NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

May 2, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH ANNOUNCES 2023 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD RECIPIENTS AT THE 23RD ANNUAL STORMWATER POSTER AND ESSAY AWARDS CEREMONY

JEFFERSON, LA – The Jefferson Parish Department of Environmental Affairs announced the winners of the 2023 Non-Point Source Stormwater Pollution and Solutions Poster and Essay Contest, as well as the High School Sewer Science Program and the Stormwater Leadership Awards at a ceremony on Friday, April 28, 2023 held at the Lafreniere Park Foundation Center in Metairie.

The annual Stormwater Pollution and Solutions Poster and Essay Contest was developed to raise public awareness of non-point source pollution, such as leakage of automotive fluids, fertilizers and pesticides, pet waste, green waste and construction runoff. The contest was open to Jefferson Parish students — third through sixth graders submitted posters, while seventh and eighth graders submitted essays — to depict or describe at least one source of non-point source pollution and potential solutions. 

This year’s banquet guest speaker was Isabel Englehart from Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy. She discussed the history of stormwater and the importance of the changes and laws that took effect to make stormwater cleaner for future generations.

The awards program also included teachers who participated in the High School Sewer Science Project. This project is a week-long experiment designed to showcase the process of how the parish cleans and treats sewerage water. The program uses a scientific approach in an effort to increase awareness about water pollution and its impact on the environment. Teachers review the program and provide a hands-on demonstration with Sewer Science equipment.

This year’s banquet also recognized the winners of the Stormwater Leadership Awards. This award honors individuals, businesses or organizations that strive for environmental leadership through programs and actions that improve stormwater quality and/or quantity thereby reducing the amount of pollution that enters Jefferson Parish waterways. 

CLICK HERE to view photos from the banquet.

Student Winners:

• First Place: Chad Blandard, 3rd grade, John Curtis Christian Elementary School; Hind Hasod, 4th grade, Islamic School of Greater New Orleans; Jemma Blanchard, 5th grade, John Curtis Christian Elementary School; Alcee Aime, 6th grade, St. Clement of Rome School; Iris Chiavetta, 7th grade, St. Christopher School; Rameen Ijaz, 8^th grade, Islamic School of Greater New Orleans
• Second Place: Chloe Klein, 3^rd grade, Metairie Academy; Wesley Griffith, 4^th grade, Metairie Academy; Jayden Smiles-Joseph, 5^th grade, John Curtis Christian Elementary School; Inaaya Ali, 6^th grade, Islamic School of Greater New Orleans; Kartavya Bhardwaj, 7^th grade, St. Clement of Rome School; Reem Alshaar, 8^th grade, Islamic School of Greater New Orleans
• Third Place: Arabella Cristina-Scalco, 3^rd grade, Metairie Academy; Taleen Alresheq, 4^th grade, Islamic School of Greater New Orleans; Sarah Bi, 5^th grade, Metairie Academy; Zachary Torrance, 6^th grade, St. Clement of Rome School; Samuel Munoz, 7^th grade, St. Clement of Rome School
• Honorable Mention: Zachary Wesolowski, 3^rd grade, John Curtis Christian Elementary School; Eloise Webre, 3^rd grade, Metairie Academy; Aubree Alcantar, 4^th grade, Gretna #2 Academy; Dauyoon Nam, 4^th grade, Metairie Academy; Gaffney Corriher, 5^th grade, Metairie Academy; Leah Mahoney, 5^th grade, Metairie Academy; Molly Johnson, 6^th grade, St. Christopher School; Hailei Clark, 6^th grade, St. Rita School; Jace Khashou, 7^th grade, St. Clement of Rome School; Seth Mayeur, 7^th grade, St. Rita School 

Non-Point Source Teacher Winners:

• Kathy Bush, John Curtis Christian Elementary School 
• Wafa Hamed, Islamic School of Greater New Orleans

Sewer Science Teacher Winner:

• Anthony Simmons, John Curtis Christian High School 

Stormwater Leadership Awards: Pollution Prevention/Innovation Joint Winners:

• City of Gretna for its Gretna City Park improvements
• Metairie Country Club for its new Stormwater Recovery System 

Winning posters and essays will be displayed at the Jefferson Parish East Bank Regional Library (4747 West Napoleon Ave., Metairie, LA 70001) for the first half of the summer, then will be moved to the West Bank Regional Library (2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058) for the second half of the summer. 

For more information about the awards, contact Jefferson Parish Department of Environmental Affairs Stormwater Management Supervisor Sami Khalil at 504-731-4612. 

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777.

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Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

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Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO