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EPA Presents Performance Track Awards for Environmental Achievements Above and Beyond Legal Requirements

Release Date: 05/21/2008
Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(Washington, D.C. - May 21, 2008) EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson today announced 2008 awards to a limited number of National Environmental Performance Track members for exceptional achievements in reducing their facility environmental footprints, reaching out to local communities, working with state agencies, and demonstrating environmental stewardship at the corporate level.

Performance Track -- EPA's most comprehensive environmental leadership program – recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond their legal requirements.

"Our Performance Track leaders are helping change the way businesses view their responsibility to protect our shared environment," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "These companies are meeting this challenge by proving that doing what's good for our environment is also good for business."

Since the program's inception in June 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to more than 500 facilities in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and members have made more than 3,500 commitments to the environment. Through their combined environmental efforts, Performance Track member facilities have reported cumulative reductions in water use of 5.2 billion gallons, greenhouse gas reductions of 309,780 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, increases in use of recycled materials in production by 559,991 tons, and conservation of 16,809 acres of habitat. Many of the members' achievements address issues that are vital to the health of our planet but not covered by current regulations.

To recognize these top leaders in the Performance Track program, Administrator Johnson is presenting the awards tonight in Baltimore.

EPA is designating Xerox Corp., Webster, N.Y., the 2008 Performance Track Corporate Leader for its exceptional corporate-wide commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement, and for its substantial involvement in Performance Track. All five of Xerox's U.S. manufacturing facilities are members of Performance Track. Xerox joins the ranks of other Performance Track Corporate Leaders - Baxter Healthcare Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Rockwell Collins, and Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Environmental performance awards are being presented to TDK Components USA Inc., Peachtree, Ga.; Rohm and Haas, Kankakee, Ill.; Lafarge Aggregates SE, Douglassville, Ga.; and the Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst, N.J. EPA made its selection based on members' progress toward achieving environmental performance goals and the breadth and challenge of these goals.

The winners for extraordinary efforts in outreach are the Management and Engineering Services, LLC, Longmont, Colo.; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Palmdale, Calif.; Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC., Wilson, N.C.; and Hewlett Packard, Corvallis, Ore. Outreach award winners make a special effort to inform the public on what it means to be a Performance Track member through presentations, promotional materials, and employee awareness.

Two state agencies—the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Environmental Services, and the State of South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Waste Management Division—are receiving special recognition for supporting Performance Track and its members. The state of Louisiana expedited issuance of air and water permits for Marathon Oil based on the company's exemplary environmental performance and Performance Track membership. In South Dakota, the state agency collaborated with Ellsworth Air Force Base to provide regulatory benefits that enable the facility to pursue an ambitious set of environmental goals.

Besides giving out awards, Administrator Johnson will also officially welcome 97 new facilities that have joined Performance Track since May 2007.

The awards dinner is being held in conjunction with the fifth annual National Environmental Partnership Summit, an interdisciplinary gathering of environmental professionals and assistance providers from diverse sectors all over the country and world. It was created five years ago with the merger of the annual meetings of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the Compliance Assistance Providers' Forum and the Performance Track Participants' Association.

More about the 2008 awardees: epa.gov/performancetrack/benefits/2008awardees.htm

More about Performance Track: epa.gov/performancetrack/

More about the National Summit: http://www.environmentalsummit.org/