2008 PNEAC Publication of the Year Award Recipients Announced

Pittsburgh, PA, March 19, 2008--The Printers National Environmental Assistance Center (PNEAC) announces three winners of its Publication of the Year award. The winners are:

· Book/Collection: National Publication
"Green Converting," Paper, Film & Foil Converter, September 2007
· Book/Collection: Regional Publication
"Shades of Green," Georgia Printer, October 2007
· Article
"Green 101," Labels & Labeling, April/May 2007

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The PNEAC Publication of the Year awards were presented at the annual National Environmental, Health and Safety conference in Indianapolis. The PNEAC Publication of the Year Award seeks to honor the best and most significant journal article, fact sheet, report, or book on the subject of pollution prevention in the printing industry.

Established in 1995, PNEAC is a unique, highly successful, and effective partnership between industry, government, and university technical assistance providers serving those who interact with one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States, North America, and the world. The PNEAC mission is to assist regulatory agencies and technical assistance providers by providing current, reliable environmental compliance and pollution prevention information to printers, publishers, and packagers.

Wayne Pferdehirt, PNEAC co-director and chair of the judging committee, noted, "PNEAC is extremely pleased to recognize the excellent contributions each of the three winning publications has made to advance the practice of green, sustainable practices within the printing industry. Judges were impressed with how each of the winning publications provided clear, practical guidance for printers seeking to improve environmental performance to meet marketplace, cost, and regulatory challenges."

In addition to Pferdehirt, judges for the PNEAC Publication of the Year included Tracy Back, EPA Compliance Assistance Centers Team Leader; Gary Jones, PIA/GATF; Gary Miller, director of PNEAC; and Doreen Monteleone, director of Special Projects & EHS, Flexographic Technical Association. The application and review process for the Publication of the Year award was led by Wayne Pferdehirt, co-director of PNEAC at the University of Wisconsin.

One of the award recipients, Yolanda Simonsis, associate publisher/editor for Paper, Film & Foil Converter, said, "On behalf of my entire staff, I thank you for your tremendously exhilarating news regarding Paper, Film & Foil Converter's selection as the 2008 Publication of the Year! Putting the September 2007 issue together took…almost the entire preceding year, and to be rewarded in such a manner is both humbling and encouraging to everyone on my staff who was involved…. I felt it was important to cover the subject of 'sustainability' in a significant and meaningful manner…. It is a topic that I believe will continue, with valid justification, to remain high in consumers' and manufacturers' minds. When a marriage of philosophy with monetary reality takes place, I believe we will make a truly sustainable impact on our Mother Earth. And PFFC will be there to continue providing information to its readers on how to best achieve this objective in an efficient, productive, profitable, and knowledgeable manner…. Thank you for this most prestigious award."

The winner in 2007, the inaugural year for the PNEAC Publication of the Year, was Gary Jones of Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation. His winning publication was an article titled "Waste Automatic Blanket Wash Causes EPA Trouble" published in GATFWorld, June 2006.

About PNEAC: PNEAC is one of the industry-specific compliance assistance centers funded by U.S. EPA. The PNEAC mission is to assist regulatory agencies and technical assistance providers by delivering current, reliable environmental compliance and pollution prevention information to printers, publishers, and packagers. The primary partners in PNEAC are Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center at the University of Wisconsin, and the Waste Management and Research Center at the University of Illinois.

About PIA/GATF: PIA/GATF is the world's largest graphic arts trade association representing an industry with more than 1.2 million employees. It serves the interests of more than 12,000 member companies. PIA/GATF, along with its affiliates, delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency and profitability of its members and the industry through advocacy, education, research and technical information.