The Vinyl Institute Recognizes Top Companies for Safety and Environmental Excellence

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 18, 2012 – The Vinyl Institute Inc. (VI) announced the recipients of VI’s annual top safety and environmental awards, given to companies in the vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) industry for improving worker safety and protecting the environment at plant sites throughout North America. 
 
“These awards demonstrate the vinyl resin manufacturer’s unwavering commitment to worker safety and protecting the environment,” according to Richard Doyle, President of The Vinyl Institute.  “Over the past 25 years this commitment has resulted in an 83 percent reduction in vinyl chloride emissions, while our industry’s PVC resin production has increased by 77 percent. 

“Further,” Doyle continued, “Our industry’s occupational injury and illness rate has improved 81 percent during the past 15 years. This is a remarkable achievement, and underscores the importance the vinyl industry places on worker safety and the environment.  Jobs, economic output, exports, worker safety and the environment stewardship are all major parts of our industry’s pursuit of sustainable development.”

The Vinyl Institute’s Environmental Excellence Awards are based on outstanding performance under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and an outstanding track record of environmental performance for five or more years.

The winner for 19 consecutive years of outstanding performance was: 

• Shintech, Inc.’s PVC plant in Freeport, Texas.

Other winners were:

• The PolyOne Corporation’s PVC plant in Pedricktown, N.J., for 16 consecutive years of achievement.
  
• OxyVinyls, LP’s PVC plant in Deer Park, Texas, for 9 consecutive years of achievement.

The environmental criteria for VI’s Environmental Honor Award includes emissions reduction under the NESHAP, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).  The VI awarded two plants with the Environmental Honor Award, one in the PVC category and one in the EDC/VCM category.  This year’s winners of this award are:

• Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., for its PVC plant in Delaware City, Del.
  
• Westlake PVC Company’s EDC/VCM plant in Calvert City, Ky.

The Vinyl Institute’s Safety Excellence Award is based upon federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recordable incidents, which are defined as an occupational injury or illness resulting in medical treatment.  The award, which recognizes plants with five or more consecutive years with no recordable incidents, was presented to:

• OxyVinyls, LP, for its PVC plant in Pedricktown, N.J., with 9 consecutive years of no recordable incidents.
  
• The PolyOne Corporation, for its PVC plant in Pedricktown, N.J., with 8 consecutive years of no recordable incidents.

VI’s Safety Performance Awards recognize efforts to improve worker safety based upon the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recordable incidence rate.  As defined by OSHA, a recordable incident involves an occupational injury or illness resulting in medical treatment.  The award, which recognizes plants with no recordable incidents, was presented to four companies in the vinyl and EDC/VCM categories.  The winners are:

• Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., for its PVC plants in Baton Rouge, La., and Point Comfort, Texas, its EDC/VCM plant in Point Comfort, Texas, and its EDC plant in Point Comfort, Texas.
  
• Occidental Chemical Corporation for its EDC plant in Convent, La.
  
• OxyVinyls, LP, for its PVC plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and its EDC/VCM plants in Deer Park, Texas, and La Porte, Texas.
  
• The PolyOne Corporation for its PVC plant in Henry, Ill.

The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC vinyl in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC and vinyl products to society. 

For more information, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
571-970-3327
jpalmer@vinylinfo.org