Sustainability Week 2009 is October 11-17, 2009!
In August 2006, the Town of Blacksburg held “Environmental Awareness Week” as a community celebration for
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Obtaining E3 status in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program
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Receiving a U.S. EPA Resource Conservation Challenge program grant to reduce toxic chemical risks in the community
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Receiving recognition from the U.S. EPA for being the first municipality in the nation to join their National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program. The community partnership established as a requirement of the U.S. EPA grant organized Environmental Awareness Week.
Environmental Awareness Week was so successful that this informal community partnership became an independent non-profit corporation in 2007 called Sustainable Blacksburg, with board member representation from the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, and the Blacksburg business and citizen communities. Sustainable Blacksburg also received the VSBN 2007 Green Innovation Award for “Best Sustainable Community Program”.
In 2007, the Town of Blacksburg and Sustainable Blacksburg expanded their collaborative effort to include the Virginia Tech administration which gave rise to Sustainability Week 2007.