Several companies have been named as 1999''s top-performing North American plant sites in the vinyl industry for their efforts to improve worker safety and protect the environment.
The Vinyl Institute (VI) awards, presented annually, recognize VI members having the best safety and environmental performance in vinyl production.
The Safety Performance Award goes to facilities with the lowest Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordable incidence rates. Winners in the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) category are Geon Co. plants in Henry, Ill., and Pedricktown, N.J., and OxyVinyls plants in Pedricktown, Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Scotford, Alberta. Winners in the ethylene dichloride/vinyl chloride monomer category are the Formosa Plastics Corp. plant in Point Comfort, Texas, and the OxyVinyls plant in Ingleside, Texas.
The Environmental Achievement Award is based on one-year performance under the Environmental Protection Agency''s National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The Environmental Excellence Award recognizes five or more consecutive years of winning the Achievement Award.
Environmental Excellence Award winners are, for nine consecutive years, CertainTeed Corp.''s PVC plant in Sulphur, La., Georgia Gulf''s PVC facility in Oklahoma City, Okla., and Shintech''s PVC plant in Freeport, Texas. Geon Co.''s PVC plant in Pedricktown, N.J., was honored for six consecutive years of achievement.
Environmental Achievement Award winners are Borden Chemicals and Plastics plants in Addis, La., and Geismar, La.; Formosa Plastics Corp. plants in Baton Rouge, La., and Point Comfort, Texas; Geon Co. plant in Henry, Ill.; Georgia Gulf Corp. plant in Lake Charles, La.; and OxyVinyls plants in Pasadena, Texas, Deer Park, Texas, Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Scotford, Alberta.
by Todd Nighswonger