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The Heartland Sustainability Award
The award honors exceptional individuals for extraordinary leadership and original work in developing, employing, and supporting the principles of sustainability. The award winner would have created mechanisms to embrace green practices and to instill a culture of sustainable developments within an organization and/or community. The Heartland Sustainability Award is presented annually in April at the Innovation Conference on Asphalt and Transportation.
2009 Sustainability Award Recipient
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Senator Don Harmon 39th District State of Illinois |
Illinois State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) has been a leading force in moving Illinois forward with smart, practical solutions to the environmental problems facing our state, our country, and our planet. Harmon is both a pragmatic strategist and a strong progressive, who works to propose bold solutions and then manage the often difficult legislative processes required to enact them.
Recent examples of Harmon's successes include: The passage of landmark clean energy legislation that will result in 25% of Illinois' electricity generated by wind and other renewable sources by 2025, and major new energy conservation programs that will begin, in 2009, to save businesses and consumers money on electric bills while reducing the pollution that is causing global warming. Harmon's Affordable and Clean Energy Standards Act of 2007, containing these provisions, was ultimately included in the Illinois Rate Relief Act of 2007. Similar renewable energy goals for the country are a key provision of Harmon's former colleague and President Barack Obama's energy plan for the country. Harmon was awarded the 2008 Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance for his work in this area.
He helped in the passage of legislation to virtually eliminate phosphorus, one of Illinois' most widespread water pollutants, from automatic dishwashing machine detergent. Harmon's legislation in Illinois is spurring a reformulation of dishwasher detergent nationally to meet these cleaner new standards. The cleanup of a highly toxic waste site at Barrie Park in Oak Park, Illinois.
In 2008 Harmon was named Chair of the Global Warming and Energy Efficiency Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, and he has introduced legislation calling for state-based limits on greenhouse gas pollution as a sponsor of the Global Warming Response Act, coupled with major new investments in job-creating energy solutions that will help Illinois meet these limits.
Harmon supported the Electricity Net Metering Bill as a chief co-sponsor. Public Act 095-0420 requires electric utilities and alternative retail electric suppliers to provide “net metering” to eligible customers in order to encourage private investment in renewable energy Resources, stimulate economic growth, enhance the continued diversification of Illinois’ energy resources and protect the Illinois environment.
Harmon was also a co-sponsor of several other bills including the Illinois Diesel Emissions Act to help minimize the public health risks from exposure to diesel emissions.