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| Local Goodyear plant receives environmental recognition |
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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plant in Union City was the recipient of a Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry award for outstanding environmental accomplishments at the annual Tennessee Chamber Environmental Conference last week.
Goodyear-Union City was presented an award for solid waste management.
“We are honored to receive this special recognition for our environmental efforts,” said plant manager Todd Turner. “With the participation of our team members and assistance from several key vendors, we will continue to make progress in this important part of our business.”
In the latter months of 2006, Goodyear, with corporate headquarters in Akron, Ohio, made a voluntary commitment to take all of its plant facilities to zero trash-to-landfill by the end of 2007.
Through the month of July, the plant has realized approximately 42 percent of that goal. With additional initiatives implemented during August and September, the plant’s team members are working to reach this goal by the end of the fourth quarter.
Initiatives implemented to accomplish this goal are as follows:
• Uncured scrap tires for waste-to-energy.
• Scrap tire components, including the bead, cold gum and cardboard spools to recycling.
• Aluminum cans, plastic bottles, plastic film, cardboard and paper to recycling.
• Waste oil for waste-to-energy recovery.
• Cafeteria trash, formerly land-filled, is now being sent for waste-to-energy recovery.
• Carbon black, an ingredient in rubber compounding, for recycling.
“The Union City Goodyear plant has truly demonstrated by this project their environmental awareness and stewardship and was selected for the solid waste management achievement,” said Wayne Scharber, vice president for environmental affairs for the Tennessee Chamber.
The awards and achievement certificates, presented during the 25th annual Tennessee Chamber Environmental Conference at Montgomery Bell State Park, cited industries for success in the areas of air quality, water quality, solid waste management, hazardous waste management and environmental excellence. Awards are given on the basis of past performance, innovation and compliance beyond legal requirements for companies with less than 250 employees and those with more than 250 employees.
The award was accepted by Mark Kinsey, the plant’s environmental coordinator.
“This award is the first of several milestones for the plant in recognition to go ‘zero trash-to-the-landfill,’” Kinsey said.
“No one person can make this happen. It is a team effort, with the support of our team members and area industries including Barker Brothers Waste Inc. and Advanced Recycling L.L.C.”
The Union City Goodyear plant was nominated for this award by Jim Cooper, executive director of the Obion County Joint Economic Development Council.
“All of the companies receiving recognition have gone the extra mile to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and to make our environment a cleaner and safer place to live,” said Scharber. “They are excellent examples of how Tennessee companies work to preserve the environment.”
The award winners are selected by a panel of state officials who review the nominations submitted and the accomplishments and compliance records for the respective environmental programs.
Viskase Corporation in Loudon, with less than 250 employees, was the winner of the award for air quality. Pull-A-Part, Used Auto Parts of Nashville and Knoxville, with less than 250 employees, was an award winner for solid waste management. Pull-A-Part also received Achievement Certificates for air quality, hazardous management, water quality and environmental excellence. Eaton Inoac Company in Livingston, with less than 250 employees, received Achievement Certificates for air quality, solid waste management and environmental excellence. Eaton was also winner of the hazardous waste management award.
Achievement Certificate winners, with more than 250 employees, for (1) air quality included the Memphis Valero Refinery, Packaging Corporation of America in Counce and BWXT Y-12 in Oak Ridge, (2) hazardous waste management was DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee in Maryville and BWXT Y-12 in Oak Ridge, (3) solid waste management included BWXT Y-12 in Oak Ridge, DTR TN in Tazewell and Nissan North America in Decherd and (4) water quality was Midwestern Gas Transmission — ONEOK Partners of Oklahoma for a gas pipeline project in Middle Tennessee.
Other award winners with more than 250 employees include the following:
• JTEKT Automotive Tennessee-Vonore Co. for solid waste management;
• Peterbilt Motors in Madison for hazardous waste management;
• DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee in Maryville for air quality; and
• BWXT Y-12 L.L.C. of Oak Ridge for environmental excellence.
“Just as the 2007 environmental award recipients are winners, the citizens of Tennessee and our environment are also winners,” said Scharber.
The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the state’s largest broad-based trade association, representing employers and their employees across the state.
Published in The Messenger on 10.08.07 |
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