WEST HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer Corporation said today it
is honored to have been named recipient of the Green Circle Award for its
efforts to implement habitat enhancements for fish and wildlife on private
property.
The award by the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection will be presented to business, civic organizations, municipalities
and individuals that have made a positive contributions to Connecticut's
environment.
The award recognizes Bayer and employee Gary Toczylowski of Glastonbury,
Conn., for cleaning up and preserving the area along the Oyster River that
runs through the company's 113-acre corporate site in West Haven and Orange.
The seven-acre wetlands runs along an environmentally rich watercourse and
wooded glen in the center of the company site. In 1996, Toczylowski, Bayer's
manager of health, environment and safety, and now director, led a team of 30
employees who convinced Bayer's management to maintain the area's natural
beauty. The effort became part of a development plan that included: the
construction of the company's administration buildings; a walk across the
river that connects the two sides of the site; and a one-mile natural walking
trail so that employees and visitors could enjoy the setting.
The employee team's efforts included a major clean-up of the site shortly
after Bayer acquired the property in 1993. The location, at the edge of a
former movie house parking lot, was frequently used for illegal dumping. Over
time, old tires, automobiles, furniture and other debris had accumulated in
the area. More than 40 cubic yards of debris were removed during the clean
up.
Working with the Connecticut Audubon Society, the employee volunteers
surveyed and catalogued plants, bird wildlife and even insects. The
Connecticut Audubon also prepared a report recommending a number of steps to
enhance the ecosystem of the area as a refuge, especially for birds and
animals. A clear span foot bridge and roadway were constructed that allowed
the river, even at its peak, to flow unimpeded and allowed animals to move
freely. More recently Bayer has invited the Connecticut Audubon to conduct its
yearly bird-banding program on the property to track migratory birds.
In 1996, the Connecticut Audubon issued a press release that said: "It's
not often that we find a major corporation volunteering to give up development
of a large chunk of land in the middle of its operation. It's even rarer to
find a company willing to let its employees get involved in creating a nature
area on its property." Milan Bull, who served as director of the Connecticut
Audubon Center for Fairfield for more than 25 years, provided technical
assistance and advice on establishing and maintaining the area. At the time
he said: "The mouth of the Oyster River, a few miles downstream from the
Bayer property, is probably one of the top five gathering locations in western
Connecticut for migratory birds." He said wildlife is drawn to the river
because of its bountiful production of food. It also is a source of clean
fresh water right where the river meets the salty Long Island Sound.
"The expansion of the Bayer campus across the river might have presented a
potential challenge to the river's uninterrupted flow," Bull said. "Instead,
the company took an enlightened approach creating a nature area on its
property for this fragile ecosystem. The Connecticut Audubon was delighted to
become a part of the preservation."
Bayer has been recognized several times in the past few years for
extraordinary efforts to protect and preserve the environment. The
Pharmaceutical Division site in Berkeley, Calif., recently received Bayer
Corporation's Environmental Excellence Award as well as the Governor's
Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
The North American headquarters of Bayer Corporation Pharmaceutical
Division is located in West Haven and Orange, Conn. Employing more than 2,100
people in Connecticut, the company's pharmaceutical division produces and
markets Cipro(R); Adalat CC(R); Kogenate(R) and Baycol(R). Scientists at
West Haven's Bayer Research Center are currently looking for compounds to
treat osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and obesity.
Bayer Corporation is a research-based company with major businesses in
health care and life sciences, chemicals and imaging technologies. The
company had 1997 sales of $9.3 billion and employs more than 26,000 people.
Bayer Corporation is investing $9 billion in capital expenditures and research
and development from 1995 through the year 2000. 1998 capital investment and
R&D expenditures are projected to total $1.7 billion. Bayer Corporation, with
headquarters in Pittsburgh, is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a
$32 billion chemical and pharmaceutical company based in Leverkusen, Germany.
SOURCE Bayer Corporation
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http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/092575.html or fax,
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CONTACT:
Laura Malis of Bayer Corporation,
203-812-6470
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