USA: WEDA Presents Environmental Excellence Award – Process and Criteria

WEDA Board of Directors recently approved the establishment of an Annual WEDA Environmental Award. This Award will be presented to whoever, in the opinion of the WEDA Environmental Commission, has:

“Promoted communication and understanding of environmental issues and stimulated new solutions associated with dredging and placement of dredged materials such that dredging projects, including navigation and remediation dredging, are accomplished in an efficient manner while meeting environmental goals”.

Objective

The WEDA Environmental Excellence Award will recognize projects for their outstanding contribution to meeting the goals of WEDA.

Award

This is an annual award and will be a plaque recognizing the project and the project team. The award will be presented during the annual WEDA conference.

• Recognition will also include a press release, a special highlight on the WEDA website, and an opportunity to present the project during the annual WEDA conference.

• The award will be for a project, and team members will be recognized. The preference is for all project team members to be WEDA members; however, at least one of the project team members must be a WEDA member in good standing. The project must be located within WEDA’s territory, i.e., the Western Hemisphere.

• The project must be related to dredging or marine engineering, consistent with WEDA’s mission, which includes beneficial use of dredged material. Navigation and environmental dredging projects can both be recognized annually if projects are submitted that meet the award criteria (i.e., two separate awards per year).

• The project must not have been completed more than two years from the date of the award application, or for longer term projects, specific increments or phases must have been completed to be eligible for consideration.

• Applications will be accepted only for those projects which have been approved by all applicable regulatory agencies, and implemented. Project nominations will not be accepted without necessary permissions from the project owner (if applicable).

Project Ranking Criteria

• Environmental benefits (35 points)

o What are the environmental benefits?

o What unique environmental challenges were addressed?

• Innovation (20 points)

o How does this project show leadership and take steps beyond “traditional” environmental protection efforts?

o Did the project “break new ground” in addressing the environmental challenges?

o What methods, technologies, or approaches (including partnerships) were used? What sustainable approaches were applied?

• Economic benefits (15 points)

o Explain implementation of cost-effective methods, procedures, or practices in terms of environmental protection efforts. Were there project efficiencies? Were there any specific cost-saving components of the project?

o How does the project contribute to the economy?

• Transferability (10 points)

o Are the project characteristics and lessons learned transferable and can they be used by others addressing similar environmental issues?

• Outreach and Education (10 points)

o What education and/or outreach activities were undertaken?

o What mechanisms were used to involve the broad array of stakeholders?

• Other (10 points)

o What about this project makes it deserving of the WEDA Environmental Excellence Award?

Application

• Outline of nomination:

o Summary: project description: goals, objectives, accomplishments (one page maximum)

o Complete list of project team members and their affiliations, including the project owner, the role of the team members, WEDA membership status, and the nominating entity

o Environmental benefits

o Innovation

o Economic benefits

o Transferability

o Outreach and education

o Other

• Applications are to be no longer than 6 pages total length. An additional three pages of project figures, diagrams, or photographs is allowed.

• Applications should be submitted by May 1 in pdf format to Craig Vogt, Chair of WEDA’s Environmental Commission, at [email protected].

[mappress]

Source: weda, March 7, 2011