AK Steel receives Honda’s Green Factory Environmental Achievement Award

AK Steel has received Honda’s Green Factory Environmental Achievement Award in the category of Conservation of Natural Resources. The award recognizes the company for its ongoing environmental restoration efforts at its steel plant in Coshocton, Ohio.

“Through its actions, AK Steel is showing the importance of land stewardship and how it can benefit society while also providing a rich habitat for diverse native plants and animals,” said Rich Spivey, senior manager in Honda’s North American Purchasing Division. “This award recognizes AK Steel’s commitment to restore and protect a unique natural environment in its local community.”

Since the summer of 2008, AK Steel has restored more than 10 acres of property at its Coshocton Works into native Ohio prairie land. The area includes several nesting boxes for bluebirds and purple martins, as well as native flowers and grasses. The company said it will maintain the restored area and plans to expand the prairie to more than 20 acres over time.

Honda’s Green Factory Achievement Awards recognize environmental stewardship among Honda’s nearly 600 parts suppliers in North America, and reflect Honda’s ongoing commitments to protect the environment through its products and its operations. Through this awards program and the participation by many suppliers at its annual environmental symposium, Honda encourages all suppliers to achieve excellence in environmental management and land stewardship.

The award is presented to companies each year based on their achievements in three areas: conservation of natural resources, energy reduction and pollution prevention. AK Steel participated in the symposium this year by presenting its environmental restoration initiatives.

In addition to receiving Honda’s Green Factory Award, AK Steel’s Coshocton Works received “Wildlife at Work” certification in 2009 from the Wildlife Habitat Council, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat. AK Steel uses high efficiency lighting throughout its Coshocton facility, and all of the company’s plants are ANSI/ISO 14001:2004 certified to meet internationally recognized environmental management standards.