Those honored with this year’s Environmental Excellence Awards have been recognized for their commitment to enhancing New Jersey’s environmental protection by mitigating the adverse effects of climate change; improving living conditions and providing training for people in environmentally vulnerable communities; adjusting preservation goals to help local farmers; and building partnerships to promote land conservation.
The 2021 awards were presented virtually; video is available on the DEP website and Facebook page.
The Richard J. Sullivan Award, named for New Jersey’s first DEP commissioner, was presented at the same time. It honors New Jersey residents who demonstrate exceptional leadership and outstanding accomplishment in safeguarding public health, protecting and enhancing New Jersey’s diverse natural resources and creating vibrant, sustainable communities that provide economic opportunity for all.
This year’s Sullivan honoree is Capt. Bill Sheehan, a lifelong resident of the Hackensack River Watershed region. A dedicated conservationist, he founded Hackensack Riverkeeper in 1997 and continues to serve as the organization’s executive director.
The Hackensack Riverkeeper is a founding member of Waterkeeper Alliance, the international coalition of more than 300 clean-water advocates working on, along and for waterways across the globe.
- Climate change and clean air: Solar Landscape
Founded in 2012 by New Jersey natives Shaun Keegan and Corey Gross, Solar Landscape develops, designs, installs, owns and operates community solar and solar-energy solutions for the commercial/industrial, municipal, public school and nonprofit marketplace. It has installed more than 110 megawatts of commercial solar energy projects in the Northeast and offers a solar job-training program in underserved communities.
- Environmental education (educator-led): Montclair State University PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies
The institute advances sustainability by developing community-engaged research projects and building educational programs through academic/corporate/public partnerships. Its annual Green Team Internship Program connects teams of students with corporations, organizations, nonprofits, municipalities and community groups to address sustainability issues. The program has grown from Montclair students across 19 majors in 2016 to 270 students from more than 100 majors, representing 55 colleges and universities inside and outside New Jersey.
- Environmental education (student-led): Summit Free Market
Founded in 2008, the Summit Free Market is a volunteer, student-run program that works to reduce the amount of reusable material that enters Summit’s waste stream. Since its inception, an estimated 2,500 Summit Free Market volunteers have kept more than 160 tons of reusable material from the waste stream through its popular and successful community reuse initiative, saving the city of Summit more than $25,000 in garbage-tipping fees.
- Environmental justice: Fred Byarm
Fred Byarm has 30 years experience in the food-services industry, is Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Six Sigma certified, with a focus on health care and manufacturing. He is the founder of Invincible City and Invincible City Farms, LLC, whose focus is improving the standard of living and the social determinants of health for Black and brown communities.
- Heathy and sustainable business: ECOS
A pioneer in green cleaning since 1967, ECOS makes more than 200 environmentally friendly laundry detergents, dish soaps, surface cleaners and hand soaps for household and commercial use. ECOS is a leader in sustainable manufacturing, with carbon-neutral, water-neutral and Platinum Zero Waste-certified facilities in Parsippany and across the nation.
- Heathy and sustainable communities: Somerset County Agriculture
Somerset County’s Farmland Preservation Program held roundtables with local farmers, agriculture professionals, county commissioners and the county Agriculture Development Board to determine how to best support local famers, increase sustainability and improve the agricultural economy. As a result of those conversations, the county updated the Farmland Preservation Plan.
- Healthy ecosystems and habitats: Hudson Farm
Hudson Farm operates as a year-round outdoor experience for its members on more than 4,000 acres of land in Sussex County. The farm manages its land voluntarily through its New Jersey-approved Forest Stewardship Plan, along with multiple associated and complementary voluntary conservation projects. This work has provided enormous regional ecological uplift over the years.
- Water resources: Fred Akers
Fred Akers, administrator for the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association, has devoted more than 20 years of service to monitoring, assessing and improving water quality in the Great Egg Harbor Watershed. His projects directly address the deeply interconnected issues of stormwater management, land conservation, pollution reduction and habitat protection.