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EPA Performance Track Program Passes 500-Member Mark

Release Date: 02/22/2008
Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - Feb. 22, 2008) Facilities from Nestle, Frito-Lay, and Toyota are among the 42 new members committing to go above and beyond environmental requirements as members of EPA's National Environmental Performance Track Program. The latest members bring the total number of environmental leaders in Performance Track to 538 with members in 49 states and Puerto Rico.

"EPA applauds our Performance Track partners who are going above and beyond environmental requirements and producing real, measurable results," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By committing to conservation today, these leading companies are helping shape a healthier, more prosperous tomorrow."

Performance Track members come from a wide range of sectors, such as automotive, paper, food processing, pharmaceuticals and government agencies. This latest membership round, the 15^th to date, includes first-time applications from Goldschmidt (McDonald, Pa.), a manufacturer of tin chemicals; Standard Aero (San Antonio, Texas), a gas turbine engine repair and maintenance company; and two Pull-A-Part facilities (Conley, Ga. and Norcross, Ga.), a do-it-yourself autoparts retailer. Coca Cola, the U.S. Postal Service, Baxter Health Care, Covanta, and Toyota were among 13 organizations already represented in Performance Track that added facilities to the program. Individual facilities apply for membership in Performance Track. Companies may have multiple facilities in the program.

Performance Track recognizes facilities that have a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and consistently report results.

Performance Track facilities must meet all environmental regulatory requirements and typically set four goals for environmental improvement (facilities with less than 50 full-time employees set two goals). For example, TABC, a Toyota facility and new Performance Track member, located in Long Beach, Calif., aims to reduce its generation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) air emissions by 19.5 percent through zero-VOC alternatives.

Since the 2000 launch of this facility-based program, Performance Track membership has grown to 538 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have set more than 3,500 goals to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas. Through goals that have been set since the inception of the program, Performance Track members have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, reductions in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and reductions of hazardous waste of 52,000 tons.

More about the new Performance Track members: epa.gov/performancetrack/round15PTFacilities.htm

More about the National Environmental Performance Track program: epa.gov/performancetrack/

Watch a video or podcast on Performance Track: epa.gov/newsroom/greenscene/#econ