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The authors propose that corporate environmental reporting varies by industry and evidences a larger strategy for political financial reporting.

The influence of environmental disclosures on business success is examined through the issue of toxic waste site liability of US chemical companies during the late 20th century.

On April 4, 2002 (67 FR 16154-16259), EPA proposed maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for miscellaneous organic chemical manufacturing processes and miscellaneous coating manufacturing. The miscellaneous organic chemical manufacturing [...]

A two-year project alliance between Dow Chemical Co. and environmental groups to reduce toxic chemical production has served as a model for such alliances. By the project's end on April 30, 1999, Dow was on track to cut production by 37% of listed toxic chemicals and to reduce by 43% the release of chemicals to the air and water, both above the 35% goals. The savings to Dow's waste treatment plan alone totalled $3.3 million annually.

OVERVIEW: Environmental management has become an issue of substantial concern, particularly in the chemical industry. A comparative study of U.S. and German chemical companies shows that they adopt substantially different strategies to express this concern. Four different strategies have been identified, and the characteristics that indicate responses to environmental factors are substantially different among the clusters. It is suggested that regulatory agencies should take these differences into account, and that companies that have adopted a particular strategy should be aware of alternative approaches by their competitors. The choice of new technology and the R&D portfolio will be affected by the strategies chosen.

Nitrogen & Methanol looks at how industry has responded to the increasing environmental regulations governing the production of nitric acid and NOx emissions. Four technologies are studied, including the application [...]

The chemical industry has been spending ever-increasing amounts on environmental protections to comply with tightening government regulations and to counter negative public perceptions of the effects of chemical production on the environment. The industry's environment-related expenditures grew from $898 mil in 1973 to $6.5 bil in 1994. The Chemical Manufacturers Association is looking to improve the industry's environmental performance to improve its image with the public and the government.

Grupo Cydsa (Monterrey), one of Mexico's largest domestic chemical producers, with sales of $850 million/year, is alos emerging as one of the most aggressive in improving environmental performance. During the [...]

McKinsey: How did Dow's environmental strategy develop? Popoff: It has evolved over the years -- in line with that of the chemical industry. We often characterize this evolution in terms [...]

Bold approaches to reforming the state's regulatory maze are appearing across Florida. The best news is these new methods rely on the market, protect the environment and get rid of [...]

A carefully thought out business strategy can turn environmental technologies into instruments of competitive advantage. Du Pont Corp and Henkel Corp have successfully influenced government legislations requiring the phaseout of chlorofluorocarbons and phosphates by initiating technological innovations even before the ban. This strategic move was motivated by the need to create new markets for substitutes, the research of which they have invested in heavily. Government incentives for strategic behavior should be created, but provisions should be provided to prevent increased market power.

Chemical firms are preparing to meet the challenges of the Chemical Manufacturers Assn's product stewardship code. These challenges include determining how to handle self-evaluation forms, educating sales personnel and prioritizing resources. Dow Chemical is considered to have the chemical industry's most advanced product stewardship program, but it still expects implementation of the code to be difficult., When the Chemical Manufacturers Association sent the draft product stewardship code out to its members for comment before approval, the overwhelming response was concern over how difficult they thought it [...]

The chemical industry appears to be satisfied with the Responsible Care initiative's distribution code for chemicals. Communication between distributors and suppliers has improved. Few firms expect to have major problems in implementing the provisions of the product stewardship code. The first round of self-evaluations for chemical firms was conducted in May 1991, and the second round is scheduled for Jun 1992., By the end of this month, the second round of companies' self-evaluations is due under the Responsible Care distribution code of management practice. The code was published about a year [...]

There are many ways chemical manufacturers can lower the environmental impact of oleochemical production. Some methods include the use of closed reactor, biofiltration and organic waste recovery/water treatment technologies. Oleochemicals, which are derived from oils and fats, are not toxic or dangerous, but they do emit a bad odor and are a source of waste. Technologies such as biofiltration seek to address these problems.

RESPONSIBLE CARE GAINS RESPECT Is Responsible Care a chemical-industry public relations crusade, or an idea whose time has come? Two years ago, that was an open question, but today the [...]

In November 1990 Peter M. Sandman, director of the environmental communication research program at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), gave a now-famous speech about public skepticism of the chemical industry's [...]

Solvents haven't gone away, in fact, environmentally friendly versions have been on the market for some time and continue to grab market share The landscape of solvents has been changing, [...]

Corporate environmental reports have evolved from effusive statements about environmental commitments in the late 1980s to more technical information in the late 1990s. Environmental reports enable chemical companies to inform financial institutions of their environmental investments and their environmental performance. Uniform accounting of these performances and goals would make the reports more useful and credible to observers., Since their introduction in the late 1980s, corporate environmental reports have catered to public demand by providing more technical information and fewer florid assertions about commitment to environmental protection. As [...]

The US chemical industry advocates a worldwide movement sponsoring research into the health effects of pollution, with special attention going to endocrine-disrupting effects of pesticides and industrial chemicals. Industry leaders and groups including the Chemical Manufacturers Assn, the International Council of Chemical Assns and the European Chemical Industry Council plan to fund this research with more than $20 million annually. The US Environmental Protection Agency wants to ensure impartial investigations in spite of industry contributions.

