[ADEQ Media] EPA and ADEQ honor Arizona's environmental business leaders

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

EPA and ADEQ honor Arizona's environmental business leaders

ADEQ initiates state-wide Performance Track program

PHOENIX - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) today celebrated the signing
of a Memorandum of Agreement on Arizona Performance Track and recognized
seven members of the program. 

Both Arizona Performance Track and the National Environmental
Performance Track programs reward facilities that set three-year beyond
compliance goals for continuous environmental improvement, have internal
systems in place to manage their environmental impacts and engage their
communities on environmental concerns.  Only facilities with a record of
sustained compliance with environmental requirements are eligible to
participate in this program.

The tangible results from Arizona Performance Track's charter members
include the following:
*	Ping Inc. reduced its energy use by 24% percent from its 2004
baseline, the equivalent of 5,000 metric tons of CO2, over its 3-year
term of membership.  Ping also cut their annual use of mineral spirits,
a smog-forming compound, by 44 percent, 700 pounds.  
*	Intel Ocotillo avoided 4000 pounds of excess Volatile Organic
Compound emissions that would have otherwise been expected with its
increasing production.  The facility also saved 244 million gallons of
water by improving an already highly efficient water management system.

*	The City of Scottsdale has conserved 615 acres of habitat,
during its current term of membership and 3485 acres in their prior
term.  Past efforts by Scottsdale bring their total conservation to more
than 14,416 acres to the McDowell-Sonoran Preserve.  Scottsdale has also
recharged more than 4 billion gallons of water to its underground
aquifer since 2004.  
*	Xanterra South Rim, LLC reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by
6 percent, the equivalent of 855 metric tons of CO2, and cut water use
by 2.7 million gallons, on a per visitor basis.  The focus on water
conservation has continued from its first term of membership, when
Xanterra reduced 14 million gallons per year from its 2002 baseline. 
Three new Arizona Performance Track members have not yet reported data
to ADEQ but have a proven track record through participation in EPA's
program:   
*	Freescale Chandler reduced their use of several acidic and
corrosive hazardous chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, hydrofluoric
acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonium
hydroxide.  The use of these compounds has been reduced by 84 tons or
nearly 40 percent.   
*	Freescale Tempe has reduced their generation of solid waste by
153 tons, or 17 percent, and has also increased their diversion of waste
from landfills by placing 70 new recycling centers at their facility. 
*	Mormon Lake Lodge, in their first year of membership, has
reduced energy by 3 percent, equivalent to nearly 15 tons of CO2
emissions, through employee training and the installation of energy
efficient lighting and equipment.

"These companies are achieving tangible environmental results that go
beyond existing requirements," said Wayne Nastri, the EPA's
administrator for the Pacific Southwest Region. "Our Memorandum of
Agreement signals a high level of cooperation in administering the state
and federal Performance Track programs in encouraging and showing the
value of environmental leadership."

"The Performance Track program helps recognize and incentivize
businesses and others who do the right and go above and beyond the
minimum requirements of our environmental laws and regulations," said
Steve Owens, Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality Director.
"It also enables us to focus our limited resources on those other
entities that need attention to comply with the law."

Since the 2000 launch of EPA's Performance Track program, membership has
grown to 547 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico.  Members have set
more than 4,000 goals to benefit the environment. As a result,
Performance Track members have reduced energy use by 4.2 trillion BTUs,
saved 3.7 billion gallons of water, cut VOC air emissions by more than
3,000 tons, reduced hazardous waste by more than 50,000 tons and
conserved nearly 17,000 acres of land, while helping to protect the
local and natural environments.  Today's Memorandum of Agreement was the
14th to be signed by EPA and state environmental regulatory agencies.  

For information on the National Environmental Performance Track program
visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/performancetrack/, and for Arizona
Performance Track visit http://www.azdeq.gov/function/about/track.html.

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