Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. | A Waste Management Company

Wheelabrator North Andover Facility Excels in Safety
OSHA AWARDS ELITE VPP "STAR" CERTIFICATION

North Andover, MA-November 10, 2003 - The Wheelabrator North Andover waste-to-energy facility will be recognized on November 14 as one of the safest industrial facilities in the United States. At ceremonies in North Andover, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety, and Health Administration (OSHA) "Star" certification will be officially awarded to the 19-year-old plant. The Star certification, through OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), is the top federal safety award, honoring health and safety excellence.

J. Drennan Lowell, President of Hampton, New Hampshire-based Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., will be on hand to help raise the OSHA VPP flag signifying the plant's elite new status. "This is an important achievement for the people here at Wheelabrator North Andover," he said. "It is also another forward step in Wheelabrator's mission to have each of its plants reach this level of safety excellence." Wheelabrator operates 24 independent power and waste-to-energy facilities throughout the United States. Five other Wheelabrator projects currently have been certified as Star workplaces.

Nationwide, less than one industrial facility in 7000 has qualified for this prestigious award, and only 14 Star certifications have been awarded in the industrial category to which the Wheelabrator North Andover facility belongs.

Wheelabrator North Andover Plant Manager Scott Emerson commended all of his Plant's employees on reaching the safety milestone, noting, "This award is the ultimate goal of every plant in every industry. Now our people know they're working at one of the safest facilities in the country, and we owe it all to the hard work and dedication of our employees. Without their efforts, this recognition would not have been possible."

To qualify for Star status, a worksite must have a three-year average injury rate below that of its industry average and must have demonstrated safety programs that greatly exceed OSHA standards. OSHA auditors recommend Star status after completing a comprehensive evaluation of a facility's safety program, including its managers' leadership, employee involvement, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training.

Wheelabrator North Andover is a 1500-ton-per-day municipal waste-to-energy facility opened in 1987 to serve the disposal needs of 25 communities throughout northeastern Massachusetts. The plant converts the trash into enough clean energy to supply the electricity needs of 35,000 homes. Wheelabrator North Andover Inc. (www.wheelabrator-northandover.com) is owned and operated by Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. (www.wheelabratortechnologies.com) a wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc.

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