Companies in Northeast Ohio Plan to Reduce Chemical Emissions
April 23, 2008 — The 55 facilities, including 15 in Northeast Ohio who voluntarily participate in Ohio EPA’s Tox- Minus pollution reduction challenge, will provide significant environmental benefits for Ohio, according to an Earth Week announcement by Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski. The companies’ pollution reduction goals are being publicly released for the first time today.
“I am very pleased with the level of interest shown by our Ohio business leaders and the commitment they are making to set aggressive voluntary pollution reduction goals,” Korleski said. He again extended his invitation to all companies to participate in the program.
Korleski proposed the Tox-Minus program last fall to encourage Ohio companies to take additional steps to reduce their emissions of chemicals reported under the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). He believes that reducing Ohio’s TRI emissions will result in a cleaner environment as well as help Ohio attract businesses and workers who value clean land, air and water. Forty-six facilities have submitted facility goals and nine additional facilities have submitted letters of commitment and are working on goals.
Examples of proposed reductions in Northeast Ohio include:
- a power plant plans to lower nitrogen oxide emissions
- an electric company is reducing TRI-listed emissions by 10 percent
- a chemical manufacturer aims to reduce TRI-listed chemical carbonyl sulfide emissions by
5 percent below 2007 TRI reports by 2012 - a fourth manufacturer has decided to reduce air emissions of two chemicals to zero,
eliminating the need to file any TRI reports
Companies submitted their reduction goals last month and some are already being implemented. Participants include some of Ohio’s largest manufacturers and a broad range of industries, including auto manufacturers, steel plants and utilities.
The Tox-Minus program has focused on 100 of the top toxic chemical reporters based on 2005 TRI data, but is open to any company that wants to participate. The Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention (OCAPP), a non-regulatory office within Ohio EPA, oversees the program and is available to assist companies in identifying pollution prevention and reduction opportunities.
More information about the companies participating, including a statewide list, is available at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/ocapp/tox-minus.html.
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Contact: Linda Fee Oros, (614) 644-2160