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EPA and ADEQ honor Arizona’s environmental business leaders / ADEQ initiates state-wide Performance Track program

Release Date: 12/11/2008
Contact Information: EPA: Margot Perez-Sullivan, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov, 415.990.1176 ADEQ: Thomas Marcinko, DEQ Director (602) 771-4142, Marcinko.Thomas@azdeq.gov

(12/11/08) PHOENIX – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) today celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Arizona Performance Track and recognized seven members of the program.

Both Arizona Performance Track and the National Environmental Performance Track programs reward facilities that set three-year beyond compliance goals for continuous environmental improvement, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts and engage their communities on environmental concerns. Only facilities with a record of sustained compliance with environmental requirements are eligible to participate in this program.

The tangible results from Arizona Performance Track’s charter members include the following:

* Ping Inc. reduced its energy use by 24% percent from its 2004 baseline, the equivalent of 5,000 metric tons of CO2, over its 3-year term of membership. Ping also cut their annual use of mineral spirits, a smog-forming compound, by 44 percent, 700 pounds. Feature Story on Ping Inc.: https://www.epa.gov/region09/performancetrack/#golf
* Intel Ocotillo avoided 4000 pounds of excess Volatile Organic Compound emissions that would have otherwise been expected with its increasing production. The facility also saved 244 million gallons of water by improving an already highly efficient water management system.
* The City of Scottsdale has conserved 615 acres of habitat, during its current term of membership and 3485 acres in their prior term. Past efforts by Scottsdale bring their total conservation to more than 14,416 acres to the McDowell-Sonoran Preserve. Scottsdale has also recharged more than 4 billion gallons of water to its underground aquifer since 2004.
* Xanterra South Rim, LLC reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent, the equivalent of 855 metric tons of CO2, and cut water use by 2.7 million gallons, on a per visitor basis. The focus on water conservation has continued from its first term of membership, when Xanterra reduced 14 million gallons per year from its 2002 baseline.

Three new Arizona Performance Track members have not yet reported data to ADEQ but have a proven track record through participation in EPA’s program:

* Freescale Chandler reduced their use of several acidic and corrosive hazardous chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonium hydroxide. The use of these compounds has been reduced by 84 tons or nearly 40 percent.
* Freescale Tempe has reduced their generation of solid waste by 153 tons, or 17 percent, and has also increased their diversion of waste from landfills by placing 70 new recycling centers at their facility.
* Mormon Lake Lodge, in their first year of membership, has reduced energy by 3 percent, equivalent to nearly 15 tons of CO2 emissions, through employee training and the installation of energy efficient lighting and equipment.

“These companies are achieving tangible environmental results that go beyond existing requirements,” said Wayne Nastri, the EPA’s administrator for the Pacific Southwest Region. “Our Memorandum of Agreement signals a high level of cooperation in administering the state and federal Performance Track programs in encouraging and showing the value of environmental leadership.”

“The Performance Track program helps recognize and incentivize businesses and others who do the right and go above and beyond the minimum requirements of our environmental laws and regulations,” said Steve Owens, Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. “It also enables us to focus our limited resources on those other entities that need attention to comply with the law.”

Since the 2000 launch of EPA’s Performance Track program, membership has grown to 547 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico. Members have set more than 4,000 goals to benefit the environment. As a result, Performance Track members have reduced energy use by 4.2 trillion BTUs, saved 3.7 billion gallons of water, cut VOC air emissions by more than 3,000 tons, reduced hazardous waste by more than 50,000 tons and conserved nearly 17,000 acres of land, while helping to protect the local and natural environments. Today’s Memorandum of Agreement was the 14th to be signed by EPA and state environmental regulatory agencies.

For information on the National Environmental Performance Track program visit: https://www.epa.gov/region09/performancetrack/, and for Arizona Performance Track visit http://www.azdeq.gov/function/about/track.html.
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