Performance Track Awardees, 2005

Durango-McKinley Paper Company
Prewitt, NM
The Durango-McKinley Paper Company in Prewitt, New Mexico, produces paperboard for corrugated boxes. As a charter Performance Track member, Durango-McKinley committed to reducing its use of materials, water, and electricity and to reducing the amount of solid waste sent to landfill. The facility made improvements in all of these environmental areas through a variety of pollution prevention-oriented activities, e.g., operator training, preventative maintenance, maximizing the efficiency of process equipment, and working closely with suppliers. Durango-McKinley exceeded its materials use reduction goal by 1,000 tons and showed a 20 percent improvement in materials efficiency during its first three years of membership. This member reduced its water use by two million gallons per year and its landfill waste by over 3,200 tons. Finally, the facility reduced its annual electricity use by almost 5,000 MwH and showed an 11 percent improvement in electricity efficiency. Durango-McKinley has further demonstrated its dedication to continual improvement by renewing its Performance Track membership and committing to further reductions in energy, material, and water use.

Ideal Jacobs Corporation
Maplewood, NJ
Ideal Jacobs is a small custom label printer serving the telecommunications industry. Ideal Jacobs committed to reducing its solid waste and hazardous materials use. Ideal Jacobs was able to reduce its solid waste to a mere six percent of its 2001 levels in part by directly linking waste amounts to employees’ salaries and responsibilities. Employees now have incentive to identify and prevent wasteful procedures. This facility also more than cut in half the hazardous materials used in its sheet-fed silkscreen operations by substituting toxic products with citrus-based cleaners.

Rohm and Haas – La Mirada Plant
La Mirada, CA
Rohm and Haas’ plant in La Mirada, California, produces acrylic and vinyl emulsion polymers. Rohm and Haas committed to reducing its energy use, water use, hazardous solid waste, and NOx emissions. Even though the facility has fewer than 100 employees and increased its production since 2001 by a third, it has shown tremendous progress towards all four Performance Track goals over its first two years of membership. In two years, the facility decreased its annual energy use by nearly 10,000 MMBtus through planned equipment shutdowns, less energy-intensive regulation of water temperature, and optimized steam usage. In both 2002 and 2003, the La Mirada plant showed annual improvements in water use efficiency of seven and eight percent, respectively, by redesigning processes and equipment. This Rohm and Haas facility reduced its annual hazardous waste stream by more than 10 tons by installing a new “drum stinger” to more effectively withdraw liquid materials from drums, and nearly halved its annual NOx emissions by optimizing boiler operations.

3M Nevada
Nevada, MO
The 3M facility in Nevada, Missouri, produces a wide array of products, including decorative and specialty films, for the global graphics industry. Through Six Sigma process improvements, 3M Nevada is showing impressive progress towards its goals to reduce energy use, solid waste, VOC and toxic emissions to air. In its two years of membership in the Performance Track program, 3M Nevada has reduced its energy use by nearly 50,000 MMBtus through such improvements as optimization of thermal oxidizers and air handling units, reduction of burner flame-out on processing ovens, and waste heat recovery. It has improved its rate of solid waste generation through yield improvement and other projects. And, through projects to reduce solvent use, restructure products, and improve capture efficiencies, the facility reduced its VOC and toxic emissions by 57 percent.

3M Corporation
St. Paul, MN
3M is the recipient of Performance Track’s first award for outreach at the corporate level. With the company’s encouragement, formal discussions revolving around Performance Track at 3M Performance Track facilities (14 total) have become routine. When a new 3M facility joins Performance Track, the facility holds an event within six months to celebrate its membership and promote Performance Track.

Each 3M member facility regularly highlights progress achieved on environmental goals made under Performance Track. Updates are included in internal newsletters at 3M Performance Track plants and are distributed to employees and 3M domestic plant management teams. A corporate intranet web page is also used for corporate-wide discussions related to 3M’s Performance Track participation. Most external 3M publications and presentations include information about Performance Track.

Quarterly networking meetings are held among 3M Performance Track facilities where new program-related topics, regulatory and administrative incentives, and public outreach and reporting requirements are discussed. When a 3M facility applies to Performance Track, staff members at other 3M facilities make themselves available to assist with application preparation and review. Most outreach and recruiting events for Performance Track are done in tandem with sister facilities. As a result, five new 3M facilities submitted applications to Performance Track in 2004, five current 3M members submitted applications for renewal, and more than 30 companies
received mentoring assistance for Performance Track membership by a 3M facility.

