EPA will cancel Performance Track

WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that it would halt a program promoted by the Bush administration that reduces environmental inspections and lessens regulation for companies that pledge to cut waste and energy use.

The program, called Performance Track, was designed to create regulatory perks for companies with sterling environmental records, but environmentalists have denounced it as a public-relations charade.

An Inquirer investigation published in December found that Performance Track lauded companies with suspect environmental records, spent millions on recruiting and publicity, and failed to confirm members' environmental pledges independently.

On Sunday, The Inquirer, citing agency e-mail and sources, reported that EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson had decided to close the program. One of the internal e-mail messages, sent to every EPA regional headquarters, said the program was "being discontinued." It promised that "detailed information about closeout activities" would be forthcoming.

The EPA's public statement yesterday stopped short of directly stating that the program would be terminated.

"In order to develop a stronger system to protect human health and the environment, EPA has decided to halt the current National Environmental Performance Track Program so that we may evaluate and refine the program's concepts," it said. "It has been and continues to be EPA's policy to recognize and encourage environmental stewardship and EPA will continue to work with stakeholders to set new objectives for conservation and sustainability."

Although the Performance Track program is small - 548 companies, a $4.7 million budget, 18 employees - it was symbolic because it represented a big part of President George W. Bush's environmental strategy. Top Bush officials promoted it to fight climate change by encouraging companies to reduce greenhouse gases rather than forcing them to do so.

Obama administration officials take a different view. Last week, for example, Jackson announced a mandatory program to monitor carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.