Bell Atlantic Awards Westvaco Envelope Division Environmental Excellence Award

Bell Atlantic Awards Westvaco Envelope Division Environmental Excellence Award

Winners Will Be Honored at Earth Week Celebration

April 22, 1998

NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic has named Westvaco Envelope Division, of
Springfield, Mass., to receive the third annual John S. Balaguer
Environmental Excellence Award, for its role in the development of
envelopes made from old telephone directories (OTD).

The award, which recognizes significant environmental achievements of
Bell Atlantic suppliers and employees, will be presented at 9 a.m.,
April 24, at an Earth Week breakfast at Bell Atlantic's headquarters,
1095 Avenue of the Americas.

For nearly three years, Westvaco worked closely with a paper
manufacturer to test and retest many paper samples. The company now
uses the recycled paper made from old phone books to produce bill
payment envelopes for Bell Atlantic as well as other companies.

"Bell Atlantic is proud to do business with Westvaco, a supplier that
provides a good value and makes the environment a priority," said Bell
Atlantic Vice Chairman Ivan Seidenberg. "This award gives Bell Atlantic
a unique opportunity to acknowledge a supplier whose environmental
efforts benefit us all."

Each ton of recycled telephone books saves three cubic yards of
landfill space. In 1997, Westvaco provided Bell Atlantic with 174
million envelopes made from 100 percent recycled paper, including at
least 50 percent from old telephone directories. As a result, 575
tons of waste was reused instead of filling up landfills.

"Helping our customers meet their environmental priorities is part of
our emphasis on innovative products and services," said Richard J.
Smith, Westvaco, vice president and envelope division manager. "Bell
Atlantic has been a valued customer for more than 30 years. We know
Bell Atlantic has a strong commitment to the environment, and we are
pleased to help support the company's recycling efforts."

Bell Atlantic named the Directory Distribution Center team, based in
Martinsburg, W.V., as the employee group winner. The team was chosen
for its innovative recycling of white and yellow pages directories and
the associated packaging materials.

The John S. Balaguer Environmental Excellence Award is named in honor
of the first director of Environmental Issues at the former NYNEX
Information Resources Co. and a pioneer in recycling directories.
Balaguer is nationally credited with recognizing early on that
environmental leadership is a corporate responsibility. This award
recognizes significant environmental achievement consistent with Bell
Atlantic's corporate environmental policy.

A team of Bell Atlantic employees, including representatives of the
Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); two environmental
professionals; and last year's winner-3-M Telecom Systems
Division-chose the winners from more than 30 nominations.

Editors note: Reporters interested in attending the awards celebration
should call Sharon Beadle at 212-395-1802. Photographs of the winners
will be available after the event.

Bell Atlantic - formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX -
is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry. With 40.5 million telephone access lines and six million
wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier
providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders
in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's
largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with
operations and investments in 21 countries.