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Strategic Goals Program
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

About SGP

What is the National Metal Finishing Strategic Goals Program?

The National SGP is a voluntary program that encourages companies to go beyond environmental compliance. SGP member companies are offered incentives, resources and a means for removing regulatory and policy barriers as they work to achieve specific environmental goals.

The program was started in 1998 as a unique cooperative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the metal finishing industry, represented by the National Association of Metal Finishers (NAMF), American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (AESF), Metal Finishing Suppliers Association (MFSA), and Surface Finishing Industry Council (SFIC).

Why is the SGP important?

Through the SGP, the U.S. metal finishing industry, government regulators, and policy-makers are working together to improve environmental performance and the bottom line. The result-everybody wins:

  • Companies receive the incentives and resources needed to go beyond compliance;
  • The industry as a whole benefits from the positive action of SGP member companies; and,
  • As the metal-finishing industry becomes increasingly more self-regulated, government regulators-from the EPA to the local POTW-save time and money.

What’s in it for me?

The SGP program is designed to help your company achieve its goals-both environmental and economic. A wide variety of state and local SGP resources are available to provide you with the tools you need to get the job done. These include:

  • Free, non-regulatory environmental audits
  • On-site technical assistance in achieving compliance and improving pollution prevention, safety and health measures
  • Funding for environmental technologies
  • Regulatory flexibility
  • Public recognition
  • Free workshops on energy, water and waste reduction
  • Free interns to help fill out the SGP data worksheets
  • Environmental Management Systems (EMS) training
Also, as an SGP member, you will have the opportunity to sit at the decision-making table with regulators and policy-makers, building trust and common goals.

How is the National SGP structured?

  • The National SGP Board of Directors represents the program, sets the national policies, and works with member regions, who implement it on the state and local levels.
  • Regional, state, and local programs-pushed by “SGP stakeholder” groups made up of area industry members, POTWs, and regulators-tailor the program’s core goals to their needs. They organize resources, provide incentives, and recruit new companies.
  • The National SGP Outreach Team (703-354-2172) serves as the program’s central information source. The Team fields general questions, provides contact info and updated information to SGP members and stakeholders, and sends out program materials.
  • George Cushnie of the National Metal Finishing Resource Center (703-264-0039) handles all SGP company data, keeping it completely confidential. The NMFRC sends out the annual data worksheets, works with companies who have worksheet-related questions, analyzes the data, and puts together annual progress reports, or SGP “report cards,” measuring how companies are progressing toward their goals.

Where do I send my data?

To George Cushnie, the National SGP “data man” at:

    The National Metal Finishing Resource Center (NMFRC)
    Technical Offices
    3433 Valewood Drive
    Oakton, VA 22124

What happens to my data worksheet?

George will review your worksheet and contact you if necessary to clarify any data. Your data will then be entered into the SGP database and your company will be assigned a four-digit code number. Code numbers are kept strictly confidential between you and the NMFRC. A SGP report card is then complied. Using your code number, you can view your report card on the SGP web site and you will receive a copy of the report card, along with your annual worksheet, each January. The worksheet mailed to you by the NMFRC will be pre-printed with your data from past years.

Is there any program flexibility?

Yes. The program can be easily tailored to the specific needs of your facility. For example, although 1992 is the suggested baseline year, you can choose a more recent one if you do not have reliable data for ’92.

The SGP boasts a wide variety of member companies-from “mom-and-pop” job shops to large captives-and built-in flexibility for growing and changing operations.

What do I need to do to stay in the program?

You need to demonstrate that you are working toward the SGP goals that apply to your facility by sending in the necessary emissions data. Don’t worry if you do not think all of the goals are within reach, or if you do not implement new changes every year that you are a member. The SGP is designed to measure progress over several years, and to facilitate the progress that you are capable of making.

Can I join the program even if my region isn’t signed up?

Yes. And many companies have taken the initiative to join the national SGP even before their local regulators signed onto the program. As a member, you will receive all the benefits available on a national level, and you will be given the contact information of the SGP contacts nearest you. But to make the program a more beneficial experience, you should encourage your local regulators to join the program and organize incentives and resources for your benefit.