Innovative Technology

The History of the Ira W. Leighton, Jr. Outstanding Innovative Technology Award

This award, established by resolution of the Board of Directors on January 15, 2014, recognizes the significant contribution made by Ira Leighton and is awarded to an organization or individual(s) for developing or applying innovative technologies to solve problems or advance the state of the art in the areas of environmental management, energy resources and management, and climate change.  This award will go to “difference makers” because Ira was a difference maker.

Ira Leighton (1945 – 2013) was among the first employees hired at the EPA Boston office in 1972 when the agency was in its infancy. He then went on to meritoriously serve New England and the nation, at EPA, for the next 41 years.    As a career civil servant and senior EPA leader, working out of the Region One office in Boston, he made positive impacts on the lives of countless New Englanders and citizens across the United States. His vision helped shape EPA’s reliance on sound science and legal integrity into effective policies to protect the health of all Americans from pollution in the air, water and land.

Ira started working for the U.S. EPA’s Boston office as an engineer, after working at the state and municipal levels. During the 1970’s and 80’s, he worked on solid waste management issues and then on contaminated site clean ups. He was pivotal in shaping EPA’s Superfund program in New England following the 1980 passage of the Superfund law.

In the 1990’s, Ira managed EPA Region One’s enforcement efforts. He fostered an integrated approach, providing assisting regulated entities in understanding environmental obligations and then followed with measured enforcement actions against those that did not comply. For his last 13 years at EPA he served as the Deputy Regional Administrator – the senior career official – in EPA’s Region One office, overseeing the Agency’s panoply of programs throughout New England.