Basula Produkto officers conferred EPA award today

Basula Produkto president Eric Cruz and Maeda Pacific Corp. president Thomas Nielsen are set to receive an award today from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of their efforts to preserve the CNMI environment.

Cruz and Nielsen flew to San Francisco, California, last week to personally receive the award during the 8th Annual Environmental Awards Ceremonies.

According to U.S. EPA regional officer Dean Higuchi, EPA Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri will personally hand over the plaques to this year’s awardees from the Pacific.

Besides Basula Produkto, the other recipient of this year’s award is the Conservation Society of Pohnpei from the Federated States of Micronesia. This group has made great strides toward reducing the amount of clearing that goes on in its upland rainforest and creating a comprehensive watershed management system for the island.

“These organizations have applied creativity, teamwork and leadership in addressing many of the Pacific’s most sensitive and complex environmental challenges,” Nastri said, adding that the two organizations have set an example in the whole nation. “Thanks to their efforts, our air, water and land will be cleaner and safer for generations to come.”

Besides providing jobs and creating a business, Basula Produkto, a joint venture of MAEDA Pacific Corp. and Ericco Enterprises, strives for a cleaner environment via recycling.

The U.S. EPA notified Nielsen and Cruz late last month of their selection for the award.

Nielsen and Cruz earlier said that Basula Produkto was nominated for the award based on its three years’ effort to rid Saipan of waste paper, cardboard, metals and plastics.

In 2005, based on the records of the U.S. EPA, Basula Produkto processed and shipped off-island 1,119 tons of cardboard and paper, 188 tons of aluminum, and 513 tons of scrap metal. The venture also crushed 200 tons of glass and 200 tons of used tires.

“All this activity has diverted over 2,200 tons of waste away from the landfill, thereby increasing the life span of the landfill,” EPA said.

The US EPA Region 9 Environmental Awards program has been recognizing the commitment and significant contributions of organizations and individuals to the environment in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Pacific Islands and tribal lands.

This year the environmental agency selected 39 groups and individuals from more than 160 nominees the agency had received this year from businesses, media, local, state and federal government officials, tribes, environmental organizations and citizen activists.

Other winners this year includes: Willie Nelson, who is being honored for opening the first biodiesel plant; Patagonia, for 30 years of forward thinking environmental programs at its headquarters in Ventura, California; and,an innovative dust outreach campaign in Arizona that has raised public awareness of a serious local air pollution problem.