FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2002:

DaimlerChrysler Corporation to Receive
2002 "Environmentalist Of The Year" Award

Washington, D.C. - At its spring 2002 meeting in Austin, Tex., the Environmental Research and Education Foundation's (EREF) Board of Directors chose DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Auburn Hills, Mich., as its 2002 "Environmentalist of the Year" Award recipient.  Twenty-four nominees vied for the award and DaimlerChrysler was selected in recognition of its extraordinary leadership contributions toward activities related to waste recycling, processing, reuse, and disposal.

DaimlerChrysler demonstrates its care for the environment by turning waste into car parts through the Chrysler Group's CARE (Concepts for Advanced Recycling and Environmental) Car II program.  The goals of the CARE program are to increase the recyclability and recovery of automobiles 75 percent to about 95 percent by weight and increase the use of recycled materials in production vehicles.  Photos and graphics detailing the CARE Car II program are available at www.media.daimlerchrysler.com.

Bernard Robertson, Senior Vice President, Engineering Technologies and Regulatory Affairs of DaimlerChrysler, will be present to accept the award and a check for $50,000 on behalf of the corporation.  The Honorable Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, His Excellency Wolfgang Ischinger, German Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Juergen Trittin, German Federal Minister for the Environment, His Excellency Kurt Bodewig, German Federal Minister of Transportation, and His Excellency Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, have been invited to attend.  According to Ronald McCracken, chairman of EREF, "DaimlerChrysler is the perfect example of the manufacturing industry's commitment to identifying crucial environmental issues and applying innovative and beneficial technology for the good of us all.  They truly deserve this award."

This black tie, invitation only event will include legislators, chief executive officers, spouses and guests from U.S. and European waste service companies, senior executives from corporations that support the activities of the honoree DaimlerChrysler, and representatives from the financial community.  The award event will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, D.C.  Singer-songwriter Kathy Mattea, accompanied by her band, will provide the evening's entertainment.

"Based on the number and variety of nominations received this year, the Environmentalist of the Year Award is becoming sought after recognition," says Michael J. Cagney, EREF president.  "The award is bringing significant visibility to the vital work performed by EREF and to the importance that is now placed on critical waste management research."

The foundation's mission is to develop environmental solutions for the future through research and education, and its endowment provides the financial base for a sustainable series of significant projects and scholarships.  A list of grants and scholarships funded to date and details about EREF's special events are available online at www.erefdn.org. 

See write-up and photos from the event...

Contact:    Anne M. Brauer, Director of Development and Communications
                    703.299.5139 or abrauer@erefdn.org