Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer recently announced the winners of the 2016 Babylon Covantage EcoTech scholarships at the Town’s Annual Earth Day Celebration, where ninth grader Faith McCombs of Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School was awarded the top prize of $1,000 in scholarship money. Faith’s project examined the emission of ozone from copy machines. She was commended by Supervisor Schaffer and Rick Sandner—Regional Vice President and General Manager of Sustainable Solutions for Covanta. Joining Supervisor Schaffer were Councilwoman Jackie Gordon, Receiver of Taxes Corinne DiSomma, New York State Senator Michael Venditto, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory, County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey, and Babylon Village Mayor Ralph Scordino.
The Babylon Covantage EcoTech scholarship contest is a public/private partnership between the Town and Covanta, which operates the energy-from-waste facility in West Babylon. The program is designed to encourage students who are studying environmental science to explore areas related to renewable energy sources, greenhouse gas reduction, alternative building materials, or any other means to mitigate climate change and environmental degradation. This is the 9th consecutive year that these scholarships have been awarded.
The full list of winners for the 2016 Babylon Covantage EcoTech contest is as follows:
1st Place-$1,000: Faith McCombs-Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School
-“An Explanatory Study Examining the Emission of Ozone from Copy Machines”
2nd Place-$750: Sophia Bright-Copiague Middle School
-“Is a Geothermal Heating/Cooling System an Effective Alternative for Homeowners?”
3rd Place-$500: John Daniel Xavier Corcoran-Babylon Jr./Sr. High School
-“The Effect of Heat on the Potency of Pheromone Trails Produced by Pogonomyrmex
barbatus”
4th Place-$300: Dylan Bedell-Copiague Middle School
-“Does a Solar Panel Produce More Electricity when Functioning Underwater or in
Regular Conditions Above Water?”
5th Place-$200: Jade Dickenson & Sofie Wilson-Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School
-“A Novel Investigation Surrounding Geukensia demissa as a Probable Control
Mechanism for the Invasive Species Phragmites australis”
6th Place-$175: Marvin Pineda-Lobo-Copiague Middle School
-“What are Economically-Friendly and Efficient Solutions to Coastal Erosion?”
7th Place-$125: Samuel Caponi & Gerard Gravina-Babylon Jr./Sr. High School
-“The Effects of Salt Tolerant Bacteria on the Growth of Pisum sativum in a High
Salinity Environment”
Honorable Mention-$100: Tatiana Henry & Kriyal Patel-Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High
School
-“A Comparison of Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Organic Cultivation Media Systems
on the Growth of Vigna unguiculata”
Honorable Mention-$100: DaVeyah Williams-Copiague Middle School
-“What is the Best-Sized Aggregate to use for Increasing Water Flow?”
Honorable Mention-$100: Mariana Espinoza-Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School
-“An Investigative Study of the Cultivation of Solanum Lycopersicum under Varying
Frequencies”