News

Wheelabrator Saugus Praised for "Environmental Stewardship"

SAUGUS, MA - MAY 2, 2002 - Recently, Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs Bob Durand presented Wheelabrator Saugus with a Certificate of Appreciation for "its leadership and fine example on behalf of present and future generations," commending the plant's role in protecting the Commonwealth's valuable wetland resources. The Certificate noted the role of Wheelabrator and its first U.S. waste-to-energy project located in the Boston North Shore community of Saugus, as a Partner of the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Project (CWRP) - a voluntary public-private partnership to restore degraded freshwater and coastal wetlands in Massachusetts. The Partnership hopes to restore 3,000 acres of wetlands by 2010, repairing damaged aquatic ecosystems and promoting biological diversity in Massachusetts' 27 major watersheds.

Wheelabrator has been active in protecting habitats near its energy plants, from New Jersey to Florida to Washington State, since the mid-1980s. Wheelabrator Saugus launched the Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary project in 1993, bringing together local interests groups, biologists, and state conservation agents in the conversion of a former 200-acre coastal landfill adjoining the plant site into a sprawling stopover point for migrating wildlife. The Sanctuary is now the largest bird migration staging area on Massachusetts' North Shore, encompassing nine restored ecosystems.

U.S. Senator John Kerry added his support to Wheelabrator's participation in CWRP in a letter stating, "Your willingness to support wetlands restoration will serve as an example for the business community and raise the bar for all corporate citizens in achieving our shared environmental goals. I extend my deepest gratitude for your demonstration of environmental stewardship."

More News