NASCAR and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have entered into a memorandum of understanding that provides a framework to encourage greater environmental awareness and adoption of green products and solutions with NASCAR fans and the racing industry. The MOU is a voluntary partnership around education and awareness. The agreement denotes some core areas NASCAR and the EPA will collaborate on moving forward including the following programs: E3: Economy, Energy and Environment; and Design for the Environment (DfE) labeled consumer and commercial products.
The MOU, which can be accessed at http://bit.ly/EPA-NASCAR-mou, will pave the way for other opportunities and areas of focus for EPA and NASCAR such as sourcing more sustainable concessions at NASCAR events, expanding the use of DfE-labeled chemical products, conserving water, and continuing to grow the promotion and practice of all applicable types of recycling. Through E3, NASCAR and the EPA will work together to foster the adoption of green approaches, address sustainability challenges, and seize opportunities. A continuously greener sport – and NASCAR's supplier network – will have positive economic and environmental impacts that extend far beyond the race track in the communities that NASCAR and the EPA serve.
NASCAR, in partnership with industry, environmental and academic groups, will also begin to evaluate the potential for adoption of green products as labeled under the EPA's "Design for the Environment" program as having met rigorous environmental standards. "NASCAR Green" is also planned to be employed as a platform for enhancing awareness among NASCAR fans and business-to-business partners of the benefits of using DfE-labeled products in our homes, communities and at work. The MOU is based on the spirit of collaboration and does not address regulatory issues.
"This collaboration is a statement of NASCAR's commitment to green innovation and our role as a leader in sustainability," said Mike Lynch, NASCAR managing director of green innovation. "This partnership will provide new resources that will allow our industry to create innovative environmental education and awareness platforms while continuing to build on our strong momentum in reducing the environmental impact of our sport."
"Because NASCAR is such a thrilling sport followed by millions of passionate fans and business-to-business partners, it can be a powerful platform to raise environmental awareness, drive the adoption of safer products by more Americans, and accelerate the greening of our economy to protect the planet," said Jim Jones, EPA's acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP). "The EPA and NASCAR partnership attests to the notable inroads that NASCAR has already made into the arena of environmental stewardship – through multiple recycling initiatives for waste and automotive fluids, to greener fuel choices."