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5/22/2026
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Sen. McKenney, Rep. Spears honored as Environmental Champions by Clean Water Action R.I.
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 STATE HOUSE — Clean Water Action Rhode Island today honored Rep. Tina L. Spears and Sen. Mark McKenney as “Environmental Champions” for their efforts to protect Rhode Island’s environment, especially from plastic bottle waste and litter.
The awards were presented at the organization’s annual Breakfast of Champions event at the Edgewood Yacht Club in Cranston.
“Senator McKenney understands the importance of the coastline and why we should be protecting it, not just because he lives there, but because he wants everyone to enjoy the natural beauty of Rhode Island,” said Emily M. Howe, state director of Clean Water Action Rhode Island. “Clean Water Action is proud to recognize a longstanding environmentalist who has made it his mission to pass environmentally friendly legislation.”
Howe continued, “Since Representative Spears was first elected, she has been an environmental champion, working hard alongside her colleagues and her community to ensure that the environment is advocated for at the State House. Her work on recycling reform has been exceptional. We have enjoyed working with her and look forward to continuing to do so in the coming years.”
Both Representative Spears and Senator McKenney have pushed for a comprehensive statewide bottle redemption and recycling plan, with each serving on a joint legislative commission studying plastic bottle waste, with Senator McKenney serving as co-chair. They both have introduced bills for recycling reform based on the recommendations of that commission.
Senator McKenney was the sponsor of legislation in 2023 to clarify and codify public shoreline access, and this session he has introduced legislation to ban the sale, importation, distribution, introduction or dispersal of invasive plants.
Representative Spears successfully sponsored the Act on Coasts to prepare for sea level rise and climate change in 2024 and has introduced legislation this session to put a “Blue Bond” on the ballot to fund statewide coastal preparedness and resilience projects. In 2025 she successfully advocated for state funding to repair the Charlestown Breachway, an environmentally essential repair that was completed in April though a joint effort of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Coastal Resources Management Council, the town of Charlestown, the Rhode Island Salt Ponds Coalition, Save The Bay and the University of Rhode Island.
Clean Water Action is a national organization founded in 1972 during the campaign for the Clean Water Act. In Rhode Island, the group works to build a clean water and clean energy future through outreach, education, organizing, advocacy and policy action at the state and national levels.
IN PHOTO: The award winners from the event. From left, Sen. Mark McKenney; Rep. Tina L. Spears; Kate Sayles, executive director of RI Land Trust Council; Steve Ahlquist; Sheila Dormody, chief of policy and resiliency for the city of Providence; and Aislinn Hanley, Climate Jobs Rhode Island program director.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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