Government and Industry Officials Recognized for Contributions During Hart Publications' America's Clean Air Celebration

Business Wire, Sept 21, 2000

Business Editors

POTOMAC, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 2000

Seven prominent industry and government officials were recognized for significant contributions they have made to cleaner air, during America's Clean Air Celebration, an awards dinner hosted last evening by Hart Publications at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Former Sen. George Mitchell and former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly served as co-chairs for the event.

The celebration, supported by former President Bush, honorary chairman, and President Clinton, acknowledged the accomplishments for clean air progress made by individuals and organizations in government; the oil, automobile and technology industries; and environmental communities.

"At a time when partisan politics is at its height, America's Clean Air Celebration brought Republicans and Democrats together with industry officials and government officials," said Frederick L. Potter, executive director of the Clean Air Celebration. "The event documents 100 years of remarkable economic and environmental clean air progress. EPA's recent trend report shows that Americans are driving 127 percent more miles than they were in 1970, yet emissions of the nation's worst air pollutants have been reduced by 31 percent. Credit for this remarkable achievement is rightfully shared by both industry and government."

Environmental Achievement Awards and recipients included:

-- American Century Award for Contributions to the Economy, Technological
Innovation and Environmental Achievement: Presented to General Motors, accepted
by Gary Herwick, senior staff engineer

-- Environmental Achievement Award--Petroleum Industry: Presented to BP,
accepted by Mike McAdams, group vice president, eastern region

-- Environment and Technology Innovation Award--Natural Gas and Power Industry:
Presented to Enron, accepted by Jeff Keeler, director environmental strategies,
on behalf of Chairman & CEO Kenneth L. Lay

Other awards presented include Valero Energy Corp. for refining innovations and environmental achievements in the independent refining sector; CDTech for the refining technology sector; Syntroleum Corp. for the gas-to-liquids sector; and DaimlerChrysler for the future automotive technology sector.

In a video presentation, President Bush, who signed into law the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, congratulated America's oil and automotive industries for their substantial accomplishments. "I want to praise our nation's oil and gas industry, but particularly our nation's refiners, technology suppliers and automakers for all they've done," said Bush. "Always major contributors to our economy, now proud leaders in our final efforts to clean up the environment."

A special Clean Air Tribute was presented to EPA Administrator Carol Browner, who, in her eighth year as the nation's top environmental steward, is the longest serving administrator in the agency's history. In a video tribute, President Clinton praised Browner's commitment to clean air and the health of our nation's children.

"Carol Browner moved to strengthen air quality standards for smog and air pollution for the first time in 20 years, an action that would protect 125 million Americans including 35 million children," Clinton said. "Through tough enforcement of the Clean Air Act, millions of Americans are breathing cleaner air. She initiated major new federal efforts to improve air quality in all of our national parks and wilderness areas, proposed new rules to strengthen tailpipe standards for cars, and set the first ever standards for SUVs and to reduce sulfur in gasoline."

Additional presentations on maintaining America's commitment to a strong economy and a quality environment were given by: William Rusnack, president and CEO, Premcor Refining; Humberto Vainieri, president and CEO, UOP Technology; Leon Ekchian, president and CEO, Litex; and Josephine Cooper, president, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Closing remarks and a champagne toast were made by Mitchell and Reilly.

America's Clean Air Celebration was presented by Hart Publications in conjunction with the Hart World Fuels Conference. Hart Publications is a leading publisher of energy-related magazines, newsletters, database products and conferences with offices in Potomac, Md., Houston, Denver, the United Kingdom and Norway.

Hart Publications is division of Phillips Business Information, Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips International, Inc. (www.phillips.com)

A video documentary and publication commemorating 100 Years of Economic and Environmental Clean Air Progress are available to the media.