Spectra Energy Corp Receives Coastal America Partnership Award for Support of New York Peconic River Fishway Project

HOUSTON, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectra Energy Corp (NYSE: SE), in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 11 national, state and local organizations, has been distinguished with the Coastal America Partnership Award, a prestigious national award from Coastal America, a public/ private-sector partnership dedicated to the protection of America's coasts. The Coastal America Partnership Award is the only environmental award of its kind presented by the Obama Administration.

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Spectra Energy and the partner organizations were recognized for their combined efforts in restoring a passage for fish on the Peconic River in Riverhead, New York. By replacing a dam in Riverhead's Grangebel Park with a permanent rock ramp, the project is helping to return alewife, a type of herring, and American eels to their historic habitat on the Peconic River, an important estuary that provides ideal locations for spawning and juvenile growth of scores of marine fish.

"The Peconic River Fishway Partnership's proactive restoration and waterway protection is a striking example of an environmental success that directly resulted from the identification of a critical ecosystem need and the development of key partnerships," said Virginia Tippie, director, Coastal America.

"Spectra Energy strives to provide stewardship, volunteerism and charitable contributions that offer the greatest benefit toward enriching the quality of life in the communities where we work and live," said Bill Yardley, group vice president, Spectra Energy Transmission, Northeast. "This successful public/ private-sector partnership is just such an example. We are pleased to have provided funding for such a worthwhile endeavor."

The Peconic River flows approximately 17 miles west to east from its headwaters on the Brookhaven National Laboratory property to its mouth in Flanders Bay. The construction of the permanent rock ramp, located in the south spillway of Grangebel Park, reopened 24 acres of prime spawning habitat for alewife and American eels, both critical parts of the estuarine food chain as prey for predatory fish and birds. Both species also are important as food and bait fish for commercial and recreational fisheries.

Project partners include: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Peconic Estuary Program, Peconic River Fish Restoration Commission, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Town of Riverhead, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Suffolk County, American Rivers, FishAmerica Foundation, Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, New York Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, National Grid and Spectra Energy.

Coastal America addresses the challenges of America's coasts by leveraging the capabilities and expertise of all the partners to solve local and regional coastal problems, and encourage public education on oceans and stewardship. This is accomplished by sharing information, pooling resources, and combining management skills and technical expertise.

Spectra Energy Corp (NYSE: SE), a FORTUNE 500 company, is one of North America's premier natural gas infrastructure companies serving three key links in the natural gas value chain: gathering and processing, transmission and storage, and distribution. For nearly a century, Spectra Energy and its predecessor companies have developed critically important pipelines and related infrastructure connecting natural gas supply sources to premium markets. Based in Houston, Texas, the company operates in the United States and Canada approximately 19,100 miles of transmission pipeline, more than 305 billion cubic feet of storage, as well as natural gas gathering and processing, natural gas liquids operations and local distribution assets. The company also has a 50 percent ownership in DCP Midstream, one of the largest natural gas gatherers and processors in the United States. Spectra Energy is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes and the U.S. S&P 500 Carbon Disclosure Project's Leadership Index for both Carbon Performance and Disclosure. For more information, visit www.spectraenergy.com.

SOURCE Spectra Energy Corp

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