The Great Waters Group of the Sierra Club  presented its annual Environmental Hero Award to community activist Richard Diaz on Dec. 3.

Diaz was selected for his many years of activism and outreach on behalf of Milwaukee residents to address the lead crisis, secure rights for laborers and promote environmental justice.  Among his many contributions to improving life for local residents, Diaz has:
•    Co-founded the Coalition on Lead Emergency (COLE) and, in collaboration with COLE members, secured the allocation of $26.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for lead abatement efforts in Milwaukee homes.
•    Worked to engage partners and allies for the BlueGreen Alliance in the Midwest.
•    Partnered with Walnut Way Conservation Corp. to start its environmental justice initiatives.
•    Assisted in building Amani United, a neighborhood organization in one of the America’s most disenfranchised ZIP codes (53206).
•    Helped local Amalgamated Transit Union 998 achieve a fair worker-oriented labor contract.  
•    Helped thousands of voters register and get out to vote.
“In everything he does, Richard exemplifies the mission and purpose of the Great Waters Group to protect our local environment and to address Milwaukee’s history of racial inequality,” said Jenny Abel, chair of the Great Waters Group Executive Committee.
Abel presented the award  to Diaz during the Great Waters Group's annual holiday party Dec. 3  at Havenwoods State Forest  in Milwaukee.