Last Tuesday, the Environmental Journalism Octavio Brandão Award (Prêmio Octavio Brandão de Jornalismo Ambiental) was released during a breakfast at Cinturão Verde. It is a partnership between Associação Brasileira de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental-ABES (Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering) and the Union of Professional Journalists of the State of Alagoas, counting on Braskem’s sponsorship.
   
The award is a tribute to writer and journalist Octavio Brandão, who was a pioneer in ecological studies in the State, and its purpose is to awards journalistic works based on the Environment topic that make people aware of the importance of environmental preservation as a condition for a better quality of life.

At the release celebration, the Award’s new brand and the awarded categories (Print journalism - Text; Print journalism - Image, and News broadcasting) were disclosed. The winners of each category (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places) received a total 18,000 Reais in awards.

Submissions will be accepted until April 30, and they will be judged by a commission comprising professions of the Environment and Journalism areas and community representatives, appointed by the event’s organization and the Union of Professional Journalists of the State of Alagoas.

The Award was hosted by Braskem’s Institutional Relations Manager, Milton Pradines, ABES’s representative, Ricardo Vieira and the Union of Journalists’ chairman, Valdice Gomes.

Some of the people who attended the celebration were Arnon de Mello Organization’s CEO, Luis Amorim, Vinílicos’ Industrial Director, Marcelo Cerqueira, Gazeta de Alagoas’ Editorial Council Chairman, Carlos Mendonça, TV Pajuçara-Record’s Journalism Director, Raquel Fiúza, IMA’s CEO, Adriano Jorge Augusto, 59th Commander, Pinto Sampaio, TV Gazeta’s (Rede Globo affiliate) Commercial Director, Ademar de Sena, Companhia de Água e Saneamento de Alagoas-CASAL’s CEO, Jessé Mota, CREA’s CEO, Aloísio Ferreira, the Legislative Assembly’s Communication Advisor, Joaldo Cavalcante, the Public Ministry of Alagoas’ Press Officer, Alexandre Henrique Lino, the Federal Public Ministry’s Communication Advisor, Luisa Barreiros, Alagoas TV Educativa’s Journalism Director, Rosa Ferro, among other authorities and journalists from Alagoas.