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Instructions for Region 2’s Challenge Goals

Challenge goals address regional or national environmental priorities. Because of their important environmental benefits, challenge goals count as two goals. In other words, a facility that makes a challenge goal can choose to make only three goals instead of four. However, a small facility that makes a challenge goal would still have to make two goals.

The following challenge goals are available in EPA's Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands).

Challenge Goal % Reduction Required
Energy Use – Transportation or Non-Transportation 10 % (absolute)
Air Emissions - VOCs, NOx, PM 2.5, PM 10, or Air Toxics 10% mobile or
20% stationary (absolute)
Water Discharges 15 % (absolute)
Water Use 15 % (normalized)
Priority Chemicals Use 10 % (absolute)
Habitat 10 acres (absolute)

In order to make a challenge goal, a facility should choose "Yes" for Question 2a of the Performance Track application: Are you proposing this as a challenge goal?

Region 2 is offering additional technical assistance for facilities undertaking a challenge goal. This assistance will include help in quantifying current emissions and choosing and implementing programs for emissions and energy use reductions. Contact Judy-Ann Mitchell at (212) 637-3721.

Air Emissions
Within the Air Emissions category, a facility in Region 2 may choose from the indicators VOCs, NOx, PM2.5, PM10, or Air Toxics. Facilities that select VOCs or Air Toxics should measure and report on all emissions for that indicator, as opposed to selecting a specific VOC(s) or air toxic(s).

The quantities reported in the data table should include emissions from both mobile and stationary sources. However, the facility need not plan on making improvements in both areas, but rather may choose to focus its improvement activities on one area or the other. In order to receive credit for the challenge goal, under Question 1d the facility should specify 1) the quantities of the total emissions from mobile sources and stationary sources and 2) the intended primary activities for achieving emissions reductions. If the primary focus of the emissions reductions will be on mobile sources, the facility should plan on reducing the emissions associated with mobile sources by at least 10% before normalizing. If the primary focus of the goal is on emissions from stationary sources, the facility should plan on reducing its stationary sources by at least 20% before normalizing. So, while the goal amount reported in the table may not reflect the planned 10% or 20% reduction, the facility should provide sufficient information under Question 1d to enable EPA to determine whether the facility meets the challenge goal criteria. In Question 4 the facility must select "Absolute Goal."

Energy Use
Region 2 is offering an energy use challenge goal. To be considered a challenge goal, a facility must commit to reducing energy use by at least 10% from the baseline year (before normalizing). The facility may choose as an indicator either transportation energy use or non-transportation energy use. The facility must select Reduce Total Energy Use and "Absolute Goal" in Question 4 to receive credit for the challenge goal.

Discharges to Water
Region 2 is challenging facilities to address critical issues associated with pollutant loading into their respective watersheds. This challenge has two focal areas: nutrient discharges (phosphorous and nitrogen) and non-point sediment runoff.

Facilities that discharge any form of phosphorous into fresh water are challenged to reduce their total discharges of phosphorous by at least 15% of the baseline figure before normalizing. The “Future” quantity must be at least 15% lower than the "Baseline" quantity. Under Question 4, the facility should select "Absolute Goal."

Facilities that discharge any form of nitrogen into coastal and estuarine water bodies are challenged to reduce their total discharges of nitrogen by at least 15% of the baseline figure before normalizing. The “Future” quantity must be at least 15% lower than the "Baseline" quantity. Under Question 4, the facility should select "Absolute Goal."

The other option is for facilities to reduce sediment from runoff by at least 15% of the baseline figure before normalizing; the “Future” quantity must be at least 15% lower than the "Baseline" quantity. Under Question 4, the facility should select "Absolute Goal."

Water Use
EPA's Office of Water is offering a water use reduction challenge. A facility should select Water Use as the category and Total Water Use as the indicator in the Performance Track application. In order to receive credit for the challenge goal, the facility must commit to reducing its water use by at least 15% after normalizing (i.e., check "Normalized Goal" in Question 4). Thus, the "Future" quantity of water must be at least 15% less than the "Baseline" quantity. EPA's Office of Water is offering some water reduction ideas through their website: http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/index.htm.

Hazardous Materials - Priority Chemicals
EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response is offering a Priority Chemical reduction challenge. A facility may make a challenge goal by committing to at least a 10% decrease (before normalizing) in the use of at least one of the Priority Chemicals listed below, as identified by EPA's Office of Solid Waste. The priority chemical should be essential to the facility's operations. Performance Track will consult with the Office of Solid Waste's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities Program should the significance of the goal be in question.

In order to participate in this challenge goal, a facility must select Materials Use as the category and Hazardous Materials Used as the indicator and answer "yes" to Question 2a. Next, a facility should click on the "Priority Chemicals List" link. A table will appear where a facility should select the chemical(s) to be reduced by checking the appropriate box(es), and then pressing the save button. The selected priority chemicals will appear as the response to the sub-question under Question 2a. In order to receive credit for the challenge goal, the facility must commit to reducing its use of the priority chemical by at least 10% before normalizing (i.e., check "Absolute Goal" in Question 4). Thus, the "Future" quantity must be at least 10% less than the "Baseline" quantity.

Eligible Priority Chemicals*

Organic Chemicals and Chemical Compounds

Metals and Metal Compounds

* Although Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are on EPA's Priority Chemicals list, they are not included in this challenge goal due to prohibitions on their manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce.

EPA's Priority Chemicals list is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/chemlist.htm

Habitat

Under this national challenge goal, facilities are challenged to enhance or restore at least 10 acres of land through a habitat improvement plan. The enhancement or restoration may take place within the facility's fenceline, off-site, or a combination of both, as long as the improvement activities enhance or restore wildlife habitat. This is accomplished by ensuring adequate and appropriate sources of food, water, shelter and space, involving activities such as introducing native plant species, removing exotic and invasive plants or animals, creating riparian buffers, providing nesting habitat, and/or other such projects.

Members setting a National Habitat Challenge goal must also develop a habitat improvement plan and receive written third-party assessment and on-site review of the plan. If the third-party review has been completed prior to selecting the habitat challenge goal, it must have taken place within the three years prior to application. If a plan has not been developed and assessed at time of setting this goal, it must be completed by the time the first annual performance report is submitted. An educational outreach component to this goal is encouraged, but not required.

Please read the National Habitat Challenge goal page for more details.

To set a challenge goal to conducting a restoration or habitat improvement project, an applicant should select Land and Habitat as the category and select Land and Habitat Conservation as the indicator. The difference between the “Baseline” quantity and the “Future” quantity should represent 10 acres or greater. Interested facilities are encouraged to contact their local habitat, watershed or wildlife organization in advance of submitting their application in order to ensure that the project will meet the criteria established by those organizations and the Performance Track Habitat Challenge Goal criteria.

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