Document 5bO7oGd03wkONy5Oen7JpoZxe

TO: Interoffice Communication FROM: DATE: SUBJ: Distribution ^ Rp T. G. Grumbles May 9, 1989 XF: --------------- CMA AIR REDUCTION POLICY AND WASTE REDUCTION Attached are articles from the May CMA news publication. Two of them deal with CMA's newly adopted chemical release reduction policy, and two deal with company initiatives in waste reduction. We will be sending out detailed information on the release reduction policy and how it relates to Responsible CARE and Vista's policy. o----------------- T. G. Grumbles dlj Attachment Distribution: R. W. Seymour, F. G. Jeanson-ABER, L. R. Bauer, D. L. Mahler-BALT, G. D. Williams, J. R. Goyette-BLANE, J, B. Maher, Matt Tonkovich-HMD, J. Friend, M. G. Hayes, G. L. Foshee, J. R. Arnold-LCCP, J. W. WareLAB, R. A. Conrad, E. R. Taylor-VCM, H. D. Garrison, B. J. MeCudden-OKC, P. L. Foote, G. C. Lipps-PREM, R. B. Martin-PONCA CITY, W. L. McClain, D. L. Cohen, M. G. Jakel, D. L. Morgan VVV 000010442 CMA May 1989 CMA adopts plan to curb releases CMA has adopted a new chemical release reduction policy and program designed to protect the safety and health of employees and residents in communities where chemical plants operate. The policy, adopted by the Associa tion's board at its April meeting, com- Thepolicy.. .commits CMA member companies to reduce releases to ail environmental media. ' ___ mits CMA member companies to reduce releases to all environmental media. The voluntary initiative is one of the chemical industry's responses to imme diate public concerns regarding health threats from releases being reported under section 313 of SARA Title III. CMA member companies will increase their efforts so that the industry's performance will be improved and the margin of safety increased. The section 313 release data reported annually to EPA is the primary focal point and will be a major source of data for measuring and evaluating progress. To help member companies imple ment the policy, demonstrate industry leadership and be responsive to public concerns, CMA's board of directors has approved three new projects: Regional Monitoring and Model ing--to obtain ambient air quality data to confirm that section 313 releases generally do not pose a risk to communities; Community Health Effects Eval uation--to develop consensus support for the use of reasonable, scientifically sound methods in assessing health effects from community exposure to chemical releases and to improve pub lic acceptability of such measures; and Assistance to Smaller Compa nies--to provide technical assistance to customers and smaller companies to enhance overall environmental, health and safety programs. The new chemical release reduction policy and program builds on CMA's existing air quality and waste minimi zation programs. All of these policies and program elements may ultimately be incorporated into a Responsible The new chemical release reduction policy and program builds on CMA's existing air quality and waste minimization programs. Care Code of Management Practice. That code will take about 18 months to develop and implement. The new policy and program will be incorporated into CMA's Title III com munication activities. For additional information, contact David Carroll at (202)887-1164. VVV 000010443 Board describes reduction policy and program At its April meeting, CMA's board of directors adopted the following chem ical release reduction policy. CMA will continue to promote among its member companies practices that protect the safety and health of employees and residents of communi ties in which they operate. Our indus try's goal is to assure that employees, communities and the environment are not adversely affected by releases from our operations and to encourage others, including our suppliers and customers, to achieve the same goal. CMA understands the public con cern regarding health effects from releases into the environment. CMA also believes better information on the effect of these releases is needed to assure fully informed action by govern ment, industry and the public. Therefore, existing Association activ 4 ities will be consolidated to bring greater focus to this effort so that the industry's performance will be improved and the margin of safety increased. In addition, CMA member compa nies will increase their efforts to reduce releases to the environment and to increase the understanding of potential health effects from these releases. This CMA policy, recommended for local implementation by each member company, includes the following elements: Using SARA section 313 lists as a base, inventory releases to all environ mental media. Chemicals other than those covered by section 313 will be included as appropriate. Establish reduction priorities for the inventoried releases based on factors including their potential health and environmental impact and the level of community concern. Based on this prioritization, for mulate a release reduction plan. Reduc tions may be achieved by many meth ods, but in general, preference should be given to making the reductions using the following: Source reduction Recycle/Reuse Treatment to reduce volume and/or toxicity Initiate a system to periodically communicate release reduction progress and future plans to employees and the public. In addition, to increase understand ing of the effects of chemical releases, CMA will work with member companies and others to better determine the con centrations of chemicals in the environ ment and potential health effects. Finally, in implementing all of the above, CMA will foster assistance to smaller plants and companies. Q Monsanto plans to reduce wastes 70 percent by end of 1995 Monsanto Chemical Company has adopted a new program to reduce releases of process wastes to the environment. Under a plan outlined in MCCommentary, a company magazine, Mon santo is focusing initially on curbing those wastes with the highest potential for affecting public health or the envi ronment if not properly managed. Monsanto says it plans to reduce organic and toxic inorganic materials by 70 percent by the end of 1995. Other wastes targeted by the company include inorganic salts, fossil fuels, deep well salts and byproduct rock and dirt from phosphorous mining and processing operations. The new goal includes the program Monsanto announced last summer to reduce SARA Title III air emissions by r srcent by the end of 1992. The new p*_^ge broadens that program to include releases to all environmental media. Calling the program "a significant step beyond compliance with govern ment requirements," Monsanto Chem ical Company president Bob Potter outlined major policy elements: Preventing waste is our first priority. We will handle residual waste to prevent harm to air, water and land. We have placed a cap on wastes entering the environment from opera tions at the 1987 reported levels. For existing company processes, emissions from new or expanded facili ties must be offset so that no additional waste enters the environment. For new processes, best available technology and practices will be used on new facilities to minimize waste generation. Waste elimination is a strategic issue in our planning and resource allo cation efforts. Our approach to envi ronmental problems will change to a more proactive stance. Problems must be anticipated and prevented rather than responding on a reactive basis to crises and public pressures. Concluded Potter: "We earn our right to operate from the public, and the public expects us to continue to reduce all wastes." HoechstCelanese cuts solid waste Hoechst Celanese Corp. plans to launch a program to minimize solid waste and recycle plastics. "As a major industrial corporation in the U. S., we believe it's our responsibil ity to find better and more efficient ways of handling the generation, recy cling and disposal of solid waste," said Dr. Ernest H. Drew, president and chief executive officer and a CMA director. Dr. Lee Starr, Hoechst Celanese cor porate vice president and chief technical officer, will be responsible for develop ing the corporatewide program. Starr explained that the program makes sense from a business and envi ronmental control standpoint because of the rising cost and decreasing availa bility of solid waste disposal options and the growing concern about the issue. The Hoechst Celanese program will address the corporations plastics mate rials from production through recy cling and disposal, he said. Most Hoechst Celanese manufactur ing sites have waste minimization pro grams, Starr said. One is at the cor poration's polyester film plant in Greer, S.C. In a recycling and recovery project initiated last year, the plant reduced its hazardous waste by 20 percent and off site treatment of the waste by 27 percent. Next year, when the project is fully operational, hazardous waste genera tion is expected to be reduced by 40 percent. Q VVV 000010444 5