Covanta Holding Co.'s H-Power waste-to-energy facility was honored recently with the state's Hawai'i Voluntary Protection Program "star rating" from the Hawai'i Occupational Safety and Health Division of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The program recognizes employees who develop and implement safety programs that go beyond those required by law. Only about 1 percent of the nation's eligible workplaces have received a "star."

Covanta H-Power initiated its "Focus on Safety" program in 2004, involving all 150 employees in improving the safety culture.

H-Power generates approximately 46 megawatts of environmentally sound renewable energy from processing 2,000 tons of waste per day. The electricity generated serves the needs of 40,000 homes on O'ahu.