March 11, 2005—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that 54 facilities from 25 states and Puerto Rico are new members in the National Environmental Performance Track Program. The program rewards facilities that voluntarily exceed regulatory requirements, implement systems for improving environmental management, work with their communities, and set three-year goals for improvements in environmental performance.
The new Performance Track members made strong commitments in a wide range of categories. For example, the Coca-Cola North America Ontario Syrup Plant in Ontario, California, committed to reducing its water use by more than 2.2 million gallons over the next three years; and the Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals in Orange Park, Florida, committed to eliminating its use of the hazardous chemical hexane, preventing almost 264,000 pounds of this contaminant from entering the environment per year.
Eighteen companies with existing Performance Track facilities expanded their membership to comprise new facilities, including 3M, Baker Petrolite, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Bridgestone/Firestone, Forever Resorts, Fuji Hunt, Georgia-Pacific, Hewlett-Packard, Interface Fabrics, International Paper, Johnson and Johnson, Marathon Ashland, Montenay Power Corporation, New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Pfizer Inc., Rockwell Collins, Spartech Corporation, and Teradyne.
The names of the other new members are listed on the Performance Track Web site. Performance Track, which encourages participation by facilities of all sizes, currently numbers over 350 members in 46 states and Puerto Rico. The major industries are represented, as is the public sector.
