Speeches

Governor Gary Locke’s Remarks
Governor's Awards for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices
October 9, 2003


Good morning.

I’m very pleased that you were all able to take time out of your busy schedules to be here today.

This morning we honor a diverse group of outstanding achievers:

People and organizations that have helped move our state closer to the future we want. A future that offers the high quality of life our children and their children deserve. We want our grandchildren to inherit a clean environment, a good economy and healthy communities.

This is the vision of sustainability.

I believe in this vision. And we are acting on this vision.

Both within Washington and in working together with our neighbors. A few weeks ago, I met with the governors of Oregon and California to address the threat of global warming. We are joined in a tri-state clean-air effort. We can and we will succeed.

We’re making progress already. We have adopted building codes to reduce natural-gas consumption in our homes by half during the next 15 years. This will reduce global-warming emissions by 300,000 metric tons a year.

And last week, I announced a new effort to improve emission standards for energy-producing plants in Washington. This will ensure that our state’s energy consumption does not make the greenhouse problem worse.

Sustainability is so important for our future that I have directed state agencies by executive order to create their own sustainability plans.

Together, government and the private sector—organizations like yours—can prove that preventing pollution and using sustainable practices works.

We know that creating such a future will not be without effort or cost. But we also know that it can be realized through the efforts of people like you. That’s why we are proud to recognize you today.

These awards reflect your facilities’ willingness to make the effort. The awards reflect your innovation and ingenuity in designing and carrying out the solutions to create the future we all want.

Today’s award winners have made outstanding accomplishments in these key areas:

· Minimizing energy use

· Conserving resources

· Shifting to non-toxic, recycled and remanufactured materials; and

· Reducing or eliminating waste


Congratulations to today’s winners. You are role models for our future. You’ve shown that in business, in defense, in education and in government, we can succeed while supporting a high-quality, healthy environment. You’ve shown we can change our practices.

We can reduce our reliance on oil. We can design for our future. We can stop focusing on the past and how things have always been. Instead, we can choose to support the kind of world we want for our children.

Thank you for your commitment to a healthy environment and to a healthy, sustainable future.

On behalf of the people of Washington, I encourage you to continue your great work. Continue being creative leaders and good neighbors. And continue lighting the way to our state’s bright future.

Before we conclude the program, I want to thank several important people:

· Thank you to the panel of judges for selecting this year’s award winners

· Thank you to our winners for their efforts in protecting Washington’s environment

· Thank you to the employees at the Department of Ecology for providing the technical assistance that helps companies all over Washington avoid pollution

· Thank you to Mary Anne Cook-Andrews and Anch Bergeson for coordinating the awards program

Again, congratulations to our winners and to all of you.

Together, let’s continue to work hard to sustain our state’s resources for the future.

Thank you.



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