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2 New England Facilities Join, and 7 Re-Commit to Environmental Improvements

Release Date: 09/23/2008
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. - Sept. 23, 2008) - Seven New England facilities have renewed their membership in an EPA program that invites organizations to set environmental goals beyond what is required by law. Further, two additional businesses have joined EPA’s Performance Track program.

The nine facilities, representing companies in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, have either renewed their membership or joined for the first time in EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program. This program encourages facilities with strong environmental records to work toward goals that surpass the legal requirements. The program's 61 members in New England and 506 members nationwide include facilities from major corporations, small businesses and the public sector.

Performance Track members that want to renew their membership must set two to four new environmental goals (such as reduced energy use), have an independent review of their environmental management system and be screened by EPA for sustained compliance with environmental laws.

In New England, the facilities accepted for new three-year memberships were:
- Covanta Mid-Connecticut.of Hartford, Conn.
- Covanta of Southeastern Connecticut of Preston, Conn.
- Covanta of SEMASS of Rochester, Mass.
- New Hampshire Ball Bearing.of Laconia, N.H.
- OSRAM Sylvania of Hillsboro, N.H.
- Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine
- Louisiana Pacific of Houlton, Maine

To qualify for Performance Track, a facility must have a sustained record of exceeding compliance with environmental regulations and must commit to future environmental goals that exceed national standards.

The two new members of Performance Track are:
- Coca-Cola Northampton, Northampton, Mass.
- Stanley Tools New Britain Plant, New Britain, Conn.

To encourage members to address EPA’s regional or national environmental priorities, Performance Track offers renewing members “challenge goals,” which are more demanding than standard environmental goals. Three renewing members in New England chose to set challenge goals for the next three years. Bath Iron Works, Louisiana Pacific of Houlton and Covanta SEMASS have selected the EPA-New England Energy Challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 percent.

Since its inception in 2000, Performance Track members in New England have set more than 440 goals for environmental improvements, many of which will achieve environmental results in areas that are not covered by regulation. The renewing members have set a total of 23 new goals this year.

During the last three years of the partnership, New England’s seven renewing member companies made many environmental gains. Among them:
- Covanta Mid-Connecticut reduced Mercury use 22 percent; reduced zinc in stormwater 96 percent and retrofitted three local school buses with diesel particulate filters;
- Covanta SEMASS reduced transportation energy use 19 percent, eliminated need for the use of a hazardous material and partnered with the Rochester Land Trust to conserve 50 acres of habitat;
- The Astro Division of New Hampshire Ball Bearings reduced water use 13 percent, reduced non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste 24 percent and 41 percent, respectively, and reduced energy use by 36 percent;
- OSRAM Sylvania reduced energy use by 16 percent, reduced use of VOCs 30 percent, and eliminated use of lead;
- Bath Iron Works reduced hazardous and non-hazardous waste 12 percent and 6 percent, respectively, reduced paper use 49 percent and reduced energy use by nearly 5 percent.

Since the beginning of the program in 2000 New England members have:

- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions of 103,864 “Metric Tons CO2 Equivalent” or the equivalent of the emissions of over 19,000 cars for one year.
- Reduced facility energy use of 268,602 “millions of Btus” or the equivalent of over 2900 homes for one year.
- Reduced materials use of 1,776 tons (1,461 tons non-hazardous and 315 tons hazardous)
- Reduced water use of 1.1 billion gallons
- Reduced waste generated by 61,089 tons (59,413 tons non-hazardous; 1,676 tons hazardous)
- Reduced discharges to water of 3,619 tons
- Protected 4,100 acres of habitat

Nationwide, Performance Track members have saved enough energy to power 46,000 homes for one year, enough greenhouse gases to offset the emissions of 57,000 cars for one year, and conserved or restored more than 16,000 acres of land and habitat.

More information:Performance Track members (https://www.epa.gov/performancetrack/events/renewing_facilities_aug08.htm)