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The Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region III recognized K&L Microwave as the first company in Maryland to join the voluntary National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP). The ceremony was held in Salisbury on June 29.
Setting the Standard for Environmental Excellence
By becoming the first Maryland company to join the partnership, K&L has set the standard for all Maryland businesses. “We will continue to work together to encourage other Maryland businesses to follow K&L’s lead, and use them as a model example,” said Harold “Butch” Dye, program administrator of the MDE’s Hazardous Waste Program.
"It would be really great if all the manufacturing companies in Maryland would get on board with the EPA," said Del. D. Page Elmore (District 38A-Wicomico County).
K&L Microwave, Inc., a subsidiary of Dover Corporation, designs and manufactures RF (Radio Frequency) and microwave filters including ceramic, lumped element, cavity, waveguide and tunable filters. K&L filters are used in satellite communications, radar, radio communications, missile guidance systems, mobile radio base stations and air traffic control, and cellular communications.
Don Hoeler, K&L General Manager, said:
“Being down here on the Eastern Shore – we are very conscientious about our role in protecting the environment. Due to the nature of our business and various chemicals, we take aggressive measures in designing products and processes to eliminate use of lead, and recycle as much as possible. …
Redesigning was a huge expenditure on our part, we went from using 400 pounds of lead to a little over 100, and our target is 60 for next year. The new plating facility has closed-loop wastewater treatment, without putting anything back in to the Salisbury water supply. We are proud of our exemplary image in the community and committed to protecting the natural resources around us.”
The NPEP Pledge
K&L has a history of sound environmental business practices. By joining NPEP, the company has pledged to make further pro-environmental contributions. They are committed to reducing the use of lead, one of the 31 priority chemicals identified by EPA, which will result in lesser quantities of lead in their products and waste. They already have an active recycling program that includes the recycling of cellular phones. Its Northwood facility is ISO 14001 certified, which is a global standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). K&L also is a graduate of MDE/EMS certification training session.
NPEP is one of several core partnerships that form the cornerstone of the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC). The national campaign challenges all Americans to make our nation a cleaner, safer, and healthier place to live for our children and future generations. The RCC encourages businesses to partner with environmental agencies and the public to forge solutions for today’s environmental concerns. “It’s working together to explore innovative solutions to conserve the nation’s resources,” said Wayne Naylor, Deputy Director of EPA Region III.
To learn more about the partnership, waste minimization site visits and energy efficiency audits, please contact the Waste Minimization/Pollution Prevention unit of MDE’s Hazardous Waste Program at (410)-537-3400 or send an email to: Roscoe.Sincero@maryland.gov.
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