Penobscot Indian Nation Receives Grant of nearly $149,000 to Improve Water Quality

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
July 25, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Penobscot Indian Nation Receives Grant of nearly $149,000 to Improve Water Quality

(Boston, Mass. – July 25, 2012) – The Penobscot Indian Nation has received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $148,924 to help reduce nonpoint source water pollution on their tribal lands.  The grant was selected in a competitive review process among 52 proposals.  A total of 20 grants were funded by EPA.

The grant will be used to improve and protect water quality in the Penobscot River and Little Alder Stream. The Penobscot River watershed consists of approximately one-third of the state of Maine.

“EPA is very pleased to provide much-needed funding to help the Penobscot Nation do some very important work that will have a real impact improving water quality and habitat within the Penobscot River,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England regional office.

“Clean water and protection of aquatic habitat is of great importance to the Penobscot Nation,” said Dan Kusnierz, Penobscot Nation’s Water Resources Program Manager. “The Tribe greatly appreciates this commitment from EPA that will enable us to significantly reduce eroding soils and thereby protect the quality of waters on and adjacent to tribal lands.”

The EPA funding will assist the Penobscot Nation to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering the Penobscot River by stabilizing portions of an eroding riverbank and re-establishing nearby vegetation. This portion of the project will also complement ongoing efforts by the Penobscot Indian Nation to restore and improve habitat for migratory fish (including the federally endangered shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic salmon, and 10 other species).

The Tribal government will also use EPA funding to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering Little Alder Stream and its tributaries by installing “best management practices” (BMPs) on an all-terrain vehicle trail system leading to a sensitive high elevation lake with a native brook trout fishery.  Installing BMPs on portions of the trail that are in close proximity to streams leading to Little Alder Stream will help protect water quality in these sensitive waters.

More information:

Non-point source water pollution:  http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatis.cfm

Tribal non-point source grant projects: http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/tribal/index.cfm

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Waste Mgt. Named to Ethisphere's 2012 World's Most Ethical Companies

Waste Management Named to Ethisphere’s 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies for the Fifth Consecutive Year

Award recognizes exceptional ethical leadership across continents and industries

HOUSTON – March 16, 2012 – Waste Management (NYSE: WM) has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, the leading business ethics think-tank, as one of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical (WME) Companies. This is the fifth year the company has been honored for promoting the highest of ethical standards. Out of a record number of nominations for the award, WM secured a spot on the list by implementing and maintaining business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the company’s success, benefit the community and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry.

“It is an honor to be recognized by Ethisphere for our strong corporate culture that values ethics, diversity and sustainability,” said David Steiner, chief executive officer and president of WM. “As an industry leader we strive to operate in a way that contributes to the success of our business and the communities we serve. I believe it is our responsibility to make positive change for the environment and for society.” 

This is the sixth year Ethisphere has published the WME rankings. Ethisphere reviewed hundreds of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilizing its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming the companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies list. The 2012 list features companies in more than three dozen industries, including 40 companies headquartered outside the United States.

The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

“A strong ethical foundation is a competitive advantage, and WM recognizes the important role corporate responsibility plays in improving its bottom line,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute. “As more and more organizations strive for this honor each year, WM’s inclusion as a World’s Most Ethical Company for 2012 demonstrates its industry-leading commitment to ethics and dedication to integrity.”

Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical-companies-rankings/.

About Ethisphere Institute

The research-based Ethisphere^® Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside^® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification™. The Institute’s premier membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance™, is a business ethics forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions that collectively leverage their experience, expertise and innovative ways to address emerging compliance challenges. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found atwww.ethisphere.com. 

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also one of the largest residential recyclers and a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit www.wm.com.