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Schirm USA, Inc. Eliminating Priority Chemical from Manufacturing Process

Release Date: 06/04/2010
Contact Information: Dave Bary at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(Dallas, Texas – June 4, 2010) Schirm USA, Inc. has pledged to strengthen their commitment to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) by eliminating their use of the priority chemical, trifluralin, from their agricultural chemical processing at their Ennis, Texas, facility.

Already a member of the NPEP program since 2007 for their reduction efforts with mercury, Schirm USA has been working with customers to identify a suitable reformulation of products that would allow for the reduction of trifluralin. This new goal will allow for the complete elimination of trifluralin from their manufacturing processes, one of 31 priority chemicals identified by the NPEP program as being a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemical.

“More and more companies are finding smart ways to conduct business and care for the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz. “It is good leadership when industry members not only stick with their commitments to the environment, but expand on them.”

“Schirm USA, Inc. is committed to protect, preserve, and enhance the quality of the work environment while conducting our daily primary activities,” said Schirm USA, Inc. Safety, Health and Environmental Manager Adam Fuentes. “We have integrated environmental stewardship and accountability into the performance of our operations and daily activities to promote continuous improvement of environmental performance.”

NPEP is an EPA program that promotes the voluntary reduction of hazardous chemicals. Through work with EPA, both public and private organizations identify activities that will reduce the use of these chemicals, preventing their release into the environment and causing harm to humans and the ecosystem. With over 250 partners across the country, the program has and continues to promote alternatives to hazardous chemical use, including recycling, substituting less hazardous alternatives, or reducing the quantities of these hazardous chemicals being used.

Additional information on the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities is available by visiting https://www.epa.gov/npep .

More about activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/jun2010.html