YTC Salem Plant Joins Top Environmental Category

Yokohama’s Salem facility in the US has reached the highest tier in its home state’s environmental programme. In December the plant was recognised as an Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise (E4) in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP). Among the 450 participants in VEEP, only about thirty have qualified as E4 members – the highest attainable level.

The state of Virginia launched VEEP in July 2005 as a cooperative endeavour with companies and organisations located in the state, with the aim of improving environmental management and fighting pollution. Three categories of membership exist, and the category to which a company is allocated depends upon a company’s level of environmental commitment and performance: Environmental Enterprise (E2), Exemplary Environmental Enterprise (E3), and Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise (E4). Benefits include public recognition for their accomplishments, as well as more tangible incentives such as reduced permitting fees and regulatory flexibility.