EAST LANSING, Mich. --- National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University has received a Clean Corporate Citizen award from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, making MSU the first university in the state to receive such an honor. 

“NSCL was already in full compliance with its environmental standards and permits,” said Ian Gray, MSU Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. “This certification goes beyond compliance and demonstrates MSU's commitment to both environmental performance and proactive environmental stewardship.”

To qualify for a Clean Corporate Citizen designation, candidates must have a facility-specific environmental management system, active pollution prevention initiatives and a consistent record of compliance with environmental requirements.

“This is the first institution of higher education in Michigan to achieve this prestigious award,” said DEQ Director Steven Chester. “We are proud to have this proactive nuclear science research and education facility join the elite Clean Corporate Citizen program.”

Awardees are eligible for certain regulatory benefits under the state’s environmental programs, including expedited permit approval. The program is open to any Michigan public or private business, educational institution, medical facility or governmental agency. MSU is the state’s 143rd recipient of the award.

At MSU, all operations and activities are driven by the same environmental objectives. All of the university's environmental management systems include provisions to ensure that contractors, vendors, employees and subcontractors comply with environmental requirements. However, the laboratory goes one step further by having a third-party certified facility-specific program.   

“NSCL strives to be a good steward of the public trust in all aspects of operations,” said C. Konrad Gelbke, University Distinguished Professor of physics and the facility’s director. “This includes an ongoing commitment to act responsibly toward the environment and be a good neighbor to the university and the greater mid-Michigan community.”

In August 2006, the laboratory was certified by the International Organization for Standardization, the world's largest standard-setting body, for its commitment to minimizing harmful effects on the environment and plans to work for continual improvement of its environmental performance. 

The laboratory has established a comprehensive list of environment-related goals addressing everything from energy usage to the handling of flammable liquids and paints. It is replacing all old 4-foot fluorescent light fixtures with more efficient fixtures -- one of many examples of the list’s impact on day-to-day operations.

A world-leading laboratory for rare isotope research and nuclear science education, operation of the facility as a national user facility is supported by the Experimental Nuclear Physics Program of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

For more information on the laboratory, see http://www.nscl.msu.edu; Department of Environmental Quality news releases are available at http://www.michigan.gov/deq.

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