A chiller plant reclamation system at biotech firm Roche Diagnostics, an idle-emission reduction project at Celadon Trucking Services and an energy-smart expansion at Butler University are just three of the 15 finalists named Thursday by the city of Indianapolis for a first-ever sustainability awards program.

Five winners, narrowed down from an original list of nearly 70 applicants, will be announced at the luncheon Feb. 9 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.

“We are impressed by the quality of all of the projects that were submitted for consideration,” Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said in a news release. “Everyone involved in these projects should be commended for their efforts to make Indianapolis a more sustainable city. The finalists are truly outstanding and set the bar high for other projects that are helping us reach our goal of making Indianapolis one of the most sustainable cities in the Midwest.”

Five categories for the awards include air, land, water, energy and reduce, reuse, recycle. The project finalists are as follows:

Air

• Alternative Fueled Lawn Equipment: Eli Lilly, Jones Lang LaSalle Kite, The Brickman Group
• Idle/Emission Reduction Project: Celadon Trucking Services, Inc.
• Metals Recovery System: Covanta Indianapolis, Inc.

Land

• 14-acre Natural Area Restoration: Dauben Community Nature Park
• Big City Farms: Matthew Jose
• Greening the Crossroads: A Green Infrastructure Vision for Central
  Indiana: Central Indiana Land Trust

Water

• Chiller Plant Reclamation System: Roche Diagnostics
• Efroymson Conservation Center’s Storm Water Management System: The Nature Conservancy, Indiana
• Indianapolis Cultural Trail: Rundell Ernstberger Associates

Energy

• 2009 Electrical Reduction: Redcats USA
• Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Science Expansion:
  Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf
• IndyGo Capital&Operation Upgrade: Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Broad Ripple Village Recycling Program: Green Broad Ripple, Inc.
• Comprehensive Recycling Program: Indianapolis Zoo
• Rush Hour Recycling: Green Piece Indy

For more information, visit www.SustainIndy.org/awards.>