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Facilities in Madawaska and South Portland, Maine Join EPA's National Performance Track: Deadline for New Applications October 31

Release Date: 09/04/2003
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1014

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation facility in South Portland. Maine and the Nexfor Fraser Papers facility in Madawaska, Maine have joined EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program.

Performance Track is a voluntary partnership program that recognizes and encourages top environmental performers that go beyond compliance with environmental regulations and commit to continuous environmental improvement. The program, which is implemented on a facility by facility basis, now has more than 300 members, including 34 in New England.

"We welcome Fairchild and Nexfor Fraser Paper as the newest Performance Track facilities in New England," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office. "Performance Track members are showing how a environmental excellence can also improve the bottom line."

"By partnering with the regulated community, we can achieve environmental progress that goes beyond that which would be achieved through regulation and enforcement alone," added Varney. "I encourage other New England facilities to learn more about Performance Track and to consider applying during the current application period, which runs through October 31."

Fairchild Semiconductor produces building block semiconductors for multiple end markets. Fairchild products are designed into a wide variety of electronic systems serving the computing, internet hardware, telecommunications, consumer, industrial and automotive markets. Fairchild was one of the first four companies to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in its Smart Production STEP UP Program, which is designed to explore new ways of protecting the environment that go beyond compliance. Fairchild received the 2002 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for its Reduction of Toxic Chemicals Released to the environment. Between 2000 and 2002, the facility reduced its water usage from 195 million gallons to 125 million gallons annually, and reduced hazardous materials use from 3.6 million pounds to 2.7 million pounds annually. Fairchild has committed to reduce hazardous waste generation from 1.1 million pounds in 2002 to 492,000 pounds in 2005, as well as to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases, discharge of total suspended solids to water, and its emissions of air toxics.

Nexfor Fraser Paper produces lightweight specialized papers. Between 2000 and 2002, the facility reduced its water usage from 5.1 million gallons to 3.7 million gallons annually and has committed to further reducing its water usage to 2.9 million gallons annually by 2005, and reduced its total energy use from 5.7 billion BTU to 5.6 billion BTU, and has committed to further reducing its energy use to 5.4 billion BTU by 2005. It has also committed to reducing the total solid waste it sends to landfill, and the total suspended solids it discharges to the river.

To qualify for Performance Track, facilities must consistently meet their legal requirements, have implemented environmental management systems to monitor and improve performance, have voluntarily achieved environmental improvements beyond compliance and publicly commit to specific environmental improvements and report on progress. With their membership in Performance Track, members receive a range of incentives such as public recognition and low inspection priority to motivate further improvements. Both privately-owned and public facilities are eligible.

Nationwide, Performance Track facilities 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.

More information is available on EPA's Performance Track website: https://www.epa.gov/performancetrack. Interested facilities may also contact EPA New England's Performance Track Coordinator, Martha Curran, at (617) 918-1802 or [email protected]. Facilities interested in joining Performance Track in the next round must apply by October 31, 2003.

The New England members of Performance Track are:

In Connecticut:
Clairol, Inc., Stamford, CT; Heating Oil Partners/DDLC Fuels, Danielson, CT; Heating Oil Partners/DDLC Energy, New London, CT; Timken U.S. Corporation, Watertown, CT; Unilever Home and Personal Care, Clinton, CT; United States Postal Service - Hartford Processing and Distribution Center, Hartford, CT; United States Postal Service - Hartford Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Hartford, CT; Valley Oil, Willimantic, CT

In Maine:
Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, South Portland, ME; Interface Fabrics Group, Guilford Facility, Guilford, ME; International Paper - Androscoggin Mill, Jay, ME; International Paper - Bucksport Mill, Bucksport, ME; Nexfor Fraser Paper, Inc., Madawaska, ME; United States Postal Service - Portland Processing and Distribution Center, Portland, ME

In Massachusetts:
:DePuy Orthopaedics, New Bedford, MA; DePuy Orthopaedics, Raynham, MA; Gillette Andover Manufacturing Center, Andover, MA; Oil Express, East Falmouth, MA; PerkinElmer Optoelectronics, Salem, MA; Precix, Inc., New Bedford, MA; Shipley Company, Marlborough, MA; Skanska USA Building Inc., New England Division, Boston, MA; Snap-On Tools, Natick, MA; Teradyne (Building 1), North Reading, MA; Texas Instruments-Sensors & Controls, Attleboro, MA; The Topflite Golf Company, Chicopee, MA; USGen New England (multiple hydro facilities in MA); U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, ASCC, MA

In New Hampshire:
BAE Systems - Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc.,( several locations in NH); Heidelberg Web Systems, Dover, NH; Henkel Loctite, Seabrook, NH; New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Peterborough, NH; USGen New England (multiple hydro facilities in NH)

In Rhode Island:
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Newport, RI

In Vermont:
IBM Corporation, Essex Junction, VT; USGen New England (multiple hydro facilities in VT)