Oct. 26, 2006 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency welcomed 32 additional facilities to its National Environmental Performance Track program.

Spartan Steel Coating of Monroe, Mich., and V&M STAR facilities in Youngstown, Ohio, and Houston, Texas, are three of the 32 newest members of the National Environmental Performance Track program. The program recognizes facilities that work with their communities, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance (beyond regulatory compliance), and have internal systems in place to manage their environmental programs.

Performance Track members come from a wide range of industries, such as paper, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, resorts and government agencies, among others. Fourteen companies already represented in Performance Track added new facilities to the program.

Performance Track facilities must meet all environmental regulatory requirements and make additional commitments to the environment. Since the program's inception in 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to 417 members in 46 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have made 1,500 commitments to benefit the environment.

To date, Performance Track members have collectively reduced their water use by 3.5 billion gallons, reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 88,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and conserved more than 14,000 acres of land while helping to protect their local and national environment.