Bethlehem Steel Corporation
For Immediate Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa., November 17, 1999 -- The Climate Wise Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Bethlehem Steel Corporation with a Climate Wise Partner Achievement Award for its "significant accomplishments in improving energy efficiency and reducing pollution." The Award was presented during a recent ceremony in San Francisco.
Bethlehem Steel became a member of the Climate Wise Program in 1998, making it the first integrated steel company to join this nationwide effort to reduce energy consumption and improve the environment.
The Award to Bethlehem was one of a dozen made this year to winners throughout the U.S. The companies cited were required to demonstrate excellence in four key areas: Leadership, innovation, action planning, and the measurement of credible results.
In recognizing Bethlehem Steel, Climate Wise Director Pamela Herman Milmoe pointed to the company's action plans ranging from process improvements requiring significant capital investment, to projects requiring active employee participation.
"One particularly innovative practice is (Bethlehem's) intensified energy evaluation process, which utilizes a team of independent engineers and company personnel to identify cost and energy reduction opportunities," the citation read. "In addition, Bethlehem Steel is installing a more efficient cold-rolling mill, upgrading electric furnace technologies, reducing steam consumption, and upgrading its combustion control and waste heat recovery systems.
Bethlehem's actions are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.2 million tons by the year 2000, and achieved reductions in electrical usage of over 400 million kilowatt hours and non-electric energy usage of more than 8 billion btu's.
Bethlehem was credited for using these energy and environmental conservation efforts at five major operating locations -- Burns Harbor (Ind.) Division; Sparrows Point (Md.) Division; Pennsylvania Steel Technologies, Inc., Steelton, Pa.; the Lackawanna (N.Y.) Division, and Bethlehem Lukens Plate at Coatesville, Pa.
