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Performance Track Members are Selected in the U.S. EPA's Pacific Southwest Region; 37 Companies Join the Program Nationwide

Release Date: 3/20/2003
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, (415) 947-4297

    SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has accepted 37 new partners as part of the National Environmental Performance Track Program, including companies in Arizona and California.

     New Performance Track Members in the Pacific Southwest are Baxter Healthcare's Irvine, Calif. facility; the NASA Ames Research Center in Sunnyvale, Calif; and Motorola's Research and Development Facility in Chandler, Ariz.

    The program is a voluntary partnership with public and private entities that go beyond compliance with environmental regulations and commit to continual environmental improvement over the next three years. Facilities recognized in this program consistently meet their legal requirements, implement environmental management systems, voluntarily achieve environmental improvements beyond compliance and report on progress.

     "Recognizing environmental leaders is important, and these companies have made a substantial commitment to environmental leadership, partnership and stewardship," said the U.S. EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Wayne Nastri. "I know that over the next three years the commitment these companies have made to Performance Track will have measurable  benefits for the environment."

     Launched in June 2000, Performance Track has quickly grown and now has a total of 304 members. Current Performance Track companies have 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.

     Individual facilities commit to specific environmental improvements. Examples of this include a 64 percent reduction in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 2005; a 50 percent reduction in water use that will save 20 million gallons per year; and recycling and reduced energy consumption commitments.

For more information about Performance Track, visit: www.epa.gov/performancetrack/