OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY2022 Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards! Special thanks to our sponsors, the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank and the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology.
“We are excited this year to introduce the James J. Florio award honoring the legacy and memory of a true pioneer and champion of environmental protection,” Commissioner LaTourette said. “Indeed, all of our award recipients, in their individual ways, honor former Governor Florio each day through their commitment to protecting our environment and safeguarding public health.”
This year, the DEP introduced the James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader Award to honor the memory of the former Governor and Congressman, who passed away on Sept. 25 at the age of 85. As a Congressman from Camden County, Florio authored the federal Superfund law, which established a federal program to clean up hazardous waste sites. He also led the way in the creation of the Pinelands National Reserve to protect this vast area of pine forest and unique habitats. He also spearheaded numerous groundbreaking state laws and environmental initiatives as Governor from 1990 to 1994.
James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader Award
This award recognizes a young New Jersey resident who demonstrates exceptional leadership and outstanding accomplishments in environmental protection. The winner is Svanfridur Mura, a junior at Newark Academy whose passion for the environment led her to launch composting in her middle school’s environmental club and to get involved in open space and other sustainability issues with Our Green West Orange.
Svanfridur is the co-chair of the New Jersey Student Sustainability Coalition and coordinates its campaign for the Green Amendment, which aims to add environmental rights to the state constitution. She is also an active member of the New Jersey Chapter of Climate Reality, trained as a Climate Reality Leader and volunteers at her county environmental center.
Richard J. Sullivan Award
Named for New Jersey’s first DEP Commissioner and another pioneering leader in environmental protection, the prestigious Richard J. Sullivan Award 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 winners are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Newark’s Director of Water and Sewer Utilities Kareem Adeem. In 2019, when faced with elevated levels of lead in drinking water, Newark supplied bottled water and water filters to residents and then set out on an aggressive plan to address the problem. In February of this year, Newark completed its lead service line replacement program, which involved the removal and replacement of more than 23,000 lead service lines in less than three years at no cost to residents.
The 2022 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards winners are:
Watershed Management and Water Resources – Deal Lake Commission
The Deal Lake Commission implemented stormwater and watershed management and in-lake restoration projects at Deal Lake. The projects used green infrastructure stormwater techniques, floating wetlands, shoreline restoration and sub-surface treatment devices. The nonpoint source pollutant loading to the lake has decreased significantly.
Healthy Ecosystems & Habitats – American Littoral Society
The American Littoral Society and partners constructed seven double-rowed oyster reefs along beaches in the Delaware Bay, each 200 feet long. The reefs improve the resiliency of approximately 2,600 linear feet of populated shoreline and provide multiple benefits to the ecology such as new habitat and improved water quality.
Healthy Communities – New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference operates a unique urban-suburban trail in Essex County, New Jersey — the 36-mile Lenape Trail —named in recognition of the Lenape people, the original inhabitants of the area. The trail brings visitors to the county’s outdoor destinations by connecting 18 parks and 11 communities.
Environmental Justice – New Jersey Tree Foundation
The New Jersey Tree Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees in New Jersey’s most underserved neighborhoods where the need is greatest. Through tree planting, volunteerism, and partnerships, the New Jersey Tree Foundation assists communities in improving their environment and quality of life for residents.
Environmental Education (Student-led) – Kaitlyn Culbert
Known as the “Bee Girl,” Kaitlyn Culbert, a junior at Toms River High School North, is determined to do her part, as both researcher and activist, to help save the honeybees. Working with Rutgers and Stockton Universities, Katie implemented a laboratory project and field study involving Varroa mites – the main threat to honeybees – and essential oils used to control them.
Environmental Education (Educator-led) – Lake Hopatcong Foundation
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation runs an educational field trip and floating classroom program that provides youth with an on-the-water and in-the-woods experience at Hopatcong State Park. More than 1,200 students from northern New Jersey participated in the program in 2022, learning about watersheds, water quality indicators, freshwater aquatic ecosystems, and more.
Sustainability (Community) – Clairanne Arcaro
Clairanne Arcaro is known as a pioneer in establishing the Allamuchy Township Green Team in the Sustainable Jersey Program. She spearheaded the distribution of reusable shopping bags, engaged the Warren County Sherriff’s Office to collect 70 pounds of expired prescription medicines, organized a free shredding event and coordinated a cleanup of a detention basin.
Sustainability (Businesses) – Jack McNaughton
Jack McNaughton is manager of system maintenance for Veolia Water New Jersey. To improve drinking water quality, adopted the NO-DES System (Neutral Output Discharge Elimination System) — to flush potable water systems in northern New Jersey. Unlike traditional flushing methods, this process saves millions of gallons of water, does not waste water and causes little to no impact on customers’ service
Note: The winner descriptions are compiled from information provided by the award applicants and/or third-party nominators.