PPL Montana’s Colstrip power plant is teaming up with the community of Colstrip for a poster contest, seedling giveaway and cleanup project to help learn, act and celebrate the mission of Earth Day and Arbor Day.
“PPL Montana is proud to support these programs, which are aimed at creating a beautiful and clean environment,” said Lisa Perry, manager-Community Affairs for PPL Montana. “These programs exude the spirit of Earth Day and Arbor Day, and they provide an opportunity to learn more about nature and to make a difference for the environment in Colstrip.”
The contest invites students in kindergarten through 12th grade to submit posters with Earth Day (4/22) or Arbor Day (4/28) messages. The city’s Tree Board will judge the entries and the elementary school will host an awards program on Arbor Day. All posters will then be displayed throughout the community.
Also on Arbor Day, the PPL Montana Colstrip plant will join the Colstrip School District in a community cleanup. PPL Montana employees will clean up around the company’s power plant as students and teachers clean up trash and debris throughout the city.
In addition, PPL Montana has donated the money for the city of Colstrip and its school district to purchase 850 seedlings to give to students and Colstrip residents on Arbor Day. PPL also will purchase four large Scotch pines to plant at the Ponderosa Butte Golf Course.
“As a good steward of the environment, PPL Montana strives to generate electricity safely, reliably and cleanly,” Perry said. “These programs in Colstrip and others across the state that PPL Montana is sponsoring help us extend our respect for Montana’s environmental resources beyond how we operate our facilities.”
Four schools received $1,500 grants this Earth Day through PPL Montana’s Environmental Education Grants program. School projects that focus on environmental issues such as watersheds and wetlands, air quality, renewable energy resources, energy conservation and the greening of schools were eligible to receive the grants.
Hillcrest Elementary School in Butte received a grant to improve its recycling program by building a central storage area. Kennedy Elementary School in Butte will use the grant money to create a habitat for birds and insects. The habitat will serve as an outdoor classroom. Heritage Christian School in Bozeman received a grant to enhance its environmental studies with the purchase of new weather and water kits. Lame Deer High School in Lame Deer will use its grant award to help design and install landscaping that will double as an environmental learning lab.
In addition, PPL Montana has committed $50 million through 2009 to protect fish, wildlife and the cultural heritage along the rivers where it operates hydroelectric stations. This commitment to protecting Montana’s rivers has earned the company the “Outstanding Stewardship of America’s Rivers” award four of the past five years.
PPL Montana, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), has electric generating facilities throughout the state with a combined generating capacity of about 1,200 megawatts. PPL Montana has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena and employs 500 people. The company operates coal-fired power plants at Colstrip and Billings, as well as 11 hydroelectric power plants along Rosebud Creek and the Missouri, Madison, Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. PPL EnergyPlus, another PPL subsidiary, operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power in the wholesale energy market. More information about the company is available at www.pplmontana.com.