Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration is recognizing 26 projects from across the Commonwealth with the 2026 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence, honoring innovative efforts that are improving air and water quality, reducing pollution, restoring ecosystems, and building healthier, more sustainable communities throughout Pennsylvania.
The award-winning projects include installing community air quality monitors, developing passive treatment systems for abandoned mine drainage, diverting surplus food to local food banks, restoring streams and watersheds, expanding recycling efforts, and advancing environmental education and stewardship.
“The Environmental Excellence honorees embody the innovation, collaboration, and commitment that are helping protect Pennsylvania’s air, land, and water while shaping a more sustainable future for the Commonwealth,” said Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These projects show what's possible when local organizations, schools, businesses, and volunteers come together to solve environmental challenges and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.”
“We are pleased to join DEP, DCNR, and our many other partners in honoring these awardees,” said Tom Gilbert, President of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC). “From watershed restoration and tree plantings to advancements in recycling and sustainability, these businesses, organizations and individuals are making Pennsylvania a better and greener place to live work and play."
Applications were evaluated for their degree of environmental protection, innovation, collaboration, economic impact, climate resilience, sustainability, environmental justice, and measurable results.
DEP is also recognizing Michelle Dunn with the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for her 22 years of leadership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Dunn helped transform Pick Up Pennsylvania into the Commonwealth's signature community improvement initiative, supporting thousands of cleanup events each year and mobilizing tens of thousands of volunteers to reduce litter, beautify communities, and promote environmental stewardship.
An award ceremony will take place Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Harrisburg dinner hosted by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. For more information or to register, visit the 2026 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence website.
The 2026 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence were awarded to:
Allegheny County
Duquesne Light Company – Community, Fleet & Transit Charging Program
Duquesne Light Company collaborated with customers interested in installing EV charging stations by taking on the project costs of building the make-ready electrical infrastructure, making it more feasible for customers to install and own EV charging stations. Taking on the upfront investment in the infrastructure, DLC’s goal is to significantly expand charging in Allegheny County.
Tree Pittsburgh in partnership with Resilient Cities Catalyst and the City of Pittsburgh – Data-Informed Equitable Tree Plantings in Pittsburgh
Tree Pittsburgh made use of “Auto Arborist,” a tool that uses Google Street view data and an AI model to help better assess Pittsburgh's urban tree canopy and target areas of need for tree planting. The project then looked to use trees to reduce overall carbon emissions while also addressing environmental and social challenges, including urban heat islands, air pollution, landslides, and aging infrastructure. This project helped Pittsburgh establish a 30 percent tree canopy coverage goal per census tract, which is expected to mitigate anticipated 3-degree temperature increases associated with climate change.
Allegheny Land Trust – From Hospital to Habitat: St. John’s Green Transformation
Allegheny Land Trust restored the green area of the former St. John’s Hospital into a community green space and natural stormwater management site. The 3.71 acres of vacant land were restored using a BMP rain garden, a stormwater meadow, and by planting 352 native trees, among other installations.
UPMC Center for Sustainability – Waste Diversion for a Healthier Planet-Great Patient Care Can Heal the Planet
UPMC Center for Sustainability sought to revamp UPMC’s sustainability practices, setting up collection programs for 26 different types of recyclable materials and reported 4.2 million pounds of recyclable materials in one year. Single-use medical devices were reprocessed instead of discarded, reducing waste. UPMC also partnered with another organization to distribute unused medical supplies to healthcare facilities in need.
Armstrong County
Armstrong Conservation District – Glade Run Streambank Stabilization and Fish Habitat Project
The Armstrong Conservation District installed 1,570 feet of fish habitat structures, planted riparian vegetation, and prevented excess sediment pollution from severe erosion. The Conservation District partnered with PA Fish and Boat Commission who designed the habitat structures and assisted with construction and oversight.
Beaver County
Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC) – AirSense Project
BCMAC installed air quality monitors in areas of Beaver County that previously had no air quality monitoring to assess air quality — identifying a previously unknown major emission location. Residents of Beaver County can now access real time data transmitted from the monitors and make informed decisions about their local air quality.
