[Federal Register: May 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 95)]
[Notices]
[Page 27922-27924]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17my04-76]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7663-1]
Description of Program Changes for the National Environmental
Performance Track
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency(EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice describes program changes for the National
Environmental Performance Track program (``Performance Track''). These
changes reflect experience gained during the program's first three
years of implementation, and are intended to improve the quality and
effectiveness of the Performance Track program.
ADDRESSES: Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation, U.S. EPA,
Performance Incentives Division, Ariel Rios Building, Mailcode 1808T,
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460. Additional
information may be found at
[[Page 27923]]
the Performance Track Web site at http://www.epa.gov/performancetrack
or at the Performance Track Information Center 1-888-339-PTRK (7875).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Branagan, Office of Policy,
Economics, and Innovation, 202-566-2836 or by e-mail at
branagan.michael@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
II. Program Changes
A. Defining Small Facilities
B. Independent Assessment of the EMS
C. Challenge Commitment Policy
III. Advanced Notice of Additional Changes
Corporate Membership
I. Introduction
On June 26, 2000, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
launched the National Environmental Performance Track program
(``Performance Track''). The program is designed to recognize and
encourage top environmental performers--those who go beyond compliance
with regulatory requirements to attain levels of environmental
performance and management that benefit people, communities, and the
environment. The program design was published in the Federal Register
on July 6, 2000 (65 FR 41655).
While initial design of the Performance Track program was
successful during the first three years of program implementation,
experience has shown that some aspects of the design could be improved
to better meet program goals. These improvements include broadening and
deepening program membership, enhancing the program's value for
creating a standard of achievement for its members, and promoting
innovative performance-based approaches to protecting the environment.
The following section describes these Performance Track program
improvements. The program changes will become effective starting with
those facilities applying to the program during the application period
which began on February 1, 2004.
II. Program Changes
A. Defining Small Facilities
Currently, Performance Track defines a facility as small if the
company, as a whole, is both a small business as defined by the Small
Business Administration (65 FR 30386, May 15, 2000), and the facility
itself employs fewer than fifty full-time employees. Currently the
Small Business Administration defines a small business as having fewer
than 500 employees. Small facilities participate in the Performance
Track program by demonstrating past achievements in one environmental
aspect, rather than the two required by larger facilities, and with two
future performance commitments rather than the four required for larger
facilities.
To promote participation by small facilities, the EPA has changed
the small facility designation to include any facility with fewer than
fifty full-time employees. This provision would encourage small
facilities in larger companies to participate in Performance Track.
This re-definition removes the above Small Business Administration
criterion. The requirement for small facilities to demonstrate past
achievements in one environmental aspect and with two future
performance commitments remains unchanged.
B. Independent Assessment of the EMS
The EPA is adding a criterion that applicants to Performance Track
not certified under ISO 14001 conduct an independent assessment of the
facility's Environmental Management System (EMS) within three years
prior to application.
The EPA believes that an independent assessment will increase the
public'sconfidence in the quality of the EMS, and the Performance Track
membership, without imposing much additional work or expense on
potential applicants.
Independent assessments will not require formal third-party
certification. New Performance Track facilities can select from a
number of options for an independent party assessment of their EMS,
including a pre-acceptance site visit conducted by the EPA, assessment
by a qualified auditor, or a corporate audit, among others.
More details on the independent assessment criteria are available
on the Performance Track Web site at http://www.epa.gov/performancetrack
.
C. Challenge Commitment Policy
The EPA recognizes that environmental priorities vary by region.
For example, water efficiency may be especially important in one
region, while urban air quality may be a top priority in another. The
EPA also recognizes that Performance Track facilities have the
potential to help address local and regional environmental priorities.
In order to challenge Performance Track member facilities to
respond to regional environmental priorities while also addressing
their own significant environmental aspects, renewing Performance Track
members can receive double credit for addressing a regional
environmental priority in their performance commitments. The EPA
Regions will have the discretion to designate ``Challenge Commitments''
that correspond to regional environmental priorities.
In deciding whether to use a ``Challenge Commitment'', the EPA
believes that facilities should focus first on those environmental
aspects that are affected by their individual activities. Performance
Track applicants should then determine whether potential performance
commitments, with related objectives and targets as identified in their
EMS's, also align with EPA Regional environmental priorities.
A renewing Performance Track member making a Challenge Commitment
may, with the agreement of the relevant EPA Regional office, count that
single commitment as two future performance commitments. Thus, such a
facility need only make three future commitments, rather than the
normal four, so long as one of the commitments addresses a regional
priority.
The Challenge commitment option will only be available to larger
facilities, because small facilities already are allowed a reduced
number of commitments.
Challenge commitments will be chosen by the EPA Regional offices in
consultation with state and local governments. Regional offices may
choose not to establish a challenge commitment. When designating a
challenge commitment, a Region will identify no more than one category
(e.g. Air Emissions, Discharges to Water, etc.) and no more than two
environmental aspects (e.g. NOX, SOX, etc.)
within that category. The commitment must have a minimum quantitative
target and will be memorialized in a memorandum to the EPA Headquarters
from the Regional Administrator.
III. Advanced Notice of Additional Changes
Corporate Membership
The EPA will enhance the current Performance Track program by
adding a corporate recognition component for companies that participate
substantially in the facility program and whose performance, practices,
and policies at a corporate level meet criteria associated with
environmental excellence.
The establishment of a corporate designation within Performance
Track will allow the Performance Track program to more effectively
engage corporate leaders and promote the goals of the program, while
giving the EPA an opportunity to encourage and recognize
[[Page 27924]]
corporate leadership. Additionally, corporate membership will allow the
EPA to explore broad and innovative approaches to achieving
environmental benefits stemming from corporate-level decisions, such as
supply chain management and product stewardship.
The criteria for corporate members are expected to include:
participation by a substantial number of their facilities in
Performance Track or similar State programs and commitment to increase
this participation over time. The EPA believes this link between the
corporate and facility programs will encourage stronger corporate-level
commitment to Performance Track and performance excellence. Other
criteria would parallel those that Performance Track currently applies
to facilities, with a greater emphasis on companies working with their
suppliers and customers to achieve environmental improvements.
EPA expects to solicit applications for this program later in 2004.
Dated: April 27, 2004.
Jessica Furey,
Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation.
[FR Doc. 04-11111 Filed 5-14-04; 8:45 am]
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