The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the Anahola Homesteaders Council from Anahola, Kaua'i, for outstanding leadership in improving community environmental quality as part of the agency's first annual Environmental Justice Achievement Awards.

The award recognizes organizations for distinguished accomplishments in addressing environmental justice issues, ranging from reducing children's pesticide exposure in childcare facilities to helping hurricane-displaced communities address environmental contamination so they could return home.

Award recipients include representatives from community-based organizations; academic institutions; state and local governments; tribal governments and indigenous organizations; and non-governmental organizations and environmental groups.

The council is working on improving water quality in the Anahola rivers and streams and addressing the need for proper solid-waste management.

It focuses on empowering Native Hawaiians through collaborative partnerships, community involvement and environmental protection in the Anahola community.

"Through building a broad-based grassroots collaborative, Jimmy Torio and the Anahola Homesteaders Council are taking leadership and making Anahola a safer place to live, work, and play," stated Wayne Nastri, the EPA's Administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. "U.S. EPA is pleased to learn from this community and to join in partnership with its leaders to protect some of our Region's most impacted communities."

For more information on the Anahola Homesteaders Council's projects visit: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/ej/awards/ahc.pdf.