News Releases from Region 07

Valmont Industries of El Dorado, Kansas, Receives EPA Region 7 Pollution Prevention Award

04/23/2019

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913-551-7785

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pollution Prevention graphic (Lenexa, Kan., April 23, 2019) - Valmont Industries, a steel manufacturing facility in El Dorado, Kansas, received an EPA Region 7 Pollution Prevention (P2) Award today during ceremonies at the Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference at the Kansas City Convention Center.

Valmont established a sustainability improvement team that implemented a range of pollution prevention projects, including the replacement of a water downdraft plasma table with an air table. Projects also included the replacement of 51 floor fans with seven high-volume, low-speed celling fans and making efficiency improvements that reduced the seven-day production schedule to 4½ days while increasing product output.

As a result, these improvements decreased water use by approximately 160,000 gallons and electric use by approximately 234,600 kilowatt hours. In total, these water and energy reductions save Valmont Industries more than $41,000 a year.

“The Pollution Prevention Awards Program recognizes forward-thinking organizations that go beyond compliance to improve the environment and our quality of life,” said Jim Gulliford, EPA Region 7 administrator. “Increasingly, industries of our nation are coming to understand the value of pollution prevention – as an environmental strategy, a sustainable practice, and as a fundamental principle for our society.”

“Today, we recognize well-deserving, innovative organizations who have voluntarily undertaken programs and measures to reduce pollution at the source,” he said.

P2 is a successful, non-regulatory approach to energy conservation, water conservation, reduction of toxic materials used, and money savings. This awards program is designed to further recognize P2 successes and encourage others to consider a P2 approach.

P2 also emphasizes the reduction of direct environmental impacts and the use of resources and materials.