The City of New Albany recently received a gold level award, the highest award possible, from the Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence in Communities (E3C)! The award program recognizes a community’s exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship and commitment to environmental excellence. Applications are evaluated using action items developed by Ohio EPA in the three pillars of sustainability – environment, economy and social – with an emphasis on environmental stewardship.

The goal of sustainability, derived from the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), is to “create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.”

The E3C program was launched by Ohio EPA in 2021 to recognize sustainability achievements in local governments and communities throughout the state. The E3C Award recognizes communities that are working to “green the government” while supporting businesses and residents to practice sustainability.”