SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) recently celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Arizona Performance Track and recognized seven members of the program.
Both Arizona Performance Track and the National Environmental Performance Track programs reward facilities that set three-year or beyond compliance goals for continuous environmental improvement, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts and engage their communities on environmental concerns. Only facilities with a record of sustained compliance with environmental requirements are eligible to participate in this program.
Mormon Lake Lodge (a Forever Resorts property), in its first year of membership with Arizona Performance Track, has reduced energy consumption by 3 percent, equivalent to nearly 15 tons of CO2 emissions, through employee training and the installation of energy-efficient lighting and equipment.
Demonstrating Environmental Leadership
“These companies are achieving tangible environmental results that go beyond existing requirements,” said Wayne Nastri, the EPA’s administrator for the Pacific Southwest Region. “Our Memorandum of Agreement signals a high level of cooperation in administering the state and federal Performance Track programs in encouraging and showing the value of environmental leadership.”
“The Performance Track program helps recognize and incentivize businesses and others who do the right thing and go above and beyond the minimum requirements of our environmental laws and regulations,” said Steve Owens, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality director. “It also enables us to focus our limited resources on those other entities that need attention to comply with the law.”
Since the 2000 launch of EPA’s Performance Track program, membership has grown to 547 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico. Members have set more than 4,000 goals to benefit the environment. As a result, Performance Track members have reduced energy use by 4.2 trillion BTUs, saved 3.7 billion gallons of water, cut VOC air emissions by more than 3,000 tons, reduced hazardous waste by more than 50,000 tons and conserved nearly 17,000 acres of land, while helping to protect the local and natural environments.
Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim is also a member of the Arizona Performance Track and the EPA National Environmental Performance Track programs. For information on the National Environmental Performance Track program visit: www.epa.gov/region09/performancetrack/, and for Arizona Performance Track visit www.azdeq.gov/function/about/track.html. Forever Resorts has 35 properties nationwide participating in the EPA National Environmental Performance Track Program.
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