"I'm from the government and I'm here to help you." These nine words were said to be the most feared sentence of President Reagan. Over 20 years later, many companies still feel the same way when they hear three letters: EPA.
However, not all of the Environmental Protection Agency's work is based on regulation and enforcement. Many programs exist to help businesses go beyond compliance. According to the 2007 IndustryWeek/MPI Census of Manufacturers, 70 percent of U.S. companies are implementing lean in one form or another. EPA's Lean & Environment Initiative builds off of this trend and serves as a clearinghouse of information for companies at all stages of their lean journey. When companies use lean activities to target environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions or fossil fuel use, the results can be astounding.
