The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week added 37 facilities to its National Environmental Performance Track program, including the Coca-Cola North American Lehigh Valley Plant in Allentown.

The 37 new Performance Track facilities have made strong commitments to the environment in a wide range of categories. For example, 23 new members have committed to reducing their energy use over the next three years. Other members have plans to reduce water use and hazardous waste generation.

The National Environmental Performance Track program recognizes facilities that work with their communities, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance and have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts.

Since the program's inception in June 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to more than 400 members in 46 states and Puerto Rico and those members have made more than 1,500 commitments to the environment.

To date, Performance Track members have collectively reduced their water use by 1.9 billion gallons, conserved nearly 9,000 acres of land and increased their use of recycled materials by nearly 120,000 tons.

In 2004, Performance Track members collectively reduced their water use by more than half a billion gallons, reduced their hazardous waste generation by 800 tons, and reduced their use of nonrenewable transportation fuels by more than 43,000 gallons.

Visit the National Environmental Performance Track program webpage for more information.

4/28/2006