Six organizations, including three Business Council members, have won the 1999 Governor's Awards for Pollution Prevention for their outstanding environmental protection efforts.

The sixth Governor's Awards were presented at the 12th annual Pollution Prevention Conference in Rochester, which The Business Council co-sponsored with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Business Association of New York State.

"Pollution prevention in New York State has been a dramatic success, and with each passing year New York businesses reach new levels of environmental protection," Governor Pataki said.

The awards recognize pollution-prevention practices that exceed the legal requirements of environmental protection and successfully reduce or eliminate the generation of pollution at its source.

Applications for awards were judged by a panel from business, environmental, and government organizations. They were based on: the project's success at reducing toxic and hazardous pollution; the overall environmental record of the applicant; the economic benefits of the project; the extent of employee participation and management commitment; and the applicability of the project to others.

Business Council members that received 1999 awards are Corning Incorporated, which was honored for work at its facility in Canton; IBM for work at its facility in Endicott; and the New York Power Authority, for a project in White Plains.

The other winners were AA Dairy in Candor, Tioga County; the United States Military Academy at West Point; and the University of Rochester.