Emissions and waste generated by PPG Industries“ United States facilities, reported in two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programmes, increased in 1995 despite substantial reductions by coatin…
Emissions and waste generated by PPG Industries“ United States facilities, reported in two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programmes, increased in 1995 despite substantial reductions by coatings operations. The corporate 1995 net increase for releases under Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) right-to-know requirements was 203 tons, about 10%. However, the 2,301-ton total still represented a 78% reduction from 10,696 tons reported for 1988, TRI“s first reporting year. For the close-out year of EPA“s Industrial Toxics Program (ITP), a voluntary reduction initiative aimed at 17 priority compounds, PPG reported essentially no change for 1995 at 1,033 tons. With reductions in each of the previous seven years, 1995 releases were 79% less than 1988“s. G. Byron Edwards, director of environmental affairs and compliance assurance, said the 1995 increases “reflect challenges for sustaining the levels of major reductions accomplished in prior years, especially as manufacturing capacity grows. In the future, we will benefit from development of new technologies now that the majority of innovative process and product changes have been implemented.” PPG“s coatings operations recorded a 19% cut for TRI releases to 926 tons – down 218 tons from those reported in 1994. Releases in 1995 were 82% less than those reported for 1988. Releases of ITP compounds declined by 136 tons, or 15%, to 750 tons, with an 81% reduction since 1988. Reductions in both programmes have resulted from product and process changes, including aggressive recycling efforts. These gains were offset by a 50% increase among chemicals operations – a 415-ton rise, to 1,250 tons – although four of nine facilities reported reductions. The overall increase was attributed mainly to increased off-site waste transfers at PPG“s largest chemicals plant, higher production rates and the addition of a production facility. Even so, chemicals unit TRI releases were 77% less than eight years earlier. Although ITP releases increased by 137 tons, to 275 tons, 1995“s total was still 69% below 1988“s. Total glass facility TRI releases increased eight tons, or 16%, to 57 tons. Ironically, much of the rise was related to pollution prevention efforts: ammonia emissions from using the chemical in a furnace nitrogen oxide emissions reduction process, as well as one-time disposal of a lead-containing ceramic component of automotive glass parts that has been replaced with a PPG-developed lead-free material. Glass unit TRI releases were 80% less than those in 1988. ITP releases declined about four tons, or 35%, to about 7.5 tons, and were down 55% compared with 1988“s. Fibre glass units reported a 2% reduction from 1994 levels in TRI releases – which are related mainly to binder compounds for glass strands – to about 68.5 tons, despite high production levels; 1995 releases were 56% higher than 1988“s. Fibre glass units had no reportable ITP releases.