A sampling of forums in which Performance Track was prominently featured by 3M includes several Minnesota Environmental Initiative meetings, the Emissions Marketing Association’s fall meeting, and other events held at local plants. 3M also has worked on flexible networking permits in states tied to its Performance Track membership.

International Paper
Franklin, VA
International Paper (IP) has 14 U.S. facilities in Performance Track. On a daily basis at the Franklin Mill facility, approximately 2,100 tons of a variety of bleached virgin and recycled content paper is produced that is then used in copiers, lasers and inkjet printers, greeting cards, and cosmetic cartons. The facility’s efforts to increase Performance Track membership are constant and widespread via meetings, conferences, and local and state publications. Throughout 2004, information about Performance Track was provided to numerous organizations, including, but not limited to, the Virginia Paper Council, the Environment Virginia Conference, the Franklin Chamber of Commerce Trade Fair, Franklin Mill’s sister facilities, and local environmental fairs. Area school children also benefited from a number of environmental education programs sponsored by IP, Franklin Mill.

To help promote the program, all outgoing environmental correspondence from the Franklin Mill facility contains the Performance Track logo. Customer connection teams routinely use the facility’s Performance Track membership status as a selling point for IP products. Each day, the Performance Track flag flies high above the mill’s entrance as a constant reminder of the excellence associated with Performance Track and IP, Franklin Mill’s commitment to continuous environmental improvement.

Motorola GTSS Ocotillo
Chandler, AZ
Motorola’s GTSS Ocotillo facility performs research and development for the communications industry. At every opportunity, this facility promotes Performance Track and celebrates its membership status. For example, an interactive kiosk in the lobby entrance, and environmental health and safety (EH&S) bulletin boards throughout the facility contain information about Performance Track. Electronic employee calendars at Motorola GTSS bear the official Performance Track logo, while global email from the facility makes periodic mention of Performance Track.

Additionally, members of the Arizona Environmental Strategic Alliance were formally introduced to Performance Track at meetings hosted by the Motorola GTSS Ocotillo facility. The Alliance is composed of a powerful group of businesses and utility companies within the state, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and other environmental leaders.

Performance Track took center stage during Motorola’s corporate EH&S Americas conference and its annual Earth Day celebration, which included a large audience of vendors and business leaders from surrounding municipalities. In the spring, Motorola GTSS Ocotillo hosted a successful regional Performance Track recruitment workshop where representatives of numerous businesses, organizations, and municipalities in the greater Phoenix community gathered to hear the Performance Track story and were encouraged to come aboard.

Pfizer, Inc.
Terre Haute, IN
Pharmaceutical products are manufactured and packaged at Pfizer, Inc., Terre Haute, where considerable attention is paid to Performance Track. Each site employee receives an annual presentation about Performance Track, including the latest updates on the facility’s progress toward its beyond compliance goals. Additionally, Pfizer Global Manufacturing environmental health and safety (EHS) directors, along with leaders of Pfizer North America and Puerto Rico manufacturing and distribution centers, routinely receive Performance Track updates.

Corporate staff members at the Terre Haute facility are continuously encouraged to promote Performance Track with other Pfizer groups outside of the manufacturing section.
During 2004, the Terre Haute facility provided several of its Pfizer sister facilities with application assistance for Performance Track membership. The facility inserts hardhat stickers bearing the Performance Track logo with each letter from the facility, as a reminder of its Performance Track membership.

In the local community, the facility has provided Performance Track presentations to elementary, middle and high school teachers, especially those involved in the sciences. Numerous contractors, community leaders, college professors, the local Audubon Society, and the Greater Terre Haute Area Chamber of Commerce have learned about Performance Track from Pfizer, Terre Haute. The facility also proudly displays the Performance Track flag at its entrance.

3M ESPE Dental Products
Irvine, CA
3M ESPE Dental Products (3M ESPE), a division of the 3M corporation and a charter member of Performance Track, manufactures products used by dentists and dental laboratories worldwide. A facility-wide celebration provided 3M ESPE a golden opportunity to highlight Performance Track to its employees, and invite others to follow its lead. This celebration was held in honor of meeting and exceeding Performance Track goals set in 2000, and to celebrate membership renewal for three more years. At subsequent events hosted by 3M ESPE, other 3M Performance Track facilities were challenged to host application workshops and membership renewal events, while the audiences—which included representatives of the California Voluntary Protection Program, managers and environmental leaders from local businesses, municipalities, and local and state regulators— were also challenged to seek membership and become Performance Track champions. 3M ESPE Dental Products has successfully guided others through the Performance Track application process and created valuable networking opportunities for other members.