Maersk Partners with NOAA and SUNY Maritime College

Clay Maitland, Founding Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announced the recipients of NAMEPA’s 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards. Maersk is the winner of the Corporate Award; NOAA for the Government Agency category; SUNY Maritime College for Education; and the American Salvage Association (ASA) the non-profit/NGO category.

“We are delighted that the North American Marine Environment Protection Association has awarded these groups with the respective 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards,” said Mr. Maitland. “Our Award categories were expanded this year to reflect the many sectors that are engaged in the important business of “Saving our Seas”.

The NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Award is given in recognition of groups efforts on behalf of preserving the marine environment as exemplified by a commitment to a program which has specific objectives set for environmental performance and improvement, and which is innovative and goes beyond minimum environmental compliance. Eligible candidates include members of the commercial maritime industry, government agencies, non-profit/NGOs and individuals and submissions are judged by the organization’s Board of Directors against the criteria behind the award.

The first NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Award was presented four years ago posthumously to the founder of the MEPA movement, George P. Livanos who created HELMEPA 28 years ago due to his interest and concern for the marine environment. In 2009, the NAMEPA Award was presented to the United States Coast Guard; the 2010 winner was liner company APL and last year cruise giant Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.