IECA announces 2015 winner of Most Distinguished Technical Paper Award

Denver — The International Erosion Control Association Region One (IECA) announced that “Evaluating Floating Surface Skimmers” has been named the winner of the Most Distinguished Technical Paper Award for Environmental Connection 2015. This award honors the presenters who have demonstrated excellence within the content of their Environmental Connection technical presentation. The paper was submitted by James E. (Jay) Sprague, CPESC.

Sprague is the Laboratory Director of TRI Environmental’s Denver Downs Research Facility in Anderson, S.C. Sprague has been integrally involved with implementing largescale test methods, including the construction and maintenance of the stateoftheart facilities that make TRI the only independent commercial laboratory offering such a wide array of performance testing capabilities. After helping to construct DDRF as a college intern in 2006, Sprague completed his degree in Agricultural Economics at Clemson University and spent the next three years specializing in agricultural, erosion control, and sediment control products as a Market Development Manager at Pennington Seed Company. Now, as Laboratory Director for TRI’s Denver Downs Research Facility, Sprague supervises a staff of technicians, directs all site operations and testing, and is responsible for implementation of TRI’s Quality Systems throughout all lab operations.

“I am thrilled and honored to receive this award,” says Sprague. “The technical paper will describe a new technology required by recent EPA regulations — floating surface skimmers. It will also show how to evaluate their performance and how to use them in designing pond dewatering systems.”

IECA will release information on the 2014 Awards of Environmental Excellence, to be recognized at Environmental Connection 2015, later this year. The presentation of “Evaluating Floating Surface Skimmers” may be seen at Environmental Connection 2015, which will be held from February 1518, 2015, in Portland, Ore.