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Crompton Corporation (Formerly Witco Corporation)
EPA Press Release
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION III - OFFICE OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
841 Chestnut Building
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-4431
Phone - 215/566-5120 Fax - 215/566-5102Contact: Ruth Podems
(215) 566-5540
July 11, 1997
EPA HELPS OSI SPECIALTIES COMPETE IN CHEMICAL MARKET
PHILADELPHIA -- An innovative Environmental Protection Agency program is helping chemical company OSi Specialties, Inc. compete more effectively in the chemical market.
EPA's Project XL allows the company's facility in Sistersville, W.Va. flexibility in reducing air emissions and hazardous waste from two hazardous waste lagoons located on site. This flexibility will result in cost savings to the company and pollution reductions which are greater than current EPA regulations require.
New EPA air standards would have required that the company, a subsidiary of Witco Corporation of Friendly, W. Va., spend approximately $2.5 million to cover the lagoons in order to control certain air emissions, or replace them with above-ground tanks.
Instead, under the XL agreement, the company, which produces a broad range of silicone and silane products, will install a vent incinerator which will burn off air emissions from the waste stream. As a result, facility-wide air emissions will be reduced by about 309,000 pounds per year.
In addition, OSi will reuse and recycle methanol that is currently sent to its on-site wastewater treatment plant, resulting in a reduction of about 815,000 pounds per year of sludge which is currently disposed of in OSi's on-site landfill.
Finally, the company will analyze its overall operations to identify other ways to minimize and prevent the generation of waste. The EPA, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and a community representative will participate in this process.
"Project XL achieves a common sense approach to environmental regulation, making it easier for businesses to compete," said W. Michael McCabe, EPA's regional administrator. In the case of OSi, the public will benefit from lower air emissions and less hazardous waste being generated. The company will enjoy a tremendous cost savings."
EPA's Project XL, which stands for excellence and leadership, is a national pilot program launched by President Clinton allowing companies to test flexible environmental regulations, on condition that the public benefits from reduced pollution. In exchange for emission reductions, companies are encouraged to propose alternative equipment, processes and pollution controls outside the regulatory requirements.
To date, three other XL projects have been finalized -- 1) Berry Corporation, a juice processing plant in LaBelle, Fla., 2) Intel, a computer chip manufacturer in Chandler, Ariz., and 3) Weyerhauser, a pulp and paper mill in Ogelthorpe, Ga.
OSi's XL proposal was published in the Federal Register on June 27, 97 and is subject to public comment before it becomes final. To obtain copies of the XL documents or provide comments, contact Cheryl Atkinson, U.S. EPA Region III, 841 Chestnut Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or L. Nancy Birnbaum, U.S. EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W., Room 3134CY Mall (2129), Washington, D.C. 20460.
Comments may also be faxed or e-mailed to Ms. Atkinson at (215) 566-3114, atkinson.cheryl@epamail.epa.gov or Ms. Birnbaum at (202) 401-6637, birnbaum.nancy@epamail.epa.gov. To view the documents on the Internet go to https://www.epa.gov/projectxl. Public files on the Project are also located at the Sistersville, W.Va. library. Public comments must be postmarked by July 28, 1997.