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EPA Regional Administrator Kenny Honors Performance Track Members; Encourages Companies to Join Program Promoting Environmental Stewardship

Release Date: 08/07/2003
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(#03093) San Juan, Puerto Rico – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny today presented a National Environmental Performance Track Outreach Award to Baxter Healthcare Corporation of Puerto Rico-Aibonito. Kenny also recognized new Performance Track members during a talk before the Environmental Committee of the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association. “This program recognizes top environmental performers - companies that voluntarily go beyond compliance with regulatory requirements to attain levels of environmental performance that benefit the environment, people, and communities,” said Kenny. “Performance Track members have distinguished themselves as environmental leaders, and deserve EPA’s continued support and recognition for their efforts.” Baxter Healthcare Corporation was honored for their success in getting three businesses in Puerto Rico to join Performance Track and for their efforts to facilitate a partnership between the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association and EPA. Outreach Awards are given to members who have shown exceptional efforts towards increasing membership in Performance Track and setting examples for their peers in the program. Kenny also took the opportunity at today's meeting to recognize four of the program's newest members including: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, LLC-Barceloneta, Baxter Fenwal Division-San Germán, Baxter Fenwal Division-Maricao and Baxter Healthcare Corporation of Puerto Rico-Jayuya Facility. These businesses join two other Baxter facilities and eight Johnson & Johnson companies in Puerto Rico. In addition to the four new members, Performance Track members in Puerto Rico include: Baxter Caribe Incorporated-Guayama, PR and Baxter Healthcare Corporation of Puerto Rico-Aibonito, as well as Johnson & Johnson companies including DePuy Casting-Las Piedras, Ethicon LLC-San Lorenzo, Janssen-Ortho LLC-Gurabo, LifeScan LLC-Cabo Rojo, McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals-Las Piedras, OMJ Pharmaceuticals-SanGerman, Ortho Biologics LLC-Manati and Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals-Manati. In total there are five Baxter facilities, eight Johnson & Johnson facilities, and one Pfizer facility. Kenny also congratulated members for their excellence in voluntarily achieving significant, measurable environmental benefits. She noted that in their first year of participation, members in Puerto Rico went beyond legal requirements to reduce water use by 5 million gallons and hazardous materials use by 908 tons. Kenny highlighted the achievements of individual facilities such as: Baxter Caribe, an inhalation anesthetics facility in Guayama which cut its use of hazardous waste per pound of product by 33 percent exceeding its goal to reduce waste by 30 percent; Ortho Biologics in Manati, maker of a protein used to stimulate red cell production and treat anemia, which reduced its water use by 3 million gallons over two years by recovering and reusing process waters; and Ethicon in San Lorenzo, a surgical products manufacturer, which reduced its use of alcohols by 6,600 pounds, and in the process cut hazardous waste for one process by 18 percent. Facilities accepted into Performance Track must have a history of sustained compliance with applicable federal and state environmental requirements; have adopted and implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) – an organization’s systematic effort to meet its environmental requirements and improve its overall performance; demonstrate at least two past environmental achievements and commit to four future improvements; and must have a public outreach program with a commitment to public performance reporting. EPA accepts applications twice per year – between August and October, and February to April. Performance Track now has more than 320 private and public facilities all of which achieved environmental results, exceeding their respective legal and regulatory standards. In EPA Region 2 there are a total of 48 Performance Track members located in EPA's Region 2 – 19 in New Jersey, 14 in New York, and 15 in Puerto Rico. The current application period for new membership is August 1 - October 31, 2003. For program information, summary of member benefits application guidelines, and a complete listing of facilities in Performance Track members visit: https://www.epa.gov/performancetrack.