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5/18/2021
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Leader Blazejewski, Rep. Carson, Sen. Euer named 2021 Environmental Champions by Clean Water Action
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STATE HOUSE – At its 19th Annual Breakfast of Champions, held virtually on May 14, 2021, Clean Water Action honored House Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski, Representative Lauren H. Carson and Senator Dawn Euer as 2021 Environmental Champions. Additionally, Representative Carson is this year’s recipient of the David R. Gerraughty Award for Lifetime Commitment to the Environment.
Each year since 2003, Clean Water Action has recognized Rhode Islanders who have contributed to the protection and stewardship of the state's natural resources and public health or have led efforts to enact policies that preserve the environment and fight the climate crisis.
Majority Leader Blazejewski (D-Dist. 2, Providence), Representative Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) and Senator Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) were recognized as Clean Water Action’s Elected Officials of the Year for their sponsorship of the ‘Act On Climate 2021’ legislation, which passed through the Rhode Island House and Senate last month and was signed into law earlier this month.
Representative Carson also received the David R. Gerraughty Award for Lifetime Commitment to the Environment. This peer-nominated award is given each year to one member of the environmental community who has made significant, long-term contributions to environmental and public health protections in Rhode Island over the course of their life and/or career.
Representative Carson has spent decades organizing communities to advance environmental and public health protections, including two stints with Clean Water Action from 1985-1992 and 2011-2018. She has been a leader on a number of statewide issues including reducing waste, combatting sea level rise, and promoting nature-based solutions for managing stormwater.
In 2014, she was elected to the House of Representatives, where her legislative initiatives have included the creation of a commission to study climate impacts on tourism, promotion of recycling and composting in schools, and establishing prohibitions on offshore drilling in Rhode Island waters.
According to Clean Water Action, Representative Carson was the unanimous nominee for the Gerraughty Award this year. She received nominations from both her colleagues in the environmental advocacy community as well as several members of the General Assembly. Representative Carson is the first person to be named as a Champion twice in the same year.
For more information, contact: Emily Martineau, Deputy Director of Communications for the Office of the Speaker State House Room 323 Providence, RI 02903 (401) 222-2466
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