FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              

Cal/OSHA Recognizes Waste Management of San Diego with Golden Gate Safety Award

EL CAJON, March 29, 2007 - Waste Management of San Diego, based in El Cajon, received the Golden Gate award from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) as a result of a voluntary invitation for a site visit and consultation by the state’s work safety division.

The Golden Gate award is given to potentially high-hazard companies that are maintaining effective safety and health management systems. It is given after a work site requests and receives a full-service on-site visit by the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service, which includes meetings with company representatives, discussions about the company’s safety and health program management systems, interviews with employees, and walk-around reviews and evaluations of the work area. Companies must also have established and maintained an effective injury and illness prevention program as a basis for their safety and health management system in order to be eligible for consideration.

Based on the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service representative’s evaluation of the site, he or she can recommend Golden Gate recognition. The Golden Gate award is a preliminary step before a site engages in the process to be a part of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), which is a leadership recognition level for companies that have highly effective safety and health management systems.

“Working safe is a key component of Waste Management’s culture,” said Carl Scherbaum, district manager. “With safety as our priority, we invite agencies like Cal/OSHA in to evaluate our programs and practices, as well as the condition of our facility, to make sure we’re providing a safe environment for our employees and the community. We’re really proud of the hard work by all of our employees to maintain a safe workplace, and excited that Cal/OSHA has recognized us for these efforts.”

All Waste Management employees receive safety training appropriate for their positions within the company - whether serving as a driver of a collection vehicle, maintenance technician or within the office - and participate in regular safety refresher courses or additional trainings as needed. The employees of the Waste Management of San Diego district, which total about 270, have worked for more than 230 days without a lost-time injury, meaning the employees have worked safely for this length of time without any injuries that prevent employees from returning to work for at least one full shift.

“Our employees encounter a number of variables in their jobs, whether they are out on the road servicing customers or on site at our facility performing a number of different tasks,” said Scherbaum. “Achieving more than 230 days without a lost-time injury is a testament to our employees’ careful actions and commitment to safety in performing their jobs.”

For more information, visit http://www.wastemanagementsd.com.

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout North America.