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President’s Environmental Youth Award Winners Announced

Release Date: 4/6/1999
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected Covington Louisiana High School's Students for Environmental Awareness Club as the Region 6 1998 President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) winner. Awards will be presented during a White House ceremony April 15, 1999.

        "These students are a wonderful example of how each of us can make a difference. The commitment, enthusiasm and resourcefulness apparent in the many entries we received for this award make me feel both proud of today's young people and humble about the progress my generation has made to protect and preserve our environment. This award should also serve as a reminder to adults that we must do more to protect the earth - our legacy to the future," Regional Administrator Gregg Cooke said.

        The Students for Environmental Awareness Club was selected as one of 10 winners nationwide for its ongoing Mile Branch Stream Restoration Project. The project includes intensive water quality testing, a species inventory and stream cleanups. Members also educate middle-school students about pollution in local waterways and have organized community cleanup days. With trash gathered during stream cleanups, students created attention-grabbing artwork that they used to stimulate community interest in pollution prevention.

        1998 winners will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., for one student and an adult sponsor April 13-16. A slate of special activities is planned including meetings with each winner's Senator and Representative, a special National Geographic tour and a banquet at the National Press Club.

        Three student projects selected as runners-up will be recognized during EPA Region 6 Earth Day activities in Dallas April 22. These include pollution prevention, recycling and environmental education projects

        Students in the Wood Hi community near Victoria, Texas, publicized the importance of recycling used motor oil and were instrumental in establishing five successful recycling sites for automotive oil and hydraulic fluids.

        Students at L.V. Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas, formed a club that promoted recycling and raised money for wetlands preservation. In the process, students and their families were educated about the vital role of wetlands in protecting our water supply and providing habitat for fish and wildlife.

        In Miami, Okla., the high school's Cherokee Volunteer Society staged a variety of events to raise community awareness about pollution from old mining sites and how individuals can help improve the environment. Their fishing tournament has become a popular annual event. Because nearby Tar Creek is too polluted to support fish, the tournament consists of environmental workshops and related activities at Miami High School.

        PEYA was created by EPA in 1971 to encourage children in grades K-12 to become more active in protecting our environment. Each of EPA's 10 regions conducts an annual competition to select one winner for national recognition.

        For more information on the winning projects from other regions, past winners, or how to compete for this prestigious award, call the Region 6 PEYA Coordinator, Mr. Pat Baker, Jr., at 800-887-6063.

Information is also available on the Internet at https://www.epa.gov/students/awards.htm.