ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., April 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- In recognition of Earth Day, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced that its East Coast Manufacturing and Flight Test Center has been accepted into the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) National Environmental Performance Track program. It is one of 16 facilities in the Southeast to be named to the program.
"Northrop Grumman has a corporate commitment to do all that we can to reduce energy consumption and protect our environment," said Rick Matthews, vice president and East Coast production operations functional manager. "As part of Performance Track, we are committed to reducing our energy consumption and waste generation by 10 percent over the next two years. It is vital that we all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint whether at home or at work, and our site goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,100 metric tons within two years."
Officially launched in 2000, the Performance Track program is a public-private partnership that encourages major corporations, small businesses, and public facilities to focus on continuous environmental improvement through environmental management systems, community outreach, and measurable results. Significant measures to help improve the quality of our nation's air and water, as well as a dedication to continuous improvement are among the criteria for membership in Performance Track. Members report annually on progress toward their goals.
"Performance Track's five years show that individual facilities' improvements quickly add up. Members have reduced their water use by 1.9 billion gallons, conserved close to 9,000 acres of land, and have increased their use of recycled materials by 120,000 tons. Performance Track members are proving that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity go hand in hand," said Steve Johnson, EPA Administrator.
"We have been registered to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard for over 10 years now. Performance Track is simply the next step in our evolution to go green and to ensure a clean environment for the next several generations," Matthews added. "Our local site has formalized several initiatives to reduce energy including its 'Lights off for a brighter future' program and the incorporation of smart building technology which targets reducing the amount of electricity consumed at the facility. The team is also working to reduce fuel consumption by reducing its fleet and optimizing its generators."
Performance Track emphasizes new tools and strategies that complement existing programs to protect people and the environment, while reducing costs and spurring technological innovation. The EPA provides exclusive regulatory and administrative benefits to Performance Track members, places them at low priority for routine inspections, and offers public recognition, networking opportunities, and other benefits.
Since the 2000 launch of the program, Performance Track membership has grown to 538 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have set more than 3,500 goals to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas. Through goals that have been set since the inception of the program, Performance Track members have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, reductions in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and reductions of hazardous waste of 52,000 tons.
Investment research and advisory firms are increasingly considering environmental and social performance as an indicator to evaluate and rate companies. EPA officials say this practice can benefit top-performing publicly traded companies, including many Performance Track members, by making them more attractive to investors and increasing their brand recognition.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $32 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.