were given to individuals and organizations that demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable contributions in protecting and enhancing air quality in Maricopa County.
 

Award Winners

Air Pollution Reduction and Compliance
Description: This award was designed to identify a business that has successfully addressed air quality problems or needs within their company and had measurably reduced emissions of air pollutants.

Winner:  ON Semiconductor

Outstanding Industry Manager
Description: This award is designed to identify an environmental manager who has demonstrated exceptional leadership resulting in air quality benefits beyond limitations contained in the facility permit to minimize air pollution in Maricopa County.

Winner:  Kenneth Wray

Governmental Agency Excellence in Air Pollution Reduction Efforts
Description: This award is designed to identify a government agency that has made innovative contributions or participated in effective partnerships to address air quality issues/problems.

Winner:  City of Phoenix

Exceptional Public Education/Outreach Program
Description: This award is designed to identify an outstanding informational and educational public outreach program encouraging clean air efforts in Maricopa County.

Winner:  Town of Queen Creek

Innovative Control Technology Implementation
Description: This award is designed to identify an individual or a team employed by a facility, a consultant and/or a manufacturer who have implemented outstanding pollution control methods in order to improve the overall air quality.

Winner:  Lehigh Southwest Cement Company

Innovative Research
Description: This award acknowledges a study or on-going research endeavor advancing the scientific understanding of air quality or a new strategy or technology for protecting or restoring air quality.

Winner:  Vulcan Materials Company – Western Division

Air Quality Excellence
Description: This award acknowledges an individual, community or neighborhood group, environmental or philanthropic organization, business interest or government body that has demonstrated significant initiative, commitment, leadership and accomplishment in developing or implementing an activity or program that has resulted in substantive and long-term air quality benefits or awareness.

Winner:  Kitchell 

Outstanding Blue Sky Academic Recognition
Description: This award is designed to recognize a student in Maricopa County in 7th – 12th grade who can identify in an exceptional essay why air quality is such a valuable resource in their lives.

Winner:  Jaime Zito

Click here to read Student Essay