LANSING, Mich., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors and seven of its facilities are being recognized by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for longtime support of environment-focused community collaboration. GM remains the leader for most Neighborhood Environmental Partner awards granted since the program began in 2005.

GM received the department's inaugural NEP Longevity Award recognizing companies that have participated in the program for five or more years. It encourages and rewards businesses and their neighbors who work together on environmental projects. This is the seventh straight year GM has received NEP awards.

"GM is committed to reducing our facilities' environmental impact while also improving the communities in which we operate," said David Tulauskas, GM director of sustainability. "We share the same ecosystem as our neighbors and enjoy exchanging our knowledge, best practices and hands-on experiences."

Seven GM facilities received Neighborhood Environmental Partner awards for individual efforts and environmental programs. Those recognized are Lansing Delta Township Assembly, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, Orion Assembly, Warren Transmission, Flint Assembly, Romulus Engine and Flint Metal Center.

These sites integrate GM efforts to reduce its worldwide facilities' environmental impact through energy efficiency, resource preservation and waste reduction throughout their communities. For example:

• All participated in GM GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) by monitoring rivers with local students and examining watershed impacts.
• All celebrated Earth and Arbor Day with activities such as tree plantings and butterfly house builds, many of which involved collaboration with area schools.
• Four plants feature natural habitat certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council, which are developed to enhance and protect wildlife and educate communities on conservation.
• Two plants are landfill-free, recycling, reusing or converting to energy all waste from daily operations.

"These awards were created because we believe the best environmental stewardship efforts cannot be mandated or regulated – they are voluntary efforts that go beyond what's required," said DEQ Director Dan Wyant. "GM's longtime leadership in this program speaks loudly of the company's commitment to protecting Michigan's air, land and water resources."

To be eligible for the Neighborhood Environmental Partner award, an organization must be a designated Clean Corporate Citizen and Pollution Prevention Partnership facility. Recipients are compliant with all applicable state environmental regulations and improve their immediate environments and communities.

For more information on GM's environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

SOURCE General Motors

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