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National Information
Additional Resources
Environmental Management System and Pollution Prevention Resources
Performance Track recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond their legal requirements. Members set typically four public, measurable goals to improve the quality of our nation's air, water, and land. Members include major corporations, small businesses, and public facilities that are steering a course toward environmental excellence. Applications are accepted twice a year: April 1 - May 31, and September 1 - October 31.
This page provides region-specific information about the program. To learn more about the national program, including how to apply, use the links on the right side of the page.
On this page:
- Golf Club Manufacturer Drives a Hole-in-One for Environmental Excellence
- Diesel Challenge Goal
- Message from our Regional Administrator: Cooperative Approach
- State Environmental Leadership Programs:
- Press releases
Contact Information
Region 9 Performance Track Members View the full list of members in Region 9
- Challenge Goals Available in Region 9
- Contacts:
- Tom Kelly (kelly.thomasp@epa.gov)
Regional Performance Track Coordinator
(415) 972-3856 - André Villaseñor (villasenor.andre@epa.gov)
Southern California Performance Track Coordinator
(213) 244-1813
- Tom Kelly (kelly.thomasp@epa.gov)
Golf Club Manufacturer Drives a Hole-in-One for Environmental Excellence
Eight years old and more than 500 members strong, the US EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program is a public-private partnership that recognizes and drives environmental excellence. Performance Track encourages public and private facilities with strong environmental records to continuously improve their environmental performance beyond regulatory requirements while working collaboratively within their communities.
One such member is Phoenix-based PING. PING, located on a 40-acre site, is a family-owned company founded in 1959 that manufactures and assembles golf clubs and golf-related products.
PING, part of the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, has made impressive environmental progress during its three-year membership in Performance Track The facility has slashed energy use, found water-based alternatives for mineral spirits, reduced emissions of particulate matter (an air pollutant) and cut paper use.
- PING has made energy efficiency a priority by slashing energy consumption 19% or 17,000 mmBTU (25% normalized -- when adjusted for increased production of golf clubs over the last three years) and reduced its carbon footprint by 11% or 1,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (18% normalized). PING accomplished this with new process equipment, like cycling compressed air dryers. Cycling air dryers operate only when compressed air is needed, instead of continuously operating like older dryers. The facility has also implemented the Five S program, a method of organizing and managing work to improve efficiency by eliminating waste and optimizing operations. PING has set an aggressive goal to further reduce energy use by an additional 15% over the next three years.
- PING cut its use of mineral spirits, a hazardous material and air pollutant, 44% (34% normalized) by installing a water-based parts washer. PING aims to further reduce its use of mineral spirits by an additional 52% over the next three years.
- PING reduced its emissions of particulate matter into the air by 70% or 43 pounds (60% normalized). The facility implemented a variety of technologies in order to exceed its goal, including upgraded dust collection filters and air pollution control equipment as well as improving operational efficiencies.
- PING decreased paper use by 18% or more than 8,000 pounds (25% normalized). To achieve this reduction, PING has asked employees to print documents on both sides of a page, and increase their use of electronic media instead of paper. PING is negotiating with a supplier to purchase paper with 30% post-consumer content, in bulk with little packaging.
“PING is an excellent example of how business can prosper and reduce its risks by finding safe solutions that go beyond regulatory requirements. I congratulate PING for its environmental leadership and innovation,” said Wayne Nastri, Administrator of EPA Region 9.
PING’s Director of Environmental and Quality Systems, Rob Barnett, emphasized, “Through our Performance Track membership and environmental management system, PING has been able to enhance environmental quality while strengthening our economic bottom line.”
To earn membership, Performance Track applicants must demonstrate and commit to maintaining a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and publicly report results.
As a result of facilities like PING striving to improve their environmental performance, Performance Track members nation-wide have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, cuts in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and abatement of hazardous waste by 52,000 tons.
To learn about the benefits of Performance Track and how to apply, go to Apply for Membership.
Diesel Challenge Goal
EPA Region 9 has rolled out its new Diesel Challenge Commitment under the National Environmental Performance Track program. The diesel challenge is now available in EPA Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Pacific Islands)
| Diesel Challenge Goal | % Reduction Required |
|---|---|
Supplier’s Environmental Performance, NOx or PM 2.5, Specific to Contract Diesel Fleets |
15% (normalized) |
Air Emissions, NOx or PM 2.5, either facility-wide or fleet emissions |
15% (normalized) |
For the category of Supplier’s Environmental Performance, the facility that uses contract diesel fleet carriers traveling at least 100,000 miles per year for that facility is challenged to reduce the associated NOx or PM 2.5 by 15% after adjusting its environmental performance measurements to account for increases or decreases in production or facility activity over time.