Reforest our Future – Forest Exploration Center & Native Tree Nursery
Reforest our Future planted 11 patches of native forest and plant seeds in Beaver Falls and also used the planting process as an avenue to educate the local community on the importance of native trees and plants.
Butler County
Giant Eagle Inc. – Zero Waste Achievement at RSC Warehouses and Manufacturing Facilities
Giant Eagle diverted 100 percent of waste from its regional distribution centers and manufacturing facilities away from landfills and partnered with regional food banks to donate approximately 1.8 million pounds of food.
Chester County
Chester County Conservation District – Chester County Agricultural BMP Implementation
The Chester County Conservation District worked with 13 farmers and landowners to implement 95 best management practices under the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, which will reduce non-point source pollution.
Cumberland County
South Mountain Partnership, Appalachian Trail Conservancy – State of the Region: Activating Conservation in the South Mountain Partnership Conservation Landscape
South Mountain Partnership, Appalachian Trail Conservancy produced a public-facing report card that measures regional public health and environmental health, maps trends and priority conservation areas, and provides trusted recommended actions and projects to address regional challenges. Additionally, the project brought four counties together to update the Natural Heritage Inventory, providing data critical for PNDI, permitting, and planning decisions.
Dauphin County
Capital Region Water – Balancing Beauty and Resilience: Stormwater Innovation for Bellevue Park's Historic Ponds
Capital Region Water retrofitted two historic man-made ponds that had degraded from stormwater inflows. The revamped ponds significantly reduced stormwater runoff volumes and wet-weather discharges from a 55-acre urban watershed served by Harrisburg’s combined sewer system. In its first year of operation, the project reduced the volume of stormwater discharged during rain events by approximately 86 percent.
Zell Family Farm – Zell Family Farm Agricultural Conservation Project
The Zell Family renovated their farm by planting 4.3 acres of forested riparian buffer, built a roofed heavy-use area with covered manure storage and barnyard run off controls, and developed nutrient and grazing management plans that apply to 89 acres of the farm. Collectively, these efforts have lead to significant reductions in nitrate, phosphates, and sediment that would have otherwise flowed into the Conewago Watershed.
Delaware County
Delaware County Conservation District – Little to No Cost Riparian Buffer Plantings along Stoney Creek, A Darby Creek Watershed Improvement Effort in Dense Suburban Area
Delaware County Conservation District led the implementation of over 700 native trees and shrubs across two different municipalities as part of a riparian buffer restoration effort with more than 90 community members involved in planting and maintenance. Additionally, education on riparian buffers through informative lectures was offered on workdays.
Erie County
Gannon University – Breaking Down Barriers to Lake Ecology Education: The Center for Lake Erie Education and Research
Gannon University’s environmental science education center seeks to break down barriers by being accessible, free, and open to the public during normal operating hours. Visitors can interact with Great Lakes data sets through tools like a Lake Erie Relief table, and a wall of locally curated exhibits created in collaboration with local organizations.
Fayette County
Fayette County Recycling Program/Keep Fayette County Green – Luke Hamaker Fayette County’s Recycling Program Ambassador
The Fayette County Recycling Convenience Center and Keep Fayette County Green raised awareness about recycling to the greater community by utilizing youth ambassadors who are passionate about recycling. The youth ambassador, Luke Hamaker, helped organize multiple cleanups, which resulted in the collection of 8,000 pounds of plastic film, three tons of trash and over 1,200 tires. Through Fayette County’s Recycling Ambassador program, the county now has over 400 recycling rangers.
Indiana County
Indiana County Conservation District – Lucerne 3A / Waterworks Passive Treatment System
The Indiana County Conservation District developed the Lucerne 3A/Waterworks Passive Treatment System to replace a failed lime-dosing silo. The passive treatment train uses gravity, natural media, and microbial activity to remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) without requiring power or chemical inputs. The system features two vertical flow ponds, a settling basin, and an aerobic wetland to remove metals and acidity. The system treats the only AMD discharge along a 6.7-mile section of Two Lick Creek, a trout-stocked cold water fishery, included on PA's 303(d) list of impaired waters due to macroinvertebrate degradation and pollution-tolerant species. By addressing this discharge, the project significantly improves downstream water quality, supports aquatic life, and enhances recreational value in an existing park.
Lancaster County
Manheim Township – Grandview Stream Restoration: Phase II
Manheim Township restored 1,755 linear feet of floodplain along three tributaries to the Conestoga River, and addressed widespread channel incision, lateral bank erosion, and floodplain disconnection caused by legacy sediments that impair streams throughout the region, utilizing floodplain restoration, an approach that goes beyond conventional streambank stabilization, which typically focuses on regrading eroding banks and reinforcing an existing channel. Rather than confining flows within a stabilized channel, the project removes legacy sediment from the valley, establishes a wide, low-gradient floodplain bottom, fills the impaired channel alignment, and constructs a highly sinuous low-flow channel that allows frequent access to a valley-wide floodplain during routine flow events.
Northampton County
Waste Management – Greater Mid Atlantic: WM Grand Central Recycling Facility
Waste Management’s Grand Central Facility will double the company’s ability to process material, increasing processing capacity from 15 tons per hour to 30 tons per hour. This is thanks to the implementation of various tech, including optical sorters, volumetric scanners, cameras, and intelligent control systems.
Philadelphia County
Philadelphia Water Department – Flat Rock Dam Improvement Project
The Philadelphia Water Department rehabilitated the intake structure to the Manayunk Canal by reconnecting the canal, which closed in the 1940s, to the freshwater flow of the Schuylkill River. As a result, the project was able to improve water quality and ecology in the canal that runs for two miles along the Schuylkill River.
School District of Philadelphia – Fox Chase Farm Junior MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) Environmental Education Project
The School District of Philadelphia activated a student centered, peer-led program looking to connect environmental education to real-world, green career pathways, which emphasized a focus on environmental justice areas, and included hands on activities relating to composting, gardening, waste reduction, and water conservation.
Riverfront North Partnership – Robert A. Borski Jr. Park – Phase 1: Environmental Remediation, Upland Meadow Restoration, and Public Access Infrastructure
The Delaware River City Corporation, Riverfront North Partnership transformed a formerly inaccessible and contaminated industrial site into a publicly accessible park area. A certified clean soil cap now separates residual contamination from public use areas, and a meadow was seeded with native plants and trees.
Green Woods Charter School – Student-Led Waste Reduction: Recycling & Composting for a Climate-Resilient School Community
Green Woods Charter School hosts a student-run, schoolwide waste reduction system that teaches environmental responsibility through hands on practice. Students in 5th and 6th grade manage the full recycling and composting process, while students in younger grades use compost in school garden beds, where they study plant growth, soil health, and sustainable growing practices.
Eco Materials, LLC – The Eco Materials Passyunk Wash Plant
Eco Materials’ resource-recovery facility is designed to clean, sort, and transform construction soil and excavated fill into reusable materials such as sand and stone. The project has resulted in a number of measurable benefits, including, more than 150,000 tons of soil waste diverted from reaching landfills, 90 percent reduction in freshwater usage due to a closed-loop wash system, and a reduction in land disturbance due to offset demand for fresh stone.
Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the City of Philadelphia Deprtment of Aviation – Tidal Wetland Creation at Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park
Fairmount Park Conservancy transformed a neglected corner of FDR park into a 28.6-acre tidal wetland. Previously, the site was low quality and had a history of illegal dumping but is now a thriving wetland being enjoyed by a variety of animals and people alike.
Schuylkill County
Pottsville DHH Lengel Middle School – Pottsville Middle School Students End City’s Milkweed Ban to Protect Pollinators
Pottsville DHH Lengel Middle School taught students how to participate in local government and helped them successfully advocate for changes to local policy.
York County
York County Rail Trail Authority – Oil Creek Floodplain Restoration
In conjunction with the construction of a new section of the Hanover Trolley Trail, the York County Rail Trail Authority restored approximately 3,800 linear feet of stream channel, created approximately 11 acres of wetlands, and removed over 80,000 cubic yards of nutrient-rich sediment from the valley bottom and spread it throughout adjacent farmland to improve productivity.
# # #