All News Releases By Date

U.S. EPA Selects 23 New Members for Participation in National Environmental Performance Track Program; Two PGandE Facilities in New Jersey Added

Release Date: 08/27/2002
Contact Information:

(#02083A) NEW YORK, N. Y. -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Todd Whitman today announced the acceptance of 23 new members into the National Environmental Performance Track Program, which includes two PG&E facilities in Swedesboro and Carney’s Point, New Jersey. Launched in June 2000, Performance Track now has 298 members who are recognized for their commitment to sound environmental management and continuous environmental improvement. Performance Track is a voluntary partnership program that recognizes and encourages top environmental performers—public and private entities that voluntarily go beyond compliance with environmental regulations and commit to continuous environmental improvement. With their membership in Performance Track, members receive a range of incentives such as public recognition and low inspection priority to motivate further improvements. All the new members have committed to reducing water use, solid waste, hazardous waste, and energy use over a three-year period. Current Performance Track facilities have already committed to lowering emissions of greenhouse gases by 26 million pounds; reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds by 98,000 pounds; reducing solid waste by 225 million pounds; and recycling or reusing more than five million pounds of materials. “These are companies that have consistently done better than what is required of them by environmental regulations,” said Jane Kenny, EPA Region 2 Administrator. “By voluntarily entering the Performance Track program, they commit to take their environmental performance to the next level, to become environmental leaders in the business world.” The two PG&E National Energy Group facilities based in New Jersey that have been added to Performance Track are the Logan Generating Plant and the Carney’s Point Generating Company. The Logan Generating Plant is a 225 megawatt pulverized coal cogeneration facility located in Swedesboro, New Jersey. Logan was among the first pulverized coal plants in the US to employ selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, with NOx levels among the lowest of any solid fuel plant in the Mid Atlantic region. SO2 emissions are controlled using a spray dryer absorption system which removes 93% of the SO2. Logan also features a zero discharge system, enclosed coal conveyor system and is a cogeneration design.” Logan participates in NJ’s Silver Track Program. Logan is committing to reduce the amount of hazardous materials used to treat wastewater; reduce energy use by increasing the efficiency of its boiler operation; and to restore 11 acres of habitat on Logan’s property. Carney’s Point Generating Plant is a 260 megawatt pulverized coal cogeneration facility located in Carney’s Point, New Jersey. Carney’s Point is one of the cleanest pulverized coal-fueled electric generating facilities in the United States. The plant features selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to control nitrogen oxides emissions, and a dry-scrubbing system dramatically reduces emissions of sulfur dioxide. Carney’s Point participates in the NJ Silver Track Program. Future performance commitments are to reduce the amount of hazardous materials used for the facility’s raw water system and its wastewater treatment operations; reduce energy used in primary air fan operation, and reduce the amount of solid waste disposed by identifying beneficial uses for flyash. There are now a total of 18 Performance Track members in New Jersey. In addition to the two facilities added in today’s announcement, these include: BASF Corporation (Belvidere), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (Lawrenceville), Ideal Jacobs Corporation (Maplewood), Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Co. (Skillman and North Brunswick), Cordis Corporation (Warren), Ethicon, Inc. (Somerville), Johnson & Johnson Headquarters (New Brunswick), Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc. (Piscataway and Bridgewater), Janssen Pharmaceutica (Titusville), Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals (Raritan), Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (Raritan), Lockheed Martin-Naval Electronic & Surveillance Systems-Surface Systems (Moorestown), Naval Air Engineering Station (Lakehurst), and Sordoni Skanska Construction Company (Parsippany). EPA recently proposed a rule, published in the Federal Register on Aug. 13, that would reduce regulatory paperwork for Performance Track facilities. The Agency is proposing these changes in recognition of the high levels of performance these facilities have achieved and their continuing commitment to effective compliance, public outreach and environmental results. The proposed incentives would allow Performance Track facilities to store hazardous waste up to 180 days without obtaining a permit under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or having interim status, and simplify their reporting under the Maximum Available Control Technology provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA). They would also allow reporting modifications for Performance Track facilities that are Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) regulated by the Clean Water Act (CWA). Additionally, EPA is soliciting comments on a potential pilot project that would allow Performance Track facilities to consolidate reporting of data that are routinely submitted under the CAA, CWA, RCRA and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act into a single report. For additional program information, including a complete listing of facilities in Performance Track and program criteria go to https://www.epa.gov/performancetrack.