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New Hampshire Paper Mill Makes Positive Environmental Commitments

Release Date: 03/09/2007
Contact Information: Dave Deegan (617) 918-1017

(Boston - March 9, 2007) - A paper mill in Bennington, New Hampshire is continuing to make significant commitments to a cleaner environment by reducing energy use and hazardous waste generation in its paper production.

Monadnock Paper Mills Inc. has joined EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track -- a partnership program recognizing facilities that set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements. Performance Track members must have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, and publicly report results.

Monadnock Paper Mills specifically monitors actions that may affect the environment, to ensure that they are understood, planned, controlled and checked. They have committed to reducing water use by 5 percent, reducing energy use by 1 percent, reducing non-hazardous waste by 13 percent and reducing lead-containing hazardous waste by 45 percent between 2006 and 2009. Additionally, they have been the winner of 2006 Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention, reduced hazardous waste landfill by 82 percent and reduced energy use by 4 percent between 2003 and 2005.

Monadnock Paper Mills Inc. joins four other new Performance Track members making positive commitments in New England. Overall, there are 46 companies that have made Performance Track part of how they do business in New England.

“EPA applauds the significant commitments made by these New England businesses to a cleaner and healthier environment,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Because these facilities have strong environmental records and are willing to publicly commit to continuously improve their environmental performance, they are making a real difference.”

Since the 2000 inception of this facility-based rather than company-based program, Performance Track membership has grown to 470 members in 46 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have made 1,500 commitments to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas. To date, Performance Track members have collectively reduced their water use by 3.5 billion gallons, reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 88,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and conserved more than 14,000 acres of land while helping to protect their local and national environment.

Forty-seven of the new members have committed to reduce their waste generation over the next three years; 37 facilities plan to reduce energy use; 25 facilities pledge to reduce their water use; and 17 facilities have committed to reduce their air emissions. Sixteen have committed to focus on EPA-defined regional and national environmental priorities.


More Information:

EPA’s Environmental Performance Track program in New England:
(epa.gov/ne/ems/performtrack.html)

New Performance Track members:
(epa.gov/performancetrack/round13PTFacilities.htm)