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Since the early 1900s, the Tennant family had raised cattle over rolling hills in the far western reaches of West Virginia, near the Ohio River. But in the late 1980s, […]

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.

Choccolocco Creek has the kind of name that makes you want to visit it; have your picture taken by the signboard. Best not though. It's near Anniston, Alabama, about halfway […]

The article discusses the PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) pollution in Anniston, AL, that came from a chemical plant owned by Monsanto.

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 [...]

Companies are beginning to change their environmental policies, with respect to global warming, as most scientists agree on its existence.

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 first Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference was held in the summer of 1997 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. to promote the concept of 'green chemistry' in mainstream chemical production. The move is aimed at reducing or eliminating environmentally-destructive products and pollution in all stages of chemical production. The event, which was attended by some 300 participants, was sponsored by the American Chemical Society, the Chemical manufacturers Association, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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.

Findings which consider chlorine as an environmental hazard have led to proposals to phase out chemicals containing the element. However, despite the success of some companies such as Monsanto Co. and Dow Chemical Co. to build chlorine-free facilities, many in the industry have remained opposed to the elimination of one of its most important materials. Politicians, furthermore, are not inclined to give the government more regulatory powers.

US chlorine and chlorine-compound plants are running at full capacity despite concerns about the impact of chlorine compounds on the environment. Analysts think that the current high levels will remain until 1998. Meanwhile, major capacity expansions are being undertaken by chlorine companies overseas. Anticipating future tightening of environmental regulations, the US chlorine industry is searching for new products that do no harm the environment, while engaging in strong media efforts to publicize the beneficial uses of chlorine.

The chemical industry is beginning to adopt processes that protect the integrity of the environment and to integrate sustainability into chemical research and development. This was made evident during a weeklong symposium on 'Design for the Environment: A New Paradigm for the 21st Century' during the 208th American Chemical Society National Meeting. Industry suggestions for 'green technology' ranged from nanotechology-based chemical manufacturing to zero-waste chemical processes.

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 [...]

No topic is more important to industry today than environmental and safety excellence. All industry must strive to achieve excellence, not just operate to the letter of current regulations. A [...]

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.

Will the chemical industry ever seriously implement Responsible Care? Does Responsible Care mean things are really going to change? How will we know if they have?" Those are the kinds […]

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 [...]

The Global Environment & Multinational Corporations The fact of human intervention in ecological processes is not in doubt. Despite uncertainties and continued controversy, human influences on the global environment appear […]