Vulcan Materials Company, Western Division, has been recognized for voluntarily implementing an environmental management system at its Irwindale, Calif., facility that conforms to the international standard, ISO 14001.
Vulcan received certification for the facility following a series of audits conducted by NSF-International Strategic Registration, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to public health and the environment.
Vulcan’s Irwindale, Calif., facility, which produces both hot mix asphalt and aggregate products, is the first of its kind in California to achieve ISO 14001 certification.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides globally accepted standards for environmental management systems to diverse organizations, challenging them to identify impacts that their products or activities may have on the environment. ISO 14001 is an international standard that provides a framework for developing, implementing and continually improving environmental programs.
“Having the first combined asphalt and aggregates facility in California to be certified as ISO 14001 compliant provides independent confirmation of Vulcan’s commitment to the environment and demonstrates to our customers and our neighbors how we integrate sustainability into our operations,” said Alan Wessel, president of Vulcan’s Western Division. “Environmental protection and conservation is a core business value at Vulcan. We are proud of the management systems framework we established to ensure continuous improvement in our environmental practices.”
ISO is driven by an environmental policy with specific requirements that include pollution prevention, compliance and continuous environmental improvements. Vulcan’s Irwindale team developed a variety of methods to reduce and prevent pollution, including repowering large equipment and giving contractors access to the facility’s power grid, which allows contractors to eliminate the use of outdated equipment thereby reducing diesel and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
“We have found that by identifying our impact on the environment we can systematically reduce pollution and improve our environmental performance,” said Charles St. John, Los Angeles regional environmental manager of Vulcan’s Western Division. “Vulcan and our employees seriously consider the impact of our activities on the environment and the community. We are working to continue to implement environmental management systems that will increase our efficiency while reinforcing these commitments.”
According to St. John, since implementing the environmental programs, employees at the Irwindale Reliance facility have become more aware of how their jobs affect the environment.
“We commend Vulcan for their ISO 14001 registration,” said Christian Lupo, general manager of NSF International Strategic Registration. “ISO 14001 is a comprehensive management system designed to ensure companies meet their environmental obligations and ultimately protect the public. It is our pleasure to certify Vulcan and acknowledge the company’s strong commitment to reducing the impact of their operations on the environment.”
To commemorate this achievement, the company will recognize the employees and the community at a special event at the facility in June.
Vulcan Materials Company is a producer of construction aggregates and a leader in the production of hot-mix asphalt and ready-mixed concrete.
The company’s Western Division was the first construction aggregates manufacturing company to join the California Climate Action Registry and was recently named “Climate Action Leader” by the Registry.
In 2006, Vulcan’s partnership with the Riverside Land Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received California’s highest and most prestigious environmental award — the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
For more information, visit www.vulcanmaterials.com.
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