All News Releases By Date

EPA Selects Two Texas Facilities For Participation in National Environmental Performance Track, Recognizes Top Environmental Performers

Release Date: 2/11/2002
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman today announced the acceptance of 32 new members into the National Environmental Performance Track program, including the 3M Austin Research Boulevard Site in Austin and the Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., Cedar Bayou Plant in Baytown.  

      Launched just 18 months ago, Performance Track now has 280 members who are recognized for their achievements, as well as for a commitment to top environmental management and to continuously improving their environmental performance.  

      "Through Performance Track, EPA recognizes and rewards businesses and public facilities that demonstrate strong environmental performance beyond current requirements," Whitman said.  "While building a collaborative relationship with EPA, Performance Track participants realize environmental results beyond what could be achieved through regulation and enforcement alone.  Their efforts will be of significant help as we look towards our ultimate goal: cleaner air, purer water and better protected land."

      The National Environmental Performance Track was designed by the EPA to recognize and encourage top environmental performers -- those companies and communities that voluntarily go beyond compliance with regulatory requirements to attain levels of environmental performance that benefit the environment, people and communities.

      Building on previous innovation programs with states, businesses, and community and environmental groups, Performance Track emphasizes continuous environmental improvement, effective state/EPA relationships, and the need to inform and involve citizens and communities.

      The 3M Austin Research Boulevard Site is the second 3M site in Texas to participate in the Performance Track program.  The site manufactures products for the telecommunications industry and houses a service center for some of its products.  

      As a member of the Performance Track program, 3M has specifically committed to: reduce the amount of waste generated by improving production efficiency; reduce energy usage by implementing energy saving and energy reduction projects; reduce the potential for accidental releases through an improvement of the administrative controls for chemicals purchasing and inventory, and; reduce solid waste disposal by finding recycling, reusing, or reclaiming outlets for many of the materials that are currently managed as solid waste.

      The Chevron Phillips Chemical Cedar Bayou Plant is an integrated petrochemical facility which manufactures ethylene, propylene, normal alpha olefins, poly alpha olefins, polyethylene, and acetylene black.  It is a member of American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care program and received the Texas Chemical Council's "Excellence in Caring for Texas" award based on its year 2000 performance.  

      As a member of the Performance Track program, Chevron has specifically committed to reducing wastewater discharge of toxics to the biological wastewater treatment system, reducing hazardous solid waste disposal through a process change, reducing the emissions of volatile organic compounds through an equipment upgrade, and reducing the emissions of sulfur dioxide through a procedure change.

      The newest Performance Track members have made environmental commitments to reduce water consumption, reduce emissions of particulate matter, increase recycling and reduce total solid waste.  Members agree to meet these commitments within the next three years.

      The new members add their efforts to the already substantial commitments made by existing members.  So far, over their initial three years of participation, for example, Performance Track facilities are committed to reducing solid waste by 225 million pounds; lowering emissions of greenhouse gases by 26 million pounds; recycling or reusing more than five million pounds of materials; and reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds by 98,000 pounds.

      Performance Track's member facilities represent both small businesses and large companies from the chemical, electronic, automotive, dry cleaning and pharmaceutical industries, among others.  They also include a public facility-NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center.

      More information about Performance Track is available on EPA's web site, https://www.epa.gov/performancetrack/.