A facility can also make this challenge commitment by choosing Air Emissions as a category and either NOx or PM 2.5 as the indicator in the Performance Track application. In order to receive credit for the challenge commitment, the facility must commit to reducing the selected emissions facility-wide by at least 15 percent.
Alternatively, a facility that owns a fleet of at least five diesel vehicles may receive credit for a challenge commitment by reducing fleet NOx or PM 2.5 emissions, provided fleet emissions represent a significant portion of facility-wide NOx or PM 2.5 emissions.
Challenge commitments address regional or national environmental priorities. Because of their important environmental benefits, challenge commitments count as two commitments. In other words, a facility that makes a challenge commitment can choose to make only three commitments instead of four. However, a small facility that makes a challenge commitment would still have to make two commitments.
Cooperative Approach Nets Great Environmental Results
Companies in Performance Track Program Voluntarily Implement Cleanup and Conservation Programs, by Wayne Nastri
Keys to effectively safeguarding public health – to achieving cleaner air and water – are common sense and local involvement.
There is, of course, no substitute for tough enforcement of our nation’s environmental laws and regulations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with state and local governments go after polluters daily with stiff fines and with long jail sentences.
But there are additional incentives at the government’s disposal – incentives that are designed to encourage even better environmental behavior from companies. Programs that provide creative incentives for cleaner air and water are now achieving environmental gains beyond those required by law.
One such initiative, the National Environmental Performance Track program, has just been selected for an "Oscar" of government prizes. Performance Track was named as one of 50 top programs in the country by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The recognition was for uniqueness, effectiveness, significance and potential for replication.
In an area like environmental protection where sticks are generally wielded to ensure compliance with our nation’s environmental laws, Performance Track provides something that otherwise would be missing – the great carrot. In a nutshell, Performance Track is a group of facilities which EPA has approved for special recognition of their environmental commitment.
In the Pacific Southwest, companies such as Coca-Cola, BioSense Webster, Inc., DuPont, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and many others within our region have earned Performance Track recognition.
Companies trying to participate in the Performance Track program are carefully screened by EPA before acceptance into the program. Just to qualify, facilities must employ a comprehensive environmental management system to oversee their activities. They must commit to greater improvements in their environmental performance. And they must provide information to the local community. They also must undergo a thorough screening by EPA, states and the Department of Justice to assure a strong history of compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Some larger manufacturing facilities face literally thousands of compliance checkpoints on a regular basis. Experience has shown that no matter how diligent the facility, and how comprehensive its management systems, violations do occasionally occur. The program’s screening criteria apply a common-sense approach that takes this reality into account.
Many who apply do not make the cut. Thus far, 140 applicants have not been accepted into the program; 49 members have been removed because they did not qualify or meet their membership obligations.
Why do companies even try for membership in the program? The greatest reward for these companies really is recognition for being a good environmental neighbor in their local communities. EPA and states also are developing additional, specific benefits that will reduce some of the routine transaction costs of regulation and allow these facilities to focus more on environmental results. At the same time, members are expected to provide more information on their overall environmental performance and management to EPA, states, and the public.
And the results for this voluntary program have been eye-popping: Since the program’s inception, members reduced total water use by 1.9 billion gallons and waste generation by more than 550,000 tons. They increased their use of recycled materials by nearly 120,000 tons. In 2004 alone, they reduced water use by more than half a billion gallons, set aside more than 1,000 acres for land conservation, and reduced air-pollution emissions by more than 3,000 tons. Those results would not have occurred using an enforcement approach alone.
Results like these, however, only tell part of the story. Performance Track encourages facilities in your town or state to take pride in helping to solve local problems. If the work of environmental protection is to achieve real results, it must be effective at the community level. And if changes are to be made, nine out of 10 times those changes must be made inside the gates of the very companies that have the greatest potential for creating pollution if mismanaged. Only by improving the level of environmental protection at the source – at a plant or facility in your community – is progress possible that will provide real results for real people.
We anticipate that if the trend holds in the future – as it has since Performance Track began – we will continue to see environmental improvements throughout America that surpass the goals set in law, yielding gains that directly benefit citizens. Performance Track and programs like it will never replace the need for strict laws and tough enforcement. But as long as programs like Performance Track continue to protect public health and preserve natural resources, EPA will continue to provide such common-sense, extra carrots to those that deserve them.
Wayne Nastri is the Administrator of the EPA's Pacific Southwest Region.