Bethlehem Steel Corporation
For Immediate Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa., April 19, 2001 - In response to media inquiries concerning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory data for 1999 for Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Sparrows Point, Md., Division, the following information was provided:
Since 1987, Bethlehem Steel has reduced its corporatewide releases by 17.5 million pounds or more than 80 percent, during a timeperiod when the number of reportable chemicals has doubled and the threshold reporting requirements continued to decrease.
At Sparrows Point, releases were 1.170 million pounds in 1999, which is down from the 1.528 million pounds released in 1998 and the 2.069 million pounds released in 1989. Steady and significant progress is being made each year to reduce emissions through improved operating practices and improved maintenance of environmental controls and equipment.
Bethlehem Steel's overall environmental performance has been recognized by the U.S. EPA's ClimateWise and National Performance Review programs for its progress in reducing releases. Bethlehem's ongoing operations reported their best environmental performance ever in 1999 with a 21-percent improvement over the previous year. That performance was recognized by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors and SAM Sustainability Group, both of which rate environmental performance as a measure of a company's investment value.
Bethlehem Steel is also the only steelmaker to endorse the CERES Principles (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies), having done so since 1995. The CERES Principles are a 10-point code of conduct for environmental stewardship and accountability that lead to continuous improvement in environmental performance.
Bethlehem Steel is committed to conducting its business safely and in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible manner to protect human health, natural resources and the environment. In doing so, we will comply with all environmental laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of our business and strive to continuously improve our environmental performance.
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