Waste-management group presents Rocky with award

The Air & Waste Management Association gave Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson the Richard B. Mellon Environmental Stewardship Award Thursday during a conference in Pittsburgh.

Anderson received the award for his Salt Lake City Green Program, which includes efforts to reduce the city's greenhouse-gas emissions, increase recycling and otherwise improve sustainability in the city.

Since 2001, Salt Lake's greenhouse-gas emissions have been reduced by 31 percent, and the amount of materials being recycled has increased by 87 percent under the curbside recycling program, according to city figures.

The waste-management association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 9,000 environmental professionals in 65 countries. Its conference this week included speakers such as former Environmental Protection Agency director Christie Todd Whitman and leaders in industry, government and academe.

For information, visit www.awma.org.