WET’S AWARD-WINNING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN ACTION

Butte, Montana

We’re proud to share that Water & Environmental Technologies (WET) has been recognized by the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) with the 2026 Richard Beatty Mellon Environmental Stewardship Award. Each year, A&WMA’s Honors & Awards Program recognizes individuals and organizations whose work advances a cleaner, healthier environment and serves as an example for environmental professionals across the industry.

The Richard Beatty Mellon Environmental Stewardship Award honors an individual or organization whose sustained efforts have made a substantial contribution to pollution abatement and environmental protection. Established in 1954, the award recognizes impactful environmental leadership, stewardship, and long-term commitment to improving environmental quality.

This year, Stephen Coe, PE, AICP, WET senior engineer and planner, traveled to Austin, Texas, to the AWMA Conference to represent WET, which received this recognition for its leadership in the cleanup of the Parrot Tailings Site in Butte, Montana—a complex environmental restoration project located at the headwaters of the Clark Fork River. Over multiple phases, WET helped advance planning, engineering, and implementation efforts that resulted in the removal of approximately 1.9 million cubic yards of contaminated material, reducing risks to groundwater and improving conditions both locally and downstream.

A Special THANK YOU to the Leadership Team and Their Team Members Seeing This Project Through!

The Butte Natural Resource Damage Restoration Council (BNRC)

Butte Area One—State of Montana NRDP

Josh Vincent, PE

WET President/Co-founder/Principal

Elizabeth Erickson

WET Co-founder/Principal

John Trudnowski, PE

WET Senior Engineer

Steve Anderson, PE

WET Senior Engineer

Stephen Frazee, PE

WET Senior Engineer

Stephen Coe, PE, AICP

WET Senior Engineer & Planner

The Parrot Tailings Cleanup Project in Butte, Montana

Read more blog posts about the Parrot Tailings Cleanup Project

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WET would also like to congratulate the other 2026 A&WMA Honors & Awards recipients:

  • Jenny Hand – Frank A. Chambers Excellence in Air Pollution Control Award
  • James Boylan – S. Smith Griswold Outstanding Air Pollution Control Official Award
  • Georges Bou Saab – Outstanding Young Professional Award
  • Jacob Rattay – Outstanding Young Professional Award
  • Zak Schmidt – Outstanding Young Professional Award
  • Tracy Thatcher – Lyman A. Ripperton Environmental Educator Award
  • Greg Johnson – Fellow A&WMA Member
  • Leah Blinn – Fellow A&WMA Member
  • Jenna Stolzman – JA&WMA Early Career Author Award
  • Chuanli Zhang – JA&WMA Outstanding Student Author Award
  • West Coast Section – Minasian Award
  • Channel Islands Chapter – Chapter Cup Award [awma.org]

Read the award details: awma.org/2026awards