MEDIA
ADVISORY: October 15, 2001
DEP’s Air Division
Recognizes Industry’s Environmental Stewardship
--Partnership for Ecosystem Protection (PEP)--
TALLAHASSEE - The Department of
Environmental Protection’s Division of Air Resource Management announced
today that it recognized three industry facilities for their exemplary
performance in environmental stewardship as partners in the Partnership for
Ecosystem Protection (PEP) Program. Representatives of the winning
facilities were presented distinctive awards during a ceremony held at the
Double Tree Hotel in Cocoa Beach on October 3, during the Division’s
statewide Annual Air Meeting. The awards recognized pollution prevention
realized during calendar year 2000.
The City of Tallahassee was awarded
First Place for voluntarily accepting a
facility-wide emissions cap for the Sam O. Purdum generating Station which
led to the early retirement of two steam generating units and to a
significant reduction of pollution, as well as for several other innovative
pollution prevention initiatives like their corn hydroelectric dam, solid
waste recycling program, natural gas vehicles, co-sponsorship of electric
vehicle recharging area, solar power heating panel, and an adopt-a-tree
program. Second Place was awarded to Florida
Power and Light Company’s Fort Myers Plant for its repowering efforts
which resulted in a significant reduction of pollution.
Third
Place was awarded to Vought Aircraft Industries, formerly Northrop
Grumman, for implementing an employee training program that emphasized the
importance of reusing materials and using less solvents and paints which
realized significant reductions of both hazardous waste and emissions of
volatile organic compounds.
PEP is an incentives-based
recognition program developed by the Division to enhance the department's
ability to encourage, promote and reward facilities in Florida through
appropriate recognition of their commitment toward pollution prevention and
environmental stewardship. Companies that become PEP partners must be in
compliance with all air, water, and waste regulations, have a good
environmental compliance history and implement pollution prevention
activities above and beyond regulatory requirements. Currently, the program
includes fourteen facility partnerships, among which are the City of
Tallahassee, Florida Power and Light Company, Vought Aircraft Industries,
Beers Construction, Motorola, City of Gainesville, CSR Rinker, Gulf Power,
Arizona Chemical, and Wiltshire Cleaners.
For more information on PEP, its
current members, and these awards, please visit
our website.
###