This article examines the current status on VOC emission control For close to three decades, North American industry has paved the way and has led the world in controlling volatile [...]

CMA board approval of responsible Care Management Systems Verification (MSV) earlier this year is a critical step for the U.S. chemical industry, which is trying to catch up with other [...]

Chemical companies' waste minimization practices and a slowdown in remediation efforts have environmental services players mired in tough times. Following 20%/year growth spurts in the 1980s, the business has matured [...]

In spite of all the economic pressures on businesses at the moment, European companies are still forging ahead with Responsible Care, says Louis Jourdan, senior director/technical affairs for the European [...]

Facing tough government regulation and intense international scrutiny, Mexico's chemical producers are attempting a radical environmental transformation. And with the industry already in an extensive restructuring because of the country's [...]

As an energy source in Europe, as an environmental breakthrough in North America, Ensyn Technologies' bio-oil is a winner all around Canadians are a rather skeptical lot. Breakthroughs in engineering/science [...]

With the U.S. chemical industry still spewing about 850 million lbs/year of toxic pollutants into the air, land, and water, the effort to develop environmentally cleaner process technologies-and pay for [...]

The chemical industry advocates waste incineration as an environmentally sound alternative to land disposal. Many environmental groups also oppose land disposal. However, they also question the industry's need to build [...]

The Reponsible Care program initiated by the Canadian Chemical Producers Assn has been accepted by chemical industry associations in 19 countries. Each country modifies the program according to its needs and culture but the main purpose of enhancing environmental health and safety remains. However, as a consequence of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the US, Canada and Mexico have begun efforts to integrate their different health, safety and environmental laws. In accordance to their Responsible Care initiatives, the three countries have established regulations for the transportation and distribution of chemical products across their borders. These actions have also initiated plans of developing a system to monitor all Responsible Care participants. The possibility of using the ISO 9000 quality system as well as third party audits are now being considered., Canadians who feel overshadowed by American culture and economic power can take pride in the fact that the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA) pioneered what many consider one of the [...]

Progress varies by company and culture How do chief executive of Western companies, from their plush offices, keep tabs on what happens at chemical plants in developing countries? Many point [...]

Outside reviews: Key to credibility Even the motto 'Don't trust us, track us' recognizes that verification of Responsible Care achievements by outside parties is the key to credibility. While Toxics [...]

Automotive coatings market adjusting to restriction on hazardous air pollutants while maintaining performance of exterior topcoats The automotive coatings industry moves into the 1990s under pressure from impending Clean Air [...]

Public and legislative pressures are compelling UK-based Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (ICI) to face up to its environmental responsibility. The chemical company, which releases thousands of tons of wastes that pollute air and water, has developed an environmental program with four goals: building factories in accordance with the highest international standards, reducing wastes by 50% within a five-year period, conserving energy and natural resources, and waste recycling. In 1991, ICI's environmental spending was placed at 340 million pounds sterling, a figure that is expected to reach one billion pounds within the next five years. The firm is trying to develop a substitute for the ozone-damaging choroflourocarbons, and promises to stop the manufacture of all harmful chemicals included in the 1989 Montreal Protocol by 1995.

The deadline for complying with the Responsible Care program of the Canadian Chemical Producers Assn (CCPA) is the end of 1992. The CCPA's evaluation of the progress made by the chemical industry reveals that the greatest problems are in the areas of community apathy, performance measurement and product stewardship. The CCPA has several options in measuring compliance, and it plans to provide assistance to firms that are unable to comply by the deadline., As the year-end deadline for compliance with the Canadian Chemical Producers Association's Responsible Care program approaches, the Ottawa-based association and its members are taking stock of the progress that has [...]

The chemical industry is making progress in community awareness and emergency response (CAER) programs for industrial accidents. Many firms, including Hoechst Celanese and Monsanto, are participating in at least one of the more than 160 community awareness panels that have been established. Chemical firms are conducting houses and plant tours and are publishing community newsletters. The success of the Responsible Care program depends on the effectiveness of CAER., Even though the third-year self-evaluations will not be available until July, David Hastings, the Chemical Manufacturers Association's associate director in charge of community awareness and emergency response (CAER), says that [...]

The chemical industry's Responsible Care program has received increased public attention, but not all of this attention has been positive. Advertisements in national magazines have increased, and employee morale and employee relations have improved as a result of the program, which encourages environmental responsibility. However, environmental groups have begun to challenge Responsible Care. One criticism of the program is that the chemical industry's lobbying practices are not compatible with the initiative., The past year has been a watershed for the Responsible Care program. On the positive side of the dividing line, it has gone public in national magazine advertisements that have [...]

For General Chemical (Parsippany, NJ), implementing Responsibe Care is largely a story of a small-to-medium-size chemical firm coordinating separate efforts in the U.S. and Canada. The same is true for [...]

A common corporate view on environmental controls is that they need to be embraced. Contrary to President Bush's position going into the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, some industry [...]