U.S. EPA Recognizes Freight Industry Leaders in Alabama for Environmental Performance
ATLANTA (Oct. 27, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring 72 truck carriers, logistics providers and freight shippers as industry leaders in supply chain, environmental, and energy efficiency with its annual SmartWay Excellence Awards. This year’s Partner awards were announced at a virtual award ceremony hosted by EPA with its SmartWay Partners, affiliates, key stakeholders, and media in attendance.
The awardees represent the top performing, environmentally responsible SmartWay Partners who move more goods, more miles, with lower emissions and less energy. Today’s awardees demonstrate how businesses in this crucial economic sector continue to lead through challenging times, demonstrating superior freight performance by saving fuel, shrinking their greenhouse gas footprints, and contributing to cleaner air in the communities they serve.
“For 17 years, the SmartWay Transport Partnership has worked with stakeholders in the freight industry to find innovative ways to reduce pollution from goods movement,” said Sarah Dunham, Director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality. “We commend the innovation, drive, and collaborative spirit of our partners whose efforts are helping to meet the challenge of climate change and to create a healthier environment for us all.”
“The SmartWay Truck Award winners in Alabama have shown a commitment the community by moving more goods with less fuel,” said EPA Acting Region 4 Administrator John Blevins. “These companies demonstrate that investments in innovative technologies and business practices can contribute to healthier air and also save fuel and money.”
EPA Region 4 is proud to highlight this achievement for the following:
Benny Whitehead, Inc., Eufaula
Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting 143 million tons of CO2, 2.7 million tons of nitrogen oxides and 112,000 tons of particulate matter. Partners have also saved 335 million barrels of oil and over $44 billion in fuel costs – equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over 21 million homes. These efforts are particularly important for disadvantaged communities near ports, borders and industrial areas, subjected to higher levels of pollution that contributes to smog.
SmartWay is also a key component of the growing suite of Climate Partnership Programs at EPA, dedicated to helping solve the climate crisis while also creating jobs and strengthening our economy. This year, EPA is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the launch of the first of these voluntary programs which allow EPA to work hand-in-hand with the private sector.
This year’s SmartWay Excellence Awardee list is a diverse group with about one-third first-time awardees, about one-third which have received the award at least five times, and four awardees in multiple categories. This range of repeat and first-time awardees demonstrates the competitive nature of this recognition – any company is only as good as its last year’s environmental performance data. The awardees are geographically diverse with awardees from each of EPA’s ten Regions, and six from Canada.
Background
EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership is a market-driven initiative that empowers businesses to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible to protect public health and reduce emissions. Demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility and freight efficiency through SmartWay provides for a more sustainable and competitive marketplace.
For more information about SmartWay Excellence Awards, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway/smartway-excellence-awardees
For more information about SmartWay, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway
