Community College of Rhode Island Recognized for Cutting Wastes

On May 9, 2001, the Community College of Rhode Island was chosen to receive a Narragansett Bay Commission 2000 Environmental Merit Award for its efforts to remove hazardous wastes from its sewage discharges and to properly dispose of other hazardous materials generated at its campuses in Warwick, Providence, and Lincoln.

Under the leadership of chemical-safety coordinator Emanuel G. Terezakis, the college trained faculty and laboratory personnel to collect excess silver from the school’s darkrooms and dental programs so it doesn’t go down drains and interfere with the sewage-treatment processes.

Heavy metal wastes, along with formaldehyde and organic solvents used in CCRI’s biology and chemistry labs, are collected in hazardous-waste storage areas. Even grease from kitchens is collected with special grease-recovery systems.

Click here to see the Narragansett Bay Commission 2000 Environmental Awards poster.

Providence Journal

June 29, 2001

Bay Commission Honors CCRI

     PROVIDENCE ― The Narragansett Bay Commission has chosen the Community College of Rhode Island for an Environmental Merit Award for pollution prevention efforts at its Providence and Lincoln campuses. 

     "Over the past ten years, we've brought about a tremendous change in the level of environmental awareness among faculty, staff and students"  Emanuel G. Terezakis, the school's chemical safety coordinator, said.  "We've greatly reduced the use of harmful chemicals...and there's virtually no discharge of harmful substances into the environment."

     The school said that the Bay Commission used the following criteria for selecting award recipients:  "pollution reduction, commitment to environmental management practices, employee participation and "extraordinary efforts to go beyond compliance and/or demonstrate innovative approaches to waste management."