U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

 

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

 

EPA Region 7 Recognizes Five Midwest Environmental Leaders

 

Contact Information: Dianna Whitaker, (913) 551-7598, whitaker.dianna@epa.gov; or Shawntell Martin, (913) 551-7676, martin.shawntell@epa.gov


Environmental News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 19, 2007) - Five organizations in Region 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been recognized as members of the National Environmental Performance Track Program.

 

They are 3M in Columbia, Mo.; the Lawrence, Kan., wastewater utility; Nucor Steel, Norfolk, Neb.; Coca-Cola plant, Truesdale, Mo.; and Vermeer Manufacturing, Pella, Iowa.  They are among 55 new environmental leaders that go above and beyond legal requirements as members of this public-private partnership.

 

EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew said, "We are proud to add these five new members to our regional Performance Track Program.  These facilities are making tangible improvements in their environmental performance that contribute to a cleaner, healthier world for their employees, their communities, and the nation."

 

Performance Track recognizes facilities that set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems to manage their environmental effects, engage in community outreach, and consistently report results.

 

 

News for Release: Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 

EPA Performance Track Program Nears 500-Member Mark

 

Contact: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

 

(Washington, D.C. - Oct. 18, 2007) Coca Cola, 3M and Corning facilities

are among the 55 new members committing to go above and beyond

environmental requirements as members of EPA's National Environmental

Performance Track Program. The latest members bring the total number of

environmental leaders in Performance Track to nearly 500, with members

now found in 49 states.

 

"We are proud to have nearly 500 members who together have set more than

2,000 environmental goals," said Dan Fiorino, director of Performance

Track. "These facilities are making tangible improvements in their

performance that contribute to a cleaner, healthier world for their

employees, their communities, and the nation."

 

Performance Track members come from a wide range of sectors, such as

automotive, paper, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and

government agencies. This 14th new membership round included first-time

applications from Portland (Oregon) Veterans Administration Medical

Center, City of Lawrence (Kansas) Wastewater Utility, and Corning. 3M,

Coca Cola, Covanta, and Baxter Healthcare were among 13 companies

already represented in Performance Track that added new facilities to

the program during this latest membership cycle.

 

With these new members, Performance Track has also broken ground in

three new states: Alaska, Hawaii and North Dakota. In addition, the U.S.

Postal Service ramped up its membership with the addition of 18 new

member facilities, and several more U.S. Air Force bases joined the

ranks of the program.

 

Performance Track recognizes facilities that set three-year goals for

continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal

requirements, have internal systems in place to manage their

environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and consistently

report results.

 

Performance Track facilities must meet all environmental regulatory

requirements and typically set four goals for environmental improvement

(small facilities make two). For example, the Elmendorf Air Force Base

in Anchorage, Alaska is committing to an 89 percent reduction in their

hazardous waste generation by implementing new technology that captures

cadmium from wash water, allowing the reuse of the water. The base is

also committing to reduce erosion caused by stormwater runoff, increase

land and habitat conservation, and reduce transportation energy use.

 

Since the 2000 launch of this facility-based program, Performance Track

membership has grown to 497 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and

those members have set more than 2,000 goals to benefit the environment

in both regulated and unregulated areas. Through goals that have been

set since the inception of the program, Performance Track members have

reported reductions in water use of 5.6 billion gallons, greenhouse gas

reductions of 159,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and have

conserved more than 25,000 acres of land.

 

Information on the National Environmental Performance Track program:

http://www.epa.gov/performancetrack

 

Information on the new Performance Track members:

http://epa.gov/performancetrack/round14PTFacilities.htm

 

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