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37 Facilities Go Beyond Legal Requirements to Improve the Environment

Release Date: 04/27/2006
Contact Information: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(Washington, D.C. - April 27, 2006) Whether they are large or small, public or private, the newest members of EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program all have one thing in common: protecting the environment. The program welcomed 37 facilities that have agreed to demonstrate strong environmental performance beyond their existing legal requirements.

"America's leading companies are not just making beverages or tractors – today they are also producing real environmental results," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "President Bush and EPA are working with businesses to change the way they look at their role in protecting our shared environment and our Performance Track partners are proving that doing what's good for the environment is also good for business."

The 37 new Performance Track facilities have made strong commitments to the environment in a wide range of categories. For example, 23 new members have committed to reducing their energy use over the next three years. Other members have plans to reduce water use and hazardous waste generation.

The National Environmental Performance Track program recognizes facilities that work with their communities, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance and have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts. Since the program's inception in June 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to more than 400 members in 46 states and Puerto Rico and those members have made more than 1,500 commitments to the environment. To date, Performance Track members have collectively reduced their water use by 1.9 billion gallons, conserved nearly 9,000 acres of land and increased their use of recycled materials by nearly 120,000 tons. In 2004, Performance Track members collectively reduced their water use by more than half a billion gallons, reduced their hazardous waste generation by 800 tons, and reduced their use of nonrenewable transportation fuels by more than 43,000 gallons.

Information on the National Environmental Performance Track program: epa.gov/performancetrack/

Information on new Performance Track members: epa.gov/performancetrack/round11PTFacilities.htm