ComEd Receives Recognition for Its Environmental Management System

10/02/2009 - language: English - posted by telematics  

http://uk.sys-con.com/node/829661

CHICAGO, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd today announced it has received ISO 14001 certification of its Environmental Management System (EMS), an important validation of ComEd's commitment to the environment and its key role in helping Illinois become a national leader in environmental stewardship.

"We are very proud of our ISO 14001 certification, which is recognized as the 'gold standard' for environmental stewardship," said

Terry Donnelly , senior vice president, Transmission & Distribution. "ComEd's leadership and our employees are committed to implementing green operations, managing environmental risk and continuous improvement."

ComEd is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States to receive ISO 14001 certification. Recognizing the need to take action on the growing threat of climate change, ComEd's comprehensive environmental strategy emphasizes greenhouse gas reductions through its green fleet, internal energy efficiency improvements, insulating gas leak reductions, prairie restoration and recycling, as well as a host of energy efficiency programs for its customers.

In 2008, ComEd achieved several key environmental accomplishments, such as reducing the amount of SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride, an insulating gas used in circuit breakers) released through an aggressive SF6 management plan. ComEd also increased the amount of office paper recycled by 5 percent to 1.9 million pounds. Overall, ComEd reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30,000 tons of CO2, better than the 2008 goal. This is equivalent to taking approximately 5,000 cars per year off the road.

The ISO 14001 EMS standard establishes 18 elements required for an EMS to be certified. Receiving this certification confirmed that ComEd's EMS has each of these elements. A few examples of these elements include environmental policy and management commitment, emergency preparedness and response, and monitoring and measurement.

"Obtaining ISO 14001 certification continues to demonstrate ComEd's commitment in 'going green,'" said

Christian Lupo , general manager of NSF International Strategic Registrations. "We have been working with Exelon for over three years, and we are honored to award certification to another Exelon company for their environmental responsibility."

Through its numerous environmental initiatives, ComEd supports Exelon 2020, a comprehensive strategy announced in July 2008 by Exelon, ComEd's parent company, to reduce, offset or displace more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emitted by its family of companies and customers.

Commonwealth

Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a global non-governmental organization that promotes international standards for business, government and society. ISO 14001 certification assesses an organization's EMS based on a set of requirements including environmental policy, management commitment, monitoring, documentation, operational control, and emergency preparedness and response, among many other factors.

ISO 14001:2004 is an internationally recognized standard designed to continually improve environmental performance. It provides guidance on how to manage the environmental aspects of an organization's activities, products and services more efficiently, while taking into consideration environmental protection, pollution prevention, and socio-economic needs.

SOURCE ComEd

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