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The port of Seattle will present its first ever Green Gateway Partners Awards in November 2010. The awards will recognize the comprehensive environmental achievements of the port's cruise and containership operators.

"Many of our customers have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to improving their environmental performance and we want to acknowledge them in a more formal way," said Linda Styrk, Managing Director of the Seaport Division.

"The awards recognize our cruise ship and containership operators' efforts to reduce environmental impacts that go above and beyond regulatory requirements," Styrk added.

The name of the awards - Green Gateway Partners - compliments the port of Seattle's role as the Green Gateway for maritime trade between Asia and the United States.

A study released in 2009 showed that for cargo originating in much of Asia and bound for a wide range of destinations across the United States, routes through Seattle resulted in lower carbon emissions than other routes.

Through a variety of initiatives aimed at enhancing air and water quality, reducing waste and increasing recycling, the port of Seattle and its partners at the Seaport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport advance sustainability across the board.

"Our partners are helping to make our gateway greener and at the same time help make us more competitive," said Tay Yoshitani, Port of Seattle CEO. "Consumers and businesses are demanding a higher level of environmental performance. The Green Gateway Partners Awards recognizes customers and tenants that are leading the way."

The Green Gateway Partners Awards set as a minimum requirement participation in the port's At-Berth Clean Fuels program or use of shore power. These and other environmental activities are assigned point values. Depending on the number of points earned, Green Gateway Partners can achieve one of three recognition levels - gold, silver or bronze.

"We decided to have three levels of recognition in order to encourage further innovation and leadership," Styrk said. "We may expand the program in the future to include a wider range of customers, tenants and partners at both the airport and the seaport."

In order to apply for the Green Gateway Partners Award, please fill in the registration form by clicking on the link below.

http://www.portseattle.org/downloads/seaport/GG_Partner_App.pdf

Applications should be sent to watson.e@portseattle.org, or by post to the address listed below.

Ellen Watson, Seaport Environmental Programs
2711 Alaskan Way,
Seattle, WA 98121
United States