The city of Hoover is getting even more national attention for its environmental program.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center announced April 13 that Hoover has been selected as one of nine finalists for the third-annual Siemens Sustainable Community Awards.

Finalists were selected based on work done to achieve environmental, economic and social goals.

Hoover has been on the forefront of environmental work with programs such as the city’s homemade biodiesel initiative, in which residents can recycle used cooking oil for the city to make into biodiesel. Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos said the city’s fleet of cars, trucks and heavy equipment is using 88 percent alternative fuels.

Petelos said he was honored Hoover was chosen as a finalist and hoped the city’s nomination would bring attention to the problem of foreign oil dependence.

“I think it’s important that we as a city continue to do as much with sustainability as we can,” he said. “It shows other municipalities and other governments that we can no longer depend on foreign oil and we need to do what we can to lessen our need for foreign oil from countries that don’t like us.”

BCLC Senior Vice President Stephen Jordan said in a press release all the finalists faced tough times with innovation and resolve.

“Despite — or perhaps because of — the tough economic conditions we’ve been enduring, more communities across the country embraced public-private partnerships as a core strategy for promoting sustainable community development,” Jordan said. “All of the finalists for the awards made important contributions to their hometowns this year.”

The finalists are in three categories: large, mid-size and small communities. The large community finalists are Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia; mid-size community finalists are Davenport, Iowa, Grand Rapids, Mich. and Hoover; small community finalists are Casselberry, Fla., Manhattan Beach, Calif. and Newton, Iowa.

The winners will be announced at the National Conference on Corporate Community Investment in Houston May 13.