Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester welcomed Yazaki North America of Canton as the 160th member of Michigan's Clean Corporate Citizen (C3) Program, a voluntary environmental program that recognizes environmental stewardship at Michigan's facilities.

"I would like to congratulate the entire team at Yazaki North America for their work in protecting Michigan's environment," said Director Chester.  "Yazaki North America shares our belief that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity can, and do, go hand-in-hand."

Yazaki North America is a research, development, design, production, and distribution facility for its parent company, Yazaki Corporation, Inc., of Japan.  Yazaki Corporation, Inc., is a multi-national privately-owned tier one supplier of electronics and electrical distribution systems, vehicle information instrumentation and modules, and other subassembly components for the automotive industry. 

Yazaki North America has earned the recognition of the C3 Program through extensive environmental conservation and anti-global warming efforts and employee awareness training at all three of its Canton facilities, based on precedent set by its parent company in Japan.

William Schafer, the Environmental, Health, and Safety Specialist for Yazaki North America, Inc., echoed Director Chester in saying that, "Yazaki North America, Inc., is proud to operate in a state that promotes environmental quality and recognizes companies for their corporate citizenship.  The environment is a fundamental value for Yazaki and helps us achieve our corporate policy to be a company in step with the world and needed by society."

C3 designation is made to candidates that adopt facility-specific environmental management systems, have active and on-going pollution prevention initiatives at their facility, and have a consistent record of compliance with state and federal environmental requirements.  The C3 Program is open to companies regulated under any of Michigan's environmental statutes, and designations are reviewed and renewed on a regular basis.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"