The Port Authority and its partners, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Office of International Affairs, the Mexican government, including the State of Veracruz, SEMARNAT (Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources) and PEMEX (Mexico's state-owned petroleum company), Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd, won the award in the Bi-National category.
Established in 2000, the Gulf Guardian awards were developed by the EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program Partnership to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive.
Aston Hinds, Senior Manager, Environmental Affairs, accepted the award on behalf of the Port Authority from EPA Regional Administrator Armendariz at a ceremony in New Orleans on August 3.
"The Port of Houston Authority is committed to environmental stewardship," said Hinds. "We are very pleased that our collaborative study is helping to restore the Gulf and has received recognition by the EPA through this award."
The Port Authority's air quality planning staff has worked with the EPA's Office of International Affairs since 2008 on a partnership project with ports in Brazil and Mexico to study the feasibility of fuel switching to lower sulfur diesel while transiting into the Port of Houston and those destination ports.
