Intel's Costa Rica site has developed an entire Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) community awareness focus under the Sharing Intel Culture and Values Program. In addition to developing and publishing a third site EHS report, Intel Costa Rica has presented and discussed their EHS programs with the Ministry of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Council, Electricity Costa Rican Institute (ICE), National Bank of Costa Rica and many other community groups. The site professionals together with community groups and Belen's Municipality worked with neighboring companies in trying to improve environmental performance and practices.

Intel Costa Rica has also developed an EHS teaching booklet and delivered it to local elementary schools and the community high school using the Intel volunteer network. The booklets contains different environmental topics with theoretical discussion and field experiment. We provided some of the experiment materials, (a color book is also available, if desired).

Intel has successfully implemented several programs in relation to environmental, health and safety matters. We introduced new products with no adverse impact to the safety and health of our workers, or to the environment. No regulatory violations of any kind were recorded. Our indicators continued improving and injury rates were reduced to minimal levels while recycling and waste minimization went up. We continued enhancing our reputation as EHS leaders in Costa Rica by implementing even more programs for sharing our best-known methods with the entire country, and we won national awards in recognition to those efforts. Keeping EHS embedded in the way we do business and driving other companies towards a similar philosophy will be our challenges.

Intel Costa Rica has arranged for three years in a row, an Environmental, Health and Safety Conference, which was attended by community members, Non Governmental Organizations (NGO), industry and government personnel. According to the Minister of Labor, "With the organization of this conference, Intel is ratifying its commitment to our country and our workers. It is a model that, for us, is highly satisfactory and we hope it is also stimulating for the rest of the companies..."

Intel Costa Rica established the Belen Environmental Industrial Committee. One of the group's primary activities last year was a conference that brought key neighbor industries, government agencies and environmental experts together. As a result of the conference, Intel organized a six-week training program that covered such topics as environmental, health and safety performance, effective meeting organization, and communication skills. We also formed an external business council to share EHS best practices across the country, and we continue to work with adjacent businesses on improving waste handling and odor abatement.

The National Insurance Institute recognized Intel Costa Rica for the third year in a row with the National Safety Award "Preventico". This is the most prestigious Safety and Health award presented by any government institution in the country. The site also received the White Flag Award, presented by the Ministry of Health, for outstanding health and safety performance.

As we have continued to grow, we have also continued to expand our resource reduction strategies to lessen our environmental impact on local environments. In Costa Rica, we have installed a new flow-control system that will reduce site water use. We plan to reuse treated water on the site to conserve even more water.

Intel Costa Rica has significantly increased its solid waste recycling performance and is now recycling 50% of the solid waste it generates. The revenue generated from solid waste recycling is donated to the community public schools.