Document 6w25m7mad7M2q6wMVgrOyqknm

S. PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT ( D HISTORY OF THE ANNISTON PLANT Monsanto, Anniston ... 1935-1987...over 50 years of performing. The plant has undergone many changes and today is almost a totally different plant than it was 50 years ago. The plant, however.- is here today solely because of its employees. Anniston employees have demonstrated their flexibility to change and dedication to a plant that has changed dramatically in 50 vears. The story of Monsanto's Anniston Plant began in 1915, at a time when Anniston was a community of less than 18,000 people. Mr. Theodore Swann became interested in the manufacture of six-inch explosive shell cases for the army. He began the Anniston Ordinance Company for that purpose. In 1917, he formed the Southern Manganese Corporation and began operations at the _ present plant site. The company initially manufactured ferro-manganese and then later silico-raanganese, ferro-silicon \and_ferro-phosphorus. Eventually, a method was developed to collect the fumes from the ferro-phosphorus furnaces, thereby * giving birth to a new product, phosphoric acid, which was far more profitable than the ferro- phosphorus. In 1927, the Anniston Plant entered the field of organic chemicals.when they first began producing biphenyl, today one of our two major product families. In 1930, chlorinated biphenyl ncu nonnfl 7 HARTOLDMONO015095 4. started up. HB-40 capacity was expanded in 1971. In July of 1971 the decision was made to discontinue liquid Aroclor production at Anniston. In September of 1971 the Annistbn Plant became part of the Agricultural Division. Solid Aroclor production was discontinued in April of 1972. In 1972, increased demand for parathion began to place strong pressure on the capacities of the finished product and parathion intermediate departments. At.this same time, new legislation placed heavy environmental constraints on plant operations. - The Anniston Plant undertook an extensive debottlenecking program and by 1974 had increased parathion capacity to 47M pounds per year, meanwhile becoming self-sufficient in PNP and P^Sg. Pollution control projects to reduce sulfur dioxide were initiated and provide more effective dispersion of the remaining sulfur dioxide. ' Several projects were installed in 1974 - 1977, which N allowed the plant to make great strides in the environmental area. The plant was able to reduce sulfur dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by over 96% and eliminated process water flowing into local streams. These projects included an HjS ball, construction of a Recycle department and a claus sulfur recovery unit. The ' - . claus unit reduces sulfur dioxide by greater than 90%. These projects also eliminated the necessity for incineration of sulfur ' . JDSW 088089 HARTOLDMONO015096 X bearing residue and created significant yield improvement for the Intermediate process. The expanded *1 2^5 operation was successfully demonstrated in early 1977 and as a-result of the increased capacity, Anniston became a merchant seller of p2^5* Due to c^an9es i-n t^ie P2S5 merchant market these sales were consolidated to the WG Krummrich Plant. Early in 1985 Anniston once again, responding to Monsanto's needs, entered the PjSg merchant market. The PNP expansion was started up in October, . 1977. In a development arising after the PNP expansion, MICC finalized plans for APAP production requiring PNP from Anniston. This application has grown to a significant portion of our business in 1985. A facility to produce Refined Ethyl PCT (parathion intermediate) was constructed in 1980 to supply material to Dow Chemical Company. : ss In 1983, the final phase of the parathion environmental control projects was successfully started up. This project recovers sulfur which was previously landfilled and recycles not only the sulfur but also liquid organic material to the existing processes. .. (. ' OSH 088090 HARTOLDMONO015097 19 84 proved to be a year of many changes and improvements to the Anniston Plant. . ... ' , - A process to manufacture Refined Methyl PCT was developed and Anniston began production. - A Steady State Chlorination project was developed to improve raw material usages in Parathion. - A process change was developed to reduce sulfuric acid usage in PNP and improve product quality. " - A Host computer was installed in April, 1984. Computers were purchased to replace the outdated lab computers and a Provox Computer System was installed in the Polyphenyls area. This project has significantly reduced costs and improved ease of operation of the unit. Accounting, Maintenance, Personnel and Shipping all have purchased computers to assist in administrative work while other areas of the plant.have obtained terminals to the Host computer. dsw a*80*1 HARTOLDMON0015098 On October 25, 19 85;-' Monsanto announced that it was withdrawing from the Parathion business and would put the Anniston Plant on the sale block- Since that time sever'S.1 attempts to sell the plant have been unsuccessful. During the past 18 months however, the demands for the Anniston Plant Biphenyl products has improved to the point that efforts to sell the plant have ceased and a major restructuring of the plant is taking place to position it to stand alone as a small Monsanto facility. The plant has reduced its workforce from near 300 employees in .the 70' s to approximately 100 today. There are two basic products manufactured at the plant. Biphenyls which are a part of Monsanto's functional fluids products and.PNP which is used as a raw material in Monsanto's APAP process at the Luling, Louisiana Plant. Over the next several months many unneeded facilities will be dismantled and others will be consolidated to further reduce the plants operating cost. The key to the success of the Anniston Plant has been and will continue to be its employees. The plant has changed dramatically in 50 years. The faces of Anniston plant employees have also changed over the years but their dedication to the company, flexibility to change, and pride in the plant have brought this plant where it is today. Without the dedication of our employees, the plant would not be here today. SAFETY/sag OSH 0880.92 HART OLDMONO015099