U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) have announced that A. Stanley Culpepper, associate professor and Extension agronomist at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Tifton, has been selected to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2010 Montreal Protocol Award.  

According to the EPA, Culpepper received this honor for his research in developing methyl bromide alternatives. Sen. Chambliss and Isakson wrote a letter of support for his nomination for the award.     

“One of Dr. Culpepper’s notable achievements was the development of the ground UGA 3-Way, a methyl bromide alternative,” said Sen. Chambliss, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “As a result of Culpepper’s contributions, UGA 3-Way is used on almost 70 percent of the plasticulture acreage in Georgia, resulting in more than $4 million in savings for Georgia vegetable producers. I congratulate Culpepper on this distinguished honor and thank him for his dedication to improving American agriculture.”

“Congratulations to Dr. Culpepper on this impressive accomplishment,” Sen. Isakson said. “His work on methyl bromide alternatives for vegetable growers in Georgia and throughout the Southeast has been invaluable. We are fortunate to have him at the University of Georgia.”  

Culpepper’s work also has focused on ensuring that vegetable production workers and their surrounding environments are protected. He was able to provide new scientific data to define buffer zones, adjust field re-entry times and develop protocols for emissions monitoring. The benefits accrue to agricultural workers, farms, adjacent environments, and the public. Culpepper has shared his ozone layer-saving data at more than 35 vegetable production meetings in Georgia, Florida and the surrounding region.

For more information on the EPA’s 2010 Montreal Protocol Award, go to: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/awards/index.html.