Covanta Wallingford Receives OSHA VPP Star Award for Workplace Safety and Health Excellence

Friday, October 31st 2008

Covanta Energy, a world leader in the development and operation of large scale Energy-from-Waste and other renewable energy projects, today announced its Wallingford, CT facility was awarded the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs “VPP STAR” designation for workplace safety and health excellence.

The “VPP STAR” recognition is the highest honor given to facilities demonstrating outstanding health and safety practices. In awarding this elite status, OSHA gives strong consideration to the level of employee involvement in on-site health and safety program development and to long term management commitment and support.

“Driven by our employees, the facility has implemented on-site safety activities and procedures that have generated outstanding results,” said Seth Myones, President of Covanta Americas. “This commitment is reflective of our company’s and workforce’s overall dedication to operational excellence. Through open communication and dialogue on workplace health and safety with our employees, Covanta has become one of the leading companies in the country earning such distinctions.”

Covanta Wallingford joins three other Covanta operated-facilities in Connecticut which have received this honor, Covanta Bristol, Covanta Mid-Conn., Inc., and Covanta SECONN, and is only the 19th worksite in the state to receive this prestigious recognition. To date, Covanta Energy has 28 facilities that have achieved the prestigious OSHA VPP designation.

“The star designation represents the joint commitment and follow-through of Covanta and the 35 employees at the Wallingford plant to systematically evaluate, identify and eliminate potential hazards before they affect employees,” said Marthe Kent, OSHA’s regional administrator.

Covanta Wallingford operates the Energy-from-Waste facility for the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA) and serves the towns of Cheshire, Hamden, Meriden, North Haven, and Wallingford. The facility processes 420 tons per day of solid waste, generating 11 megawatts of clean, renewable energy that is sold to Connecticut Light and Power Company.

About Covanta

Covanta Energy is a subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation, an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects and a recipient of the Energy Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Covanta’s 38 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using that municipal solid waste to generate clean, renewable energy. Annually, Covanta’s modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert approximately 16 million tons of waste into more than 8 million megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity and create 10 billion pounds of steam that are sold to a variety of industries. For more information, visit www.covantaholding.com.

Leave a Reply