Department Welcomes Fred Weber Into the Missouri Environmental Management Partnership

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recognizes Fred Weber Inc.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, OCT. 10, 2008 — The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has recognized Fred Weber Inc. - North Complex by accepting its facility in Maryland Heights as a partner into the Missouri Environmental Management Partnership.

The Missouri Environmental Management Partnership, or MEMP, is an environmental leadership program of the department. MEMP promotes environmental excellence through voluntary environmental management systems, or EMS, modeled after the international ISO 14001 standard. The ISO 14001 standard requires that a community or organization put in place and implement a series of practices and procedures that, when taken together, result in an environmental management system. The department has designed the innovative program to recognize high-performing facilities.

An EMS is part of an overall management system that directs an organization to analyze, control and reduce the environmental impact of its activities, products and services, and operate with greater efficiency and control.

"Fred Weber -- North Complex established an External Advisory Committee to help determine its impacts on the environment and find ways to reduce those impacts," said Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers. "Their facility has reduced the use of natural gas and diesel fuel by using methane gas and has developed a recycling program for paper and fluorescent bulbs. MEMP is another example of how we can work cooperatively with the facilities the department regulates."

The department's goal for MEMP is to increase the number of facilities taking that extra step to address environmental issues within its business. "Organizations that voluntarily commit to high environmental performance backed up by a strong, systematic and verified management approach are in step with the mission of Department of Natural Resources and should be recognized for their efforts," continued Childers.

The department is coordinating its MEMP efforts with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's version of the environmental leadership program, Performance Track.