Illinois Governor's Sustainability Awards

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), in cooperation with the Office of the Governor, has honored organizations for their efforts in sustainability and pollution prevention since 1987. Sustainability is achieved through activities that satisfy today's needs without diminishing the prospects of future generations. At ISTC, we believe that the key to sustainability is being less wasteful with materials, energy, and natural and community resources.

Award Ceremony Information

• When: Thursday, October 28th, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Where: Hilton Garden Inn, Champaign, IL
• There will be optional tours of ISTC at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, October 27th, as well as 3:00 PM on Thursday, October 28th.

Eligibility

Any Illinois public or private organization is eligible to apply for an award. Only one application for a Governor's Award will be accepted per facility. The number of awards presented depends on the quality of applications received.

To see descriptions of winning activities, view the program booklets from previous awards ceremonies.

Evaluation

Applicants' projects will be evaluated by criteria as detailed on the "Evaluation Criteria" page. Some of those areas are:

• Description and significance of sustainability activities
• Waste volume or emissions reduction, use of green materials, natural resource or energy conservation, etc.
• Economic benefits
• Employee/Member Involvement
• Benefits to employees, community, and environment
• Relevance to others

Award Categories

• Governor's Sustainability Award
  This is given to companies and organizations that have not previously won the Governor's Sustainability or Pollution Prevention Award. Any activities an organization has implemented prior to January 1, 2010 may be included in an application.
• Governor's Sustainability Award for Continuous Improvement
  The Continuous Improvement category is for past award winners only. Any organization that has previously won a Governor's Sustainability Award or Pollution Prevention Award will automatically be placed in this category. Any new activities completed since the most recent award and implemented before January 1, 2010 may be included in an application.

2010 Governor's Awards Timeline

• May 28, 2010 - Application deadline
• July-August 2010 - Application review and on-site review
• August 2010 - IEPA compliance check
• August 2010 - Finalists notified
• October 28th, 2010 - Awards ceremony will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign, IL

Contact Information

For questions about the Governor's Pollution Prevention Awards, contact Deb Jacobson at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

Illinois Sustainable Technology Center 188 Industrial Drive Suite 206 Elmhurst, IL 60126 630-833-1027 (voice) 630-833-1095 (fax)

Deb Jacobson 630-833-1027 djacobson@istc.illinois.edu

The Fine Print

Activities submitted must have been completed or have shown substantial progress by December 31, 2009. A panel from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and/or outside experts will judge applications. Confidential or proprietary processes, technologies, or business practices should be clearly identified in the application. Finalists may be visited for verification of activities. Additional eligibility status will be obtained from the Illinois EPA. An organization must be in good standing with environmental laws and regulations to be eligible for an award. Applicants with current or pending violations of environmental laws and regulations from the U.S. or Illinois EPA are not eligible to receive an award.

The Office of the Governor will make the final award decisions.