The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that another manufacturing facility has made the cut for the National Environmental Performance Track Program.
Performance Track is a U.S. EPA partnership that recognizes top environmental performance among participating U.S. facilities of all types, sizes, and complexity, public and private. Program partners are providing leadership in many areas, including some that are not currently regulated, such as energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption.
Baxter Healthcare's Thousand Oaks facility manufactures pharmaceuticals for hemophiliacs, and has committed to reducing both energy use and hazardous waste generation by 5%.
Nationwide, the EPA welcomed 55 new facilities into the Performance Track ranks, totaling nearly 500 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico. Since the 2000 inception of this facility-based program, Performance Track membership has grown to 57 members in the Pacific Southwest and those members have made commitments to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas.
Performance Track members come from a wide range of industries, such as automotive, paper, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and government agencies.
The members typically make four beyond-compliance commitments, two for small facilities, over a three-year period. Performance Track facilities must have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, have strong compliance records, engage in local outreach about their performance and publicly report results.
Applications to Performance Track are currently being accepted, through October 30, and another application period will be open April 1 through May 31. Information on criteria and how to apply is available at the following website: http://www.epa.gov/region09/performancetrack
