The Southeastern Public Service Authority, a Chesapeake, Va.-based government organization, launched a program for destroying confidential documents and other forms of information Feb. 6. The document destruction program is called SPSA Safe.
SPSA Safe can destroy documents of many different forms, including papers and magnetic media such as computer disks and videocassettes. Rather than merely shredding the sensitive materials, which has been the standard method of destruction until now, SPSA Safe takes destruction a step further by incinerating the materials through its Waste-to-Energy system in Portsmouth, which converts trash waste to energy.
“SPSA Safe is an exciting move forward, because it assures total destruction of confidential materials and does so in an environmentally-responsible manner,” said John Hadfield, SPSA executive director. “We’re pleased to offer this key new service to Hampton Roads.”
SPSA Safe is available throughout all of Hampton Roads, Va., and is expected to be of interest to a wide range of organizations, including medical facilities, financial institutions, government agencies, military installations and contractors, law firms, and more.
“Corporations have an increasing responsibility in regard to private and personal information and the new laws are focusing on disposal practices,” said Robert Johnson, executive director of the National Association for Information Destruction.
“If a company is not destroying confidential information – not protecting it – it legally can lose it. Attorneys are now advising organizations to routinely destroy non-public information on a regular basis to avoid the appearance of impropriety,” adds Johnson.
SPSA established SPSA Safe after performing market research that showed substantial demand for document destruction services in Hampton Roads. While the Feb. 6th event is the program’s official launch, SPSA has been test-marketing the program for several months and has already signed up several clients.
SPSA’s mission is to manage and operate safe, cost-efficient, and environmentally responsible solid waste collection, processing disposal systems, and facilities for the mutual benefit of citizens, businesses, and institutions in the member communities.