NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded an ISO 14001 environmental management system certification from ABS Quality Evaluations (ABS QE), a third-party auditor of quality and environmental systems. The award was presented to the company's Newport News sector for their achievements in environmental excellence.
"Achieving this certification requires employees to take personal responsibility for pollution prevention, and not just because it's required by law, but because it's the right thing to do," said Tom Schievelbein, president of Northrop Grumman Newport News. "It really defines who we are and distinguishes us from the rest of the industry."
"Newport News is not only the best in class for quality," said Bob Gilman, president of ABS QE. "They are also the best in class for helping to improve the environment in which we live."
ISO, or International Organization for Standardization, is a non-governmental developer of world standards for business, government and society. ISO 14000 is a family of standards that are primarily focused on environmental management. The ISO 14001 is a certification of an environmental management system, which requires an organization to manage, measure, improve and communicate its environmental program in a more systematic way. Only those companies with excellent environmental programs qualify for this worldwide recognized certification.
Northrop Grumman Newport News is the largest industrial employer in the United States to receive this certification from ABS QE and is the only shipyard in the United States to have three distinctive certifications; the ISO 14001 environmental management certification, the ISO 9001 quality management certification and the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program certification.
One of the primary requirements for certification is to have a comprehensive list of environmental aspects associated with shipyard operations and identify those that can cause the most significant impacts to the environment. Northrop Grumman Newport News set several targets for the 2003-2004 timeframe to reduce environmental risks and reduce hazardous waste. The key commitments of the shipyard's environmental policy include stopping pollution, obeying environmental rules, improving performance and reducing waste. Specific goals included reducing the amount of paint waste and eliminating the storage of excess materials.
Northrop Grumman Newport News, headquartered in Newport News, Va., is the nation's sole designer, builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two companies capable of designing and building nuclear powered submarines. Newport News also provides after-market services for a wide array of naval and commercial vessels. The Newport News sector employs about 18,000 people.
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