SAN FRANCISCO -

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is celebrating along with Sustainable Conservation as these two groups have been recognized with an environmental award for their partnership project to rid vehicle brake pads of copper by 2025.

The partners were selected to receive 2011 Edmunds G. “Pat” Brown Award by the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance and will be given the award at a ceremony in Sacramento next month.

“Automakers support sustainable mobility that balances our need for safe transportation with protection of the environment and economic vitality,” said the Auto Alliance’s Curt Augustine. “So when we began focusing on removing copper from brake pads, we talked with environmental experts about their concerns, and we shared with them the time frames required for new auto designs. Through a good dialogue, we found a way to address the issue together to protect both motorist safety and our waterways.”

Ashley Boren, executive director of Sustainable Conservation, added: “SB 346, authored by Senator Christine Kehoe, was the one of the most important environmental bills passed last year. It was the result of 15 years of investigating water impacts as well as partnering with manufacturers. We wanted to protect our waters and aquatic life, but to do so in a way that maintains high standards of vehicle safety.”

CCEEB president Jerry Secundy chimed in, noting: “This partnership shows once again that environmental policies work best and are most effective when industry and environmentalists work together. That doesn’t happen enough these days. They deserve to be recognized.”