BOC's Kittery, Maine air separation plant received the Compressed Gas Association's (CGA) 2000 Environmental Recognition Award for environmental excellence.

The award is the first of its kind given by the CGA. It was established to recognize CGA members who have demonstrated excellence through environmental accomplishments. The new program enables CGA to identify and share good environmental practices and promote environmental awareness within the industry.

"We strongly support the CGA award program," said Jim Merriam, manager, environmental affairs, BOC Gases Americas. "We believe it is in the best interests of our company and the industry to raise the bar of environmental performance. Accordingly, we are very proud of the Kittery plant and the people who work there. They have demonstrated what can be done, and in so doing, challenged all of us to rise to their level. Congratulations Kittery."

To be considered for an environmental award, a nominee (company or location) must demonstrate that its environmental performance goes beyond compliance, results in lasting environmental benefit to the local community, is innovative, participative and cost-effective.

Kittery's environmental accomplishments included reduced water usage, increased energy efficiency, reduced special/hazardous waste generation and increased public outreach.

The program recognizes excellence in five categories. BOC's Kittery plant received the Environmental Leadership award. The plant was the first industrial gas location in the United States to obtain ISO 14001 Certification.

Brian Stankovich, process operations manager at the Kittery facility, said, "Implementing ISO 14001 at our facility in Kittery has changed our mindset on the way we conduct our business with regards to the impact on our environment. New and existing onsite processes are scrutinized to ensure that we are managing them with a high degree of confidence with regards to their effect on our environment."

In addition to ISO 14001 certification, the Kittery site participated in the USEPA Region 1 Star Track Initiative in 1999. As a Star Track participant, Kittery had to have a strong environmental management system, voluntarily include regulatory agencies and other interested parties in its internal environmental compliance and system audits, and produce a publicly-available Internet Environmental Performance report.

The Kittery site successfully completed all of the Star Track requirements and received an Environmental Merit Award from the USEPA in 2000. The site also received the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence from the State of Maine in 1998 and 1999.

The BOC Group (NYSE:BOX), which serves two million customers in more than 50 countries, is one of the largest and most global of the world's leading gases companies. It employs nearly 43,000 people and had annual sales of nearly $5.8 billion in 2000.

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