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Community Corner

TWO BROOKLINE RESIDENTS RECEIVE U.S. EPA' S PRESTIGIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL MERIT AWARD

BOSTON, MA – On April 22, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented its 2014 Environmental Merit Award to three Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) staff in a prestigious Earth Day ceremony in Boston’s famed Faneuil Hall.  


For over thirty years, EPA New England has presented Environmental Merit Awards to individuals and organizations in honor of outstanding contributions on behalf of the New England Region's public health and natural environment. The Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments during the past year or over a lifetime.


For 2014, EPA presented Merit Awards to three CRWA staff who over the last 20 years, have transformed the organization into an internationally-recognized leader in sustainable resource management: Robert Zimmerman, Executive Director; Margaret Van Deusen, Deputy Director and General Counsel; and Kate Bowditch, Director of Projects.

Both Van Deusen and Bowditch reside in Brookline. Bowditch serves as the Chair of the Brookline Conservation Commission, whose mission is to promote the proactive administration of environmental laws and policies, open space protection and management, water management, preservation of natural features of the environment, and coordination for joint action with many town bodies.

According to the official EPA announcement, Zimmerman, Van Deusen and Bowditch were honored for CRWA’s commitment to “strong science, robust civic engagement, and unprecedented innovation and entrepreneurism” and for developing “one of, if not the most effective watershed protection organization in the world.” Under their leadership, the Charles River has transformed from one of the most degraded rivers on the East Coast, to what is now considered the cleanest urban river in the United States.  

“We are extremely humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Zimmerman. “Our 20-year partnership with EPA New England has been a tremendous success, and we look forward to accomplishing our goal of a fully restored Charles River.”

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For more information on the EPA’s Environmental Awards Program, please visit www.epa.gov/region1/ra/ema.                                        
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About Charles River Watershed Association:
Charles River Watershed Association’s mission is to use science, advocacy and the law to protect, preserve and enhance the Charles River and its watershed.
One of our country’s first watershed organizations, CRWA formed in 1965 in response to public concern about the declining condition of the Charles River. Since its earliest days of advocacy, CRWA has figured prominently in major clean-up and watershed protection efforts that have dramatically improved the
health of the Charles.






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