New England Postal Facilities Help Boost EPA Performance Track Program Beyond 500-Member Mark

Six additional United States Postal Service facilities in New England are joining more than 500 facilities nationwide that have made voluntary commitments to exceptional environmental practices under EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track program.

Performance Track members come from a wide range of sectors, such as automotive, paper, food processing, pharmaceuticals and government agencies. The new USPS members join 56 other New England facilities which are already Performance Track partners.

“EPA applauds the Postal Service - and all of our Performance Track partners - who are going above and beyond environmental requirements to produce real, measurable results,“ said Robert Varney, regional administrator for EPA’s New England office. ”By committing to conservation today, these leading companies are helping shape a healthier, more prosperous tomorrow.”

The Northeast Region of the USPS has long had two charter members of Performance Track, located in Hartford, Conn. USPS now has the third largest population of Performance Track facilities of any multi-facility organization. The new USPS facilities in New England include; Central Square Post Office, Cambridge, Mass.; Bulk Mail Center and Processing and Distribution Center, Springfield, Mass.; Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Waterbury, Conn.; Processing and Distribution Facility, Portsmouth, N.H., Southern Connecticut Processing and Distribution Center, Wallingford, Conn.; and Vehicle Maintenance Facility, Manchester, N.H.

Performance Track recognizes facilities that have a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and consistently report results.

Since the 2000 launch of this facility-based program, Performance Track membership has grown to 538 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have set more than 3,500 goals to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas. Through goals that have been set since the inception of the program, Performance Track members have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, reductions in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and reductions of hazardous waste of 52,000 tons.