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Quality Inn & Suites of San Diego, CA, announced today it
will adopt the internationally recognized environmental management
system, ISO 14001, as part of a settlement agreement with the
San Diego City Attorney.
 Quality
Inn and Suites Hotel made the decision to adopt ISO 14001 as
part of the settlement of a complaint by the San Diego City Attorney
alleging that Quality Inn and Suites had improperly disposed
of asbestos-containing floor tiles. Although not admitting the
complaint to have merit, Quality Inn and Suites recognized an
imperative need for a sound environmental management system.
"Simply
stated, by carrying out ISO 14001, we hope to waste fewer resources,
reduce liabilities, improve our public image and increase profits,"
said Barry Ward, Vice President of Narven Enterprises, management
company for the general partner for Quality Inn & Suites.
"We look forward to all the benefits of being 'green' and
of substantial savings of costs.
"In the
past, we relied on outside 'experts' to assure that we complied
with our environmental obligations. That has proven very unsatisfactory.
ISO 14001 will help us take a closer look at how we manage our
environmental activities and reduce our risk of future infractions."
Quality Inn
and Suites was represented in the negotiation of this innovative
settlement by Mr. S. Wayne Rosenbaum and Mr. Charles V. Berwanger,
Environmental Attorneys with the law firm of Higgs, Fletcher
& Mack LLP of San Diego. Mr. Berwanger stressed "we
are extremely pleased with this settlement. It is good for the
environment, it is good for Quality Inn and Suites and it is
good for the hospitality industry generally." Mr. Rosenbaum
continued, "my hat is off to City Attorney Steven Gold,
my counterpart at the City Attorney's office, for his farsightedness.
Mr. Gold understands the best way to improve environmental compliance
is to improve environmental management."
Mr. Rosenbaum
is particularly knowledgeable as to not only environmental law
generally, but as to environmental management systems specifically.
Mr. Rosenbaum is an ISO 14001 Auditor and the author of the definitive
text ISO 14001 and the Law, a legal guide for the implementation
of environmental management standards.
Quality Inn
and Suites will be assisted in its implementation project by
First Environment, Inc., located in Woodland Hills, CA, with
headquarters in Riverdale, New Jersey. First Environment is a
leader in environmental systems implementation. Its broad experience
includes many successful environmental systems' implementations
in the manufacturing and utilities sectors. Dr. Tod Delaney,
President of First Environment, observed "we are excited
to have been selected as a member of the implementation team.
We are convinced that ISO 14001 will provide significant profit
enhancement for the hospitality industry while minimizing their
impacts on the environment."
In addition
to implementing ISO 14001 at the Quality Inn & Suites Hotel,
Mr. Rosenbaum, Dr. Delaney and Mr. Backus will provide workshops
for the hospitality industry throughout San Diego to educate
the industry on the value of adopting ISO 14001.
Finally, Quality
Inn and Suites, in furtherance of its desire to contribute to
environmental protection and as a part of its settlement, will
pay all costs incurred by the San Diego City Attorney's office
during its investigation and negotiations, and will make a charitable
contribution to the Western States Project of $20,000 and pay
a civil penalty of $50,000. 
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