Wednesday,  October 7, 2009, 9:00am

The North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Initiative will be conducting a 2 year long Pilot Program for non-DENR regulated organizations beginning in January 2010.

Participants in this Pilot Program will be expected to make a commitment to continuous environmental improvement and report annually on progress made towards at least two measureable goals. Pilot Program members will also be required to participate in at least 75% of ESI training opportunities. An environmental management system (EMS) is not required to join the Pilot Program, but an ESI Stewardship Plan is encouraged. Membership in this Pilot Program will be open to individual facility sites only; applications covering multiple sites will not be allowed.

Note - Facilities that have only storm water permits, active RCRA Identification numbers, or are subject to landfill bans and other local ordinances are considered non-DENR regulated for the purposes of this program.

The ESI will be conducting a web presentation about the Pilot Program to prospective members on October 7, 2009 at 9:00 am. If you are interested in attending please sign up HERE and registration information will be sent to you when it becomes available.

Why join the ESI?

Technical Assistance: Do you have wastes that you want to reduce, reuse or recycle but don't know what to do? Do you want to find ways to reduce your energy or water costs? One of the benefits of ESI membership is that you have access to the technical assistance offered by the Department of Pollution Prevention. Members can have DPPEA staff come to their business and conduct water, waste or energy assessments at no cost. We help you find ways to green your business and reduce your environmental footprint.

Assistance on Annual Reporting: Worried that having to report annually will be too much for you? ESI staff will provide assistance in completing your annual report.

Networking: The Environmental Stewardship Initiative holds an annual members meeting where you can hear presentations from other ESI facilities and network with organizations that share your interest in green business.

 
Monthly Newsletter: Every month the ESI distributes "e-News". It is a great way to share member profiles, accomplishments and case studies with the ESI membership.

Mentoring: Many of our members have the skills and abilities to mentor a business that may not know where to start or what to do to become green. In fact, mentoring is a requirement at the Steward level of the ESI and our Stewards enjoy sharing their expertise and experiences with other members, either one on one or through the Steward webinars hosted by DPPEA.

Still not sure? Here is what some of our members have to say:

"By being an Environmental Steward, we have been tasked with setting an example for other entities in the state. While this seems daunting, it has compelled us to do even more than we thought feasible. Through enhanced collaboration with DENR officials and other Stewards, we have exceeded our expectations in all areas: compliance, conservation, and economy." - Danny Miller, Fleet Readiness Center East

" It has given us an opportunity to be part of something larger than just our industry arena. It proves that we aren’t in this by ourselves and we are part of an excellent team, working together to improve the environment, be good stewards and shapers of our future." - Ray Price, Smithfield Packing Co.

"Provides a great forum for exchange of ideas, from recycling opportunities that one person can implement to full scale large project opportunities."  –Jennifer Adams, Corning

"ESI helped my company establish the need for aggressive environmental targets and as a result we now have high level environmental goals endorsed by the company president. With the current global environmental situation this activity is a must for every company in order to ensure preservation of the environment and natural resources." - Ana Davis, Kao Specialties Americas

"The ESI group has opened up networking with other businesses that I never would have made." - Greg Lathrop, Engineered Sintered Components

"By participating in ESI, this Hexion site has been more aggressive in setting goals and achieving the goals. ESI provided a vehicle for measuring our accomplishments due to the annual reporting." - Jarl Renn, Hexion Specialty Chemicals

"Annual meetings allows benchmarking with other organizations to gain ideas for implementing energy, water, and waste reduction opportunities, specifically sustainable energy and energy efficiency. " - Jack Martindale, Baxter Healthcare Corporation

 "Recognizing that as an ESI member we have publicly made commitments that we should meet, all employees are paying additional attention to the execution of their environmental duties at the plant level. This added attention to the environmental program should lead to an improved environmental performance." - Sam Calouche, Firestone Fibers and Textiles

 
For more information about the ESI you may visit our website www.p2pays.org/esi or contact an ESI team member at esi@ncdenr.gov for more information about the pilot program.

 
*Applying to the Pilot Program does not guarantee acceptance. Pilot Partner applications will be evaluated by ESI staff for acceptance into the program. Staff decisions will be based on criteria such as commitment, goals, and industry sector of the applicant.

The deadline to apply to the Pilot Program is October 31, 2009.