Steelmaking and the Environment

High temperature chemical reactions and physical changes occur during smelting, refining and other processing steps which generate solid and gaseous emissions, contaminate process water and produce waste materials.

The challenge faced by today's steel industry is to make and process steel without adversely impacting the environment.

Bethlehem Steel's Commitment

Policy

Bethlehem Steel is committed to conducting its business safely and in an ethically, socially, and environmentally responsible manner that will protect human health, natural resources, and the environment in which we live. In doing so, we will comply with all environmental laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of our business and strive for continual improvement in our environmental performance. This commitment goes beyond compliance with the law and encompasses the integration of sound environmental practices into our daily business decisions and activities, consistent with our vision to be the premier steel company and our corporate objectives of increasing stockholder value and being a good corporate citizen. We have been, and will continue, pursuing a course of environmental stewardship.

We are committed to being a part of the global movement toward sustainable development. We will continue to assess the environmental impact of steel over its total life cycle, from the mining of raw materials to the recycling of end products, and will continue to search for ways to decrease steel's environmental footprint to ensure that steel becomes the environmental material of choice. We will balance our economic, social, and environmental goals and responsibilities in order to profitably achieve growth in our company that is sustainable.

Policy Objectives

• Maintain effective environmental management systems at all operations to improve our environmental performance and to help minimize safety, health and environmental impacts on our employees and our plant communities by using safe technologies and operating practices, and by being prepared for emergencies
• Manufacture products that have minimum environmental impacts, are safe in their intended use, and can be recycled or reused safely, and support our customers relative to the environment aspects of our products as well as their environmental programs
• Set environmental goals, measure progress, take corrective action when necessary, and communicate results and other environmental information regarding the company's operations and its environmental accomplishments to employees, customers, stockholders, suppliers, government and the public
• Investigate and evaluate new and innovative technologies and practices as appropriate, establish and implement an effective pollution prevention program, minimize the generation of wastes, recycle in-plant materials otherwise destined to become waste, and dispose of any remaining wastes in an environmentally responsible manner
• Ensure the responsible use of energy throughout our business, including the adoption of innovative practices and procedures that will conserve energy and improve energy efficiency
• Provide regular operation-specific environmental performance reviews and assessments, and develop plans to address actual or potential noncompliance situations
• Work with all levels of government to develop and implement comprehensive environmental programs, including fair, consistent, and scientifically sound laws, rules and regulations
• Meet our obligations consistent with our endorsement of the CERES Principles and the ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development

Responsibility

Compliance with the Corporate Environmental Policy is the responsibility of every Bethlehem Steel employee in accordance with his or her role and responsibilities in the organization.

Environment Home

1995 Environmental Report Table of Contents
1996 Environmental Report Table of Contents
1997/98 Environmental Report Table of Contents
1998/99 Environmental Report Table of Contents
1999/2000 Environmental Report Table of Contents