Criteria

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The National Environmental Performance Track is open to facilities of all types, sizes, and complexity, public or private, manufacturing or service-oriented.

Performance Track is designed to recognize facilities that have a sustained record of compliance and have implemented high-quality environmental management systems. Performance Track encourages facilities to continuously improve their environmental performance and to work closely with their community and employees.

Once accepted, members remain in the program for three years, as long as they continue to meet the program criteria. After three years they may reapply. Facilities applying to Performance Track must meet the following criteria (note that separate criteria apply to small businesses):

Environmental Management System (EMS)
Applicants must have an EMS in place for at least one completed Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (typically a one-year time frame). An EMS is a set of policies, processes, and practices that enable a facility to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating effiency. A facility must have a comprehensive independent assessment of its EMS prior to acceptance to the program and every three years thereafter.
Sustained Compliance
Performance Track members have a sustained record of compliance with environmental laws. They also commit to maintaining the level of compliance needed to qualify for the program. EPA has developed specific compliance screening criteria to determine eligibility for the Performance Track program.
Continuous Improvement
Applicants must demonstrate past environmental achievements during the current and preceding year. Applicants also commit to four quantitative goals (small businesses commit to two goals) for improving their environmental performance. Goals range from upstream improvements (such as improving environmental performance of suppliers) to on-site improvements (such as reduce emissions or waste from a facility) to downstream improvements (such as reducing a product's packaging or its lifetime energy use). Performance Track members set and make good faith efforts to achieve their goals over the three-year term of participation. Performance Track encourages members to set ambitious "stretch" goals rather than setting goals they will be able to meet comfortably. Members commit to make progress toward their goals, and are normally expected to make progress in three of their four goals.
Public Outreach
Applicants commit to remain involved and active in their community, sharing their accomplishments with the public and addressing any community concerns. They also complete an Annual Performance Report for each year of their membership, describing to EPA and the public their environmental accomplishments during the previous year.

Performance Track offers links to programs that support potential members in completing the application and meeting program criteria with Performance Track Assistance.

The Performance Track Program Guide provides more detail on entry criteria, as do the links below:

Criteria

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