Energy conservation and environmental stewardship are an integral part of our business strategy. Participation in the Environmental Protection Agency's voluntary Climate Wise program helps Bethlehem find ways to reduce costs while improving environmental performance.

As part of our participation in Climate Wise, we developed an action plan that projects an estimated reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of over 1.2 million tons by the year 2000 and represents a reduction in electric use of more than 400 million kilowatt hours and of non-electric energy of more than 8 billion BTU.

At Burns Harbor, we improved co-generation by increasing the capacity of two generators and a turbo- generator to improve generator efficiency, reducing purchases of coal-based power and creating more internally co-generated power. The coke ovens used new equipment and technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. Improvements in the ratio of scrap to hot metal charged in the BOF also reduced energy consumption.

At Sparrows Point, a more efficient cold rolling mill is being built to replace an older, less efficient facility.

At Bethlehem Lukens Plate-West, the combustion control systems and waste recovery systems on the 160" Plate Mill continuous reheat furnaces were upgraded.

At Pennsylvania Steel Technologies, continuous improvement in electric furnace technologies resulted in improved power use. Also a program was begun to eliminate steam consumption and to convert space heaters to natural gas.

We've also taken a leadership role in emphasizing technology improvements to improve energy efficiency. First, we participated with the Department of Energy (DOE) in an Office of Industrial Technologies' Energy Technology Showcase at Burns Harbor in 1998, which included presentations on cutting-edge technologies that save energy, reduce pollution and raise productivity.

A second example of technology leadership was participation in DOE's National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment and Economics (NICE3) program. This NICE3 demonstration project will test

Bethlehem also has participated in DOE's voluntary Motor Challenge and Steam Challenge Programs, and EPA's voluntary WasteWise Program. We have used resources of the Motor Challenge Program to improve motor performance and are an advisor to the Steam Challenge Program. We prevented more than 163,000 tons of CO2 emissions from escaping to the atmosphere in 1998 with our waste prevention and recycling activities under the WasteWise Program.

Safety, Health and Environment Department
1170 Eighth Avenue, Martin Tower; 12th Floor, Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
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1998/99 Environmental Report Table of Contents