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GM Thailand Receives 2005 Prime Minister's Industry Award for Environmental Quality Preservation


May 2005
 Filed under: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATE Car News | GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATE Headlines
2005-05-23 -- Bangkok, Thailand – General Motors Thailand announced today that it has received the 2005 Prime Minister’s Industry Award for Environmental Quality Preservation. The automaker, which manufactures Chevrolet vehicles in Thailand for the domestic market and export, was cited for its world-class environmental policies and ongoing commitment to preserving and restoring the country’s natural environment.
This is the third time that GM Thailand has received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Industry Award, which is presented annually by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to companies that have excelled in six categories. GM Thailand also was the recipient of the award for Quality Management in 2004 and the award for Safety Management in 2001.

GM Thailand was chosen for this year’s award from among nearly 30 domestic and multinational finalists in the Environmental Conservation category. The selection committee – comprised of representatives from the Thai Ministry of Industry, Thailand Environmental Institute and Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand – judged companies based on a comprehensive list of criteria.

The criteria included a company’s environmental targets and achievements, its implementation of clean technologies, its waste management and recycling programs, its use of clean products and raw materials, its environmental awareness and training of employees, and its participation in community events to raise awareness of conservation.

William Botwick, Executive Director of ASEAN Operations, and President and Managing Director of General Motors Thailand and Chevrolet Sales Thailand, said: “GM Thailand is honored to once again be the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Industry Award. GM has an unwavering commitment to environmental management in Thailand, which each of our employees takes great pride in supporting. We have set the standard among automakers in factoring the environment into everything that we as a company do in Thailand.”

Since opening its manufacturing facility in Rayong in 2000, GM has launched no less than 10 major environmental initiatives in Thailand. The programs range from the adoption of world-class clean technologies and waste management systems to environmental education through the company’s monthly “green” newsletter and employee training programs to the creation of emergency preparedness and response plans. (A full list of programs is attached.)

“Our company constantly strives to implement environmental policies that exceed even the strictest regulatory limits while repeatedly assessing the impact of our facilities and products on the environment and community. GM’s goal is to continue raising the bar for environmental protection wherever we do business,” added Botwick.

GM has launched numerous global environmental initiatives in recent years, encouraging environmental consciousness in both its employees’ daily lives and the planning of future products and programs. Its policies include reducing waste by 15 percent, increasing recycling by 15 percent, and reducing energy consumption by 10 percent at all of its global facilities by the end of this year.

The world’s largest automaker also has made an unprecedented, voluntary global commitment to reducing emissions in all of its vehicles in order to increase their environmental friendliness. The company has become a leader in the development of alternative fuel technologies that burn cleaner and have a lesser impact on the environment.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company’s history. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

GENERAL MOTORS THAILAND / GENERAL MOTORS RAYONG PLANT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES

1. Adopt Environmental Performance Criteria and Designs

* Utilize premium designs and environmentally friendly concepts
o Natural gas for boiler and ovens, electricity and liquid petroleum gas as appropriate, non-CFC (non-chlorofluorocarbon) refrigerant for production, etc.
* Stop use of banned chemicals
o Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), carcinogens, radioactive materials, CFC-R11 and R12, etc.

2. GM-EMS (Environment Management System) / ISO 14001

* First launched in 1999 with GM-EMS
* Responsibility of Environment & Chemical Section
* ISO 14001 certified on Jan. 30, 2001 (six months after start of production)
* Adopt global target for environmental implementation
* Five-year target for 2001-2005 includes:
o Reduction of total waste volume by 15%
o Increase of recyclable waste ratio by 15%
o Reduction of energy consumption by 10%
* Launch environmental performance evaluation - EPE
* Domestic goals for environmental implementation include:
o No complaints from communities and nearby residents
o No chemical spills released to public canals
o Emissions better than government regulations for air (50%) and water (90%)
o Reduction of office paper consumption by 20%
* EMS internal audits conducted twice annually
* Global environmental audits and GM audit service (GMAS) conducted annually
* Business risk management – environmental audit conducted twice annually
* Weekly and monthly plant inspections carried out by GM environmental engineers

3. Law and Regulation Compliance

* Emission and pollution-control equipment
* Wastewater treatment operation
* Chemical management program
o Launched hazardous communication program (with training and compliance audits)
o Created hazmat approval committee
o Use NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) chemical labels
o Flammable chemical storage
* Periodic reporting to government
o Waste information report issued annually
o Wastewater emission control report issued quarterly
o Air emission monitoring report issued twice annually
o Hazardous and toxic substance information report issued annually

4. Waste Management & Minimization

* Waste management program
o Strengthen recycling
o All service providers must register with Ministry of Industry
o Apply manifest control system to all kinds of waste
o Suppliers audited every three months without notice
o Supplier performance evaluation carried out every six months
* Waste minimization program
o Adopt GM’s 6R (Reject, Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recover and Recycle) tool
o Successful examples of waste minimization include recovery of WWT (wastewater treatment) sludge as fertilizer, recycling of spent solvents for other industries and refilling of toner cartridges by OEM supplier

5. Environmental Monitoring & Inspection

* Cover all sources of emissions at GM Thailand
o Air: From paint shop, boiler, vehicle testing, etc.
o Ambient air: Inside and outside GM (within 10 kilometers)
o Wastewater: WWT, main sump and public canals
o Nuisance noise: Inside and outside GM
* Periodic testing by ISO 17025-certified third parties
* Trend analysis on results compared with past results and other GM plants
* Results reported to GM Global Environmental Office

6. Clean Technology Implementation

* Examples of successful implementation:
o Adopt Lead-free ELPO (electro deposition)
o Utilize low-heavy metal paint
o Reduce toxic wastewater sludge by switching from ferric chloride to non-hazardous PAC (polyaluminium chloride)

7. Environmental Communication and Awareness

* Monthly “green” newsletter
* Environmental communication board
* Complaint and suggestion box
* Environmental exhibitions and special events
* Environmental training
o ISO 14001 awareness for all current and new employees
o Others (6R concept, internal auditor, etc.)
* Quarterly team member visit
* ESIE safety and environment club

8. Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response

* Before emergency situation occurs
o Provide spill control kits
o Carry out preventative maintenance activities
o Provide sandbags and water gates for gutter closing
o Manage spill control team, and prepare SOS and manual
o Carry out emergency / spill release simulations and exercises
* In event of emergency situation
o Emergency auto stop at WWT and paint operation
o On-site command by experienced environmental engineer
* Following emergency situation
o Hazardous waste clean-up budget
o Recovery plan for public and communities

9. Community Relations

* Community visit twice annually
* Environmental youth camp

10. Continuous Improvement Projects

* Green label project (Feb.–Dec. 2004) led by GM and Thailand Environmental Institute
* New wastewater treatment for canteen (July 2004)
* Efficient energy consumption implementation (2004)
* Greenhouse gas reduction and clean development mechanism project (Mar.– Dec. 2004) by GM, Kasetsart University, Thailand Productivity Improvement Foundation and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
* Adoption of water-based paint by GM and Nippon Paint (2005)

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