Bethlehem Steel Corporation
1995 Environmental Progress Report

Moving Beyond Compliance: Next Steps

Total Quality Environmental Management - Product Stewardship

Environmental Awareness Training

Total Quality Environmental Management

Our Sparrows Point Division, for example, has begun a management endeavor known as TQEM (Total Quality Environmental Management). The goal of TQEM is to manage for environmental performance rather than to manage simply by measuring emissions. Each steelmaking process will be analyzed to determine its impact on the environment so that the facility can allocate the true cost of environmental management to the process for business planning purposes. Material disposal costs also are being determined to develop the true cost of using the materials, and not just its purchase price.

Besides implementing TQEM at Sparrows Point, we are establishing environmental management systems at all business units, referring to ISO 14001 (from the International Organization for Standardization) for guidance. This guidance prescribes a comprehensive environmental management "system" that focuses on the process of managing environmental activities rather than on compliance objectives. The belief is that focusing on the management system will produce better and more comprehensive environmental performance than will focusing on compliance objectives alone. The environmental management systems concept will be implemented at several facilities in the next few years.

Product Stewardship up arrow image

Working with our key customers and suppliers, we will continue to assess the environmental impact of steel production from a total life cycle standpoint, for example, from mining of raw materials to recycling of end products so that steel will become the environmental material of choice.

Bethlehem Steel also is participating in a worldwide life cycle inventory with 39 other steel plant members of the International Iron and Steel Institute. This study will develop a worldwide database to illustrate the sustainable nature and potential environmental impacts of raw materials used to produce steel products. Data will be submitted to the International Iron and Steel Institute on several steel products at Sparrows Point.

Environmental Awareness Training up arrow image

Phase I of Bethlehem's environmental awareness training program was begun in 1995 with four-hour presentations to management and union leadership and will be completed during the first half of 1996. Phase II of the training for the remainder of employees is under development and is expected to begin in late 1996 and continue through 1997.

While we believe that Bethlehem Steel's environmental performance is good and that it continues to improve, we still face environmental challenges.

Safety, Health and Environment Department
1170 Eighth Avenue, Martin Tower; 12th Floor, Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
For further information about this report, send mail to [email protected]

Environmental Report Table of Contents


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�1999, Bethlehem Steel Corporation