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Compliance & Environmental Stewardship
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Region 2 maintains a strong enforcement and compliance program, one that identifies and reduces noncompliance; assists the regulated community in understanding environmental laws and regulations; responds to complaints from the public; strives to secure a level economic playing field for law-abiding companies; deters future violations; and promotes environmental stewardship to achieve its goal. A sustainable environment – one that is in constant balance with economic and quality of life standards, without compromising environmental care and concern – is the ultimate goal of compliance and stewardship.
Compliance
Health Care and University Initiative
There are approximately 500 hospitals in Region 2, all of which perform an invaluable service to the public. They also, however, cause a major environmental and public health concern. Hospitals contribute to the presence of mercury, dioxin, and other persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) in the environment. They also generate considerable hazardous wastes such as chemotherapy and antineoplastic chemicals, solvents, formaldehyde, photographic chemicals, radionuclides and waste anesthetic gases. Medical facilities also exacerbate air pollution problems including smog, climate change, the depletion of the ozone layer and air toxics.
Colleges and universities can have a similar impact on their environment. In many cases, we have found that these institutions are not aware of their responsibilities under various environmental laws. In some cases, this lack of awareness put their staff and students at risk. Many of these facilities are the size of a small town or village with multiple services including power plants, housing, storage tanks, incinerators, laboratories and cleaning facilities.
During the past year, 63 healthcare facilities and 26 colleges and universities voluntarily disclosed and corrected approximately 3,000 violations. In the healthcare sector, more than 20,000 beds, 120,000 staff and approximately 1,000,000 annual patients benefited from these corrective actions. For colleges and universities, more than 60,000 students are now better protected from environmental hazards and more than 120,000 pounds per year of hazardous waste and approximately 1.5 million gallons of oil are being managed properly due to self-disclosure and corrected management measures.
Stewardship
Performance Track
EPA has achieved success through a voluntary national program entitled Performance Track that recognizes and rewards businesses that demonstrate good environmental performance above and beyond requirements. To date, more than 350 companies nationwide have received this level of recognition.
In Region 2, there are 45 Performance Track companies, including Johnson & Johnson, BASF, Pfizer, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Lockheed Martin and Baxter Caribe. More than just a one-time initiative, Performance Track membership is only open to companies that make an ongoing, annual commitment to sound environmental practice.
Across the nation, Performance Track companies have reduced emissions
of greenhouse gases by more than 40,000 tons, the equivalent of planting
more than 11,000 acres of trees. They have reduced solid waste by about
176,000 tons, and have saved enough energy to power more than 30,000 homes
for a year. Regionally, Performance Track members reduced their use of
energy by more than 2.7 metric British Thermal Units, reduced water use
by more than 300 million gallons and lowered the generation of hazardous
wastes by more than nine million pounds.
