CHESTER, Pa., July 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chester Environmental Partnership (CEP) recently honored Covanta's John G. Waffenschmidt, vice president of environmental science and community affairs, for his efforts and leadership in environmental justice. Covanta owns and operates the Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Facility in Chester, PA and is a long-standing member of CEP.
Founded to improve health and environment through cooperative action, the CEP is an environmental partnership amongst the community, federal, state, and local government, businesses, local churches and non-profit organizations that identify community issues affecting Chester residents and collaborate in developing solutions.
"I want to thank John for his support of CEP. With his leadership, we have been able to improve the lives of Chester residents and further the environmental justice movement on a national level," stated CEP Founder and Chairman Reverend Dr. Horace W. Strand. "I applaud Covanta as one of the first companies in the United States to establish an environmental justice policy for its work within the community. This is a national example of what working together can do."
Covanta's Community Outreach and Environmental Justice Policy was prepared in response to the need to ensure all communities, especially communities which are disadvantaged, have a fair and just opportunity to participate in the decision-making process in matters impacting their local environment. The policy provides a tangible commitment by Covanta to engage fully with the communities in which it has, or will have, facilities to reduce discharges and minimize emissions, and to do this in a manner which ensures meaningful involvement by those communities.
"I'm deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Chester Environmental Partnership; I have been enriched by being a member of the CEP," said Waffenschmidt. "The question of how to integrate industrial facilities into communities in a positive way is in part answered by the process developed by the Chester Environmental Partnership under Dr. Strand's leadership. That format, which allows direct communication between companies and citizens, ensures that all parties are knowledgeable of each other's needs."
In addition to his work at Covanta, Waffenschmidt also serves on the Pennsylvania Environmental Justice Advisory Board the National Stewardship Action Council Board, and the Product Stewardship Institute Advisory Council.
About Covanta
Covanta is a world leader in providing sustainable waste and energy solutions. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely convert approximately 20 million tons of waste from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes and recycle approximately 500,000 tons of metal. Through a vast network of treatment and recycling facilities, Covanta also provides comprehensive industrial material management services to companies seeking solutions to some of today's most complex environmental challenges. For more information, visit covanta.com.
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SOURCE Covanta
