California Air Resources Board

SACRAMENTO – The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the Air Resources Board (ARB) recognized and honored Mr. James Boyd, Dr. Arthur Winer and Dr. Axel Friedrich with the 2006 Clean Air Awards at the 2006 Haagen-Smit Symposium in Aptos, California. Since 2001, the Annual Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards have been presented to individuals who have made significant contributions toward improving air quality through their lifetime commitment, perseverance, leadership and innovation in areas of science, policy, technology, public education or community service.

Dr. Robert Sawyer, ARB Chairman said, "It's this caliber of commitment and wit that rightfully deserves global recognition. These individuals are key players in making California a world leader in the development of innovative air pollution control strategies and the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards are a symbol of our gratitude and admiration."

Mr. James D. Boyd - Clean Air Policies

One of the biggest testaments to Mr. Boyd's professionalism and problem-solving skills is his 15-year tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the Air Resources Board, when he served five different Chairs and three Governors. Mr. Boyd is currently a commissioner of the California Energy Commission where he works to balance energy, economic and environmental concerns with public health and welfare. Boyd is active in many air quality associations, boards, commissions and committees and is a deserving recipient of the 2006 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award.

Dr. Arthur Winer - Air Pollution Science

Professor Winer currently teaches environmental health sciences at UCLA. Winer's scientific guidance has effectively informed and influenced air quality policy for more than 35 years. During his career, he has specialized in air quality research and the development of environmental policy. Perhaps his greatest legacy will be the scientists and environmental policy-makers he has inspired for more than three decades. That legacy and his accomplishments have earned him the 2006 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award.

Dr. Axel Friedrich - Emission Reduction Technologies

As the global threats posed by air pollution became more evident, Dr. Friedrich helped to launch World Bank programs to reduce air pollution in Asia and Latin America. In Europe, he has partnered with non-environmental organizations to confront air pollution under the rubric of sustainability. Dr. Friedrich's passionate interest in confronting air pollution and climate change on a global scale with comprehensive and multi-faceted approaches makes him an ideal recipient of the 2006 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award.

"Axel Friedrich is a policy entrepreneur who has made a tangible difference in improving the environment across the world, from Germany and the European Union all the way to California," said James Strock, former Cal/EPA Secretary.

Dr. Alan Lloyd, former Secretary of Cal/EPA and former ARB Chairman, said "the fact that these gentlemen were selected as recipients of this year's Clean Air Award gives me great pride because during my career I had the honor of working with such highly regarded colleagues."

The prestigious award program was named after Dr. Arie Haagen-Smit, a native of Holland, who was a leader in developing air quality standards based on his research efforts. Dr. Haagen-Smit, known by many as the "father" of air pollution control, was a graduate of the University of Utrecht and a biochemistry professor at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena for 16 years before beginning his air pollution research in 1948. Through a series of experiments, he found that most of California's smog resulted from photochemistry (when exhaust from motor vehicles and industrial facilities react with sunlight to create ozone). This breakthrough is the foundation upon which today's nationwide air pollution standards are based. After serving for eight years as an original board member of the ARB's predecessor, the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, Dr. Haagen-Smit became the ARB's first chairman in 1968. In 1977, he died of lung cancer two months after the ARB laboratory in El Monte was dedicated in his name.