General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center Joins the Clean Corporate Citizen Family

Contact: Brad Wurfel 517-373-7917

Agency: Natural Resources

March 8, 2011

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment today presented one of its highest "green" honors to General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center.

The plant earned designation as a member of the state's Clean Corporate Citizen Program. The C3 Program is a voluntary environmental program that recognizes environmental stewardship at Michigan facilities. Candidates demonstrate facility-specific environmental management systems, have active pollution prevention initiatives at their facilities, and have a consistent record of compliance with state and federal environmental requirements.

The General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center is an automotive assembly plant which began production in 1985. The plant currently builds the Cadillac DTS and the Buick Lucerne. Last fall, it began manufacturing the Chevrolet Volt, an electric vehicle with extended range.

General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center's comprehensive environmental management system focuses on integrating environmental targets into its daily operations. For example, it reduced the use of chemicals with volatile organic compounds by 38 percent between 2008 and 2009.

By working with staff to implement plant-wide pollution prevention projects, the assembly center reduced overall energy use, netting the facility a savings of more than $4 million.

General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center owns 16 acres of wildlife habitat around its assembly center, which has been certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council. The ongoing commitment to recycle where possible and reduce the overall amount of solid waste generated at the facility is evident as the facility has reduced its non-recycled waste by 35% over last year increasing the amount of recycling by 11%.

Teri Quigley, plant manager for General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, said the employees who build GM's greenest vehicle are excited to be recognized for other green efforts around the plant.

"The Detroit/Hamtramck assembly team proudly shows our environmental commitment in everything we do and we are honored to be receiving this award," Quigley said. "Not only are we building the Green Car of the Year--the all new Chevy Volt electric car with extended range ? we also are focusing on initiatives like reducing the plant's energy use and minimizing non-recycled waste."

The C3 Program is open to companies regulated under any of Michigan's environmental statutes, and designations are reviewed and renewed on a regular basis.