Kenworth’s Renton Plant Selected for Environmental Project
Nov 19, 2009 12:34 PM
Kenworth Truck Co.’s award-winning Renton, WA, manufacturing facility is set to become an example of energy management in a manufacturing setting.
The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) are jointly working on a program to develop an international energy management standard for manufacturing plants. The groups have chosen Kenworth’s facility, winner of the EPA’s Clean Air Excellence award and the 2009 Green Washington manufacturing award from Seattle Business magazine, as one of five facilities in the Northwest to participate.
“Kenworth is honored to be selected to participate in this prestigious Northwest Energy Management Demonstration Project co-sponsored by the DOE and NEAA,” said Marilyn Santangelo, Kenworth assistant gm for operations. “Kenworth’s Renton plant is committed to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources through effective management of energy used to support the manufacturing process.”
The plant holds ISO 14001:2004 certification for effective environmental management systems and has earned a 2009 Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction Award from King County’s Solid Waste Division and a King County Industrial Waste Program Commitment-to-Compliance Award for five consecutive years of outstanding compliance with the plant’s industrial wastewater discharge permit.
“Our environmental efforts are of special importance, and this project offers a significant avenue to contribute to the development of enhanced best practices in manufacturing energy efficiency,” added Reid Nabarrete, Kenworth-Renton plant manager.
Participating companies will be among the first in the U.S. that may become certified under the pending American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited plant certification, which includes conforming to ANSI’s Management System for Energy standard. This standard will serve as U.S. input for an even more far-reaching international energy management standard known as ISO 50001, which is expected to be released by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2011.
More information about the project is available at www.NWEMDemo.org.
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