Issues: Community Development, Well-being, Environmental Releases
Stakeholders: Employees, Communities
Region: North America
The reduction in toxic air releases has been one of the North American rolling group's top priorities for the last decade. Programs have been implemented to reduce toxic air releases as quantified in the EPA's (US Environmental Protection Agency) Toxic Release Inventory and Canada's NPRI since the late 1980s. The result is a 70% reduction in toxic air releases since 1989.
A majority of the air releases are associated with the group's volatile organic carbon (VOC) emissions from coil coating operations and with our aluminum casting operations, where hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a by-product of the metal cleaning operation. VOC and HCl emissions have been greatly reduced through a number of pollution prevention solutions and pollution control upgrades resulting in a safer and cleaner environment.
North America Rolled Products Hazardous Air Releases (lbs/yr)
NARP Air Toxic Releases*
The positive downward trend is a combination of new technological processes and improved systems controls. Major efforts continue towards further reductions.
