Covanta Indianapolis Recognized With Highest Health and Safety Honor by the Indiana Department of Labor

INDIANAPOLIS, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Covanta Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) and a world leader in the development and operation of large scale Energy-from-Waste and other renewable energy projects, today announced its Covanta Indianapolis facility has earned "STAR" certification in Indiana's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) under the Indiana Department of Labor.

VPP "STAR" status is the highest honor given to worksites with comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems. Sites such as Covanta Indianapolis are committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of federal standards and participants develop and implement systems to effectively identify, evaluate, prevent, and control occupational hazards to prevent injuries and illnesses. The keys to health and safety success under VPP are the employee engagement and ongoing involvement in on-site health and safety program development combined with long-term commitment and support from management. VPP-level recipients routinely incur injury and illness rates that are at or below the state average for their specific industry.

"A strong safety culture is among our most important core values at Covanta. We strive to be an organization where everyone is focused on hazard recognition and removal and where each of our employees is empowered to participate in improving the safety culture for the benefit of everyone," said Seth Myones, President of Covanta Americas. "In achieving the highest level of recognition in Indiana's Voluntary Protection Program, the employees of Covanta Indianapolis have displayed an unwavering commitment to a safe worksite and a culture of safety. I commend them for their efforts."

Covanta Indianapolis is the 33rd Covanta Energy facility to have achieved the prestigious VPP "STAR" designation on a state or federal level and joins 56 other worksites in Indiana which have received the award.

"VPP-level recognition underscores Covanta's knowledge, understanding and application of a successful workplace safety and health management system. The Indiana Department of Labor is pleased to partner with Covanta, and congratulates them for their commitment to employee safety and health," commented Commissioner of Labor, Lori A. Torres.

Covanta Indianapolis Inc. commenced operations in 1988 and serves the residents of the City of Indianapolis and surrounding counties, providing environmentally-friendly waste disposal and clean, renewable energy in the form of steam. The facility can process 2,175 tons-per-day of solid waste that produce 4,500 pounds of steam per ton and reduces greenhouse gases that would otherwise be produced by landfills and fossil fuel generated energy. Steam produced is sold to power the downtown heating loop which includes nearly all downtown businesses, as well as Indiana University, Purdue University's Indianapolis campus, and Eli Lilly, the area's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer.  

About Covanta

Covanta Energy is an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects and a recipient of the Energy Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  Covanta's 45 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using that municipal solid waste to generate clean, renewable energy. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert more than 20 million tons of waste into more than 9 million megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity and create over 10 billion pounds of steam that are sold to a variety of industries. For more information, visit www.covantaenergy.com.

SOURCE Covanta Energy