The Governor's Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention have been presented since 1986. Amoco Performance Products, Inc., Marietta was one of five recipients to receive the Award in 1993. Governor George V. Voinovich presented the seventh annual awards on December 9, 1993. These awards recognize outstanding commitment to improve Ohio's environment through pollution prevention. Evaluation criteria for the awards included: the overall effort to reduce waste at the source, recycle or recover materials, or conserve energy; soundness of approach; cost-effectiveness; ability of the program to serve as a model for others; and effectiveness in promoting prevention as the preferred long-term approach.

What is Pollution Prevention?

Pollution prevention is the use of source reduction techniques to reduce risk to public health, safety, welfare and the environment and, as a second preference, the use of environmentally sound recycling to achieve these same goals. Pollution prevention avoids cross media transfers (of wastes and/or pollutants) and is multi-media in scope, addressing all waste and environmental releases to the air, water and land.

Amoco Performance Products, Inc.

Amoco Performance Products, Inc. has been recognized for a strategic approach to pollution prevention that has resulted in significant reductions in air emissions, solid and hazardous waste generation and water usage.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, Amoco Performance Products, Inc. manufactures specialty engineering polymers which are used in a variety of applications.

Pollution Prevention Activities

Amoco Performance Products has demonstrated its environmental commitment through a successful, strategic approach to pollution prevention.

As part of its continuous improvement process, Amoco formed teams to evaluate environmental releases to the air and water and will be forming a team for land releases. These teams are responsible for identifying pollution prevention opportunities.

As a result of these efforts, Amoco has reduced air emissions by nearly 40% from 1990 to 1992. This reduction was achieved through the implementation of several projects and new operational and managerial practices.

In order to decrease air emissions, Amoco undertook two vent consolidation projects. In addition to reducing air emissions, these projects facilitate the collection and recycling of solvents.

The company has also reduced the use of methyl chloride solvent through process improvements and procedural changes. This decrease in the use of methyl chloride will enable the company to avoid installing an incinerator while still doubling the production of polysulfone. By meeting the state's toxic policy without installing an incinerator, Amoco saves $1,200,000 in capital and $445,000 in annual expenses.

Amoco also upgraded both filtering equipment and extruders in order to reduce point source and fugitive emissions.

Short term benefits from these pollution prevention projects include compliance with existing permit conditions, capital and maintenance cost avoidances associated with compliance methods, environmental benefit and an enhanced public image of Amoco as a good corporate citizen.

Amoco Performance Products, Inc., has also reduced its solid and hazardous waste generation through its team approach.

Amoco's Research and Development and Marietta personnel concluded that the chlorobenzene, which had been previously incinerated, could be reclaimed and reused in the production process. By reusing the chlorobenzene, Amoco has eliminated approximately 500,000 lbs/year of hazardous waste, and saved nearly $115,000 per year.

The company discontinued the use of cadmium-based pigments after conducting an extensive study on non-cadmium based pigments. By substituting a non-cadmium based pigment, Amoco was able to reclassify the waste stream as non-hazardous, and eliminate approximately 38,000 lbs/year (73 drums) of hazardous waste at an estimated cost savings of $10,000 per year.

Amoco's recycling of paper, pallets and metals has reduced the amount of solid waste landfilled by approximately 50%. By cutting its solid waste in half, Amoco has avoided even higher tipping fees.

Short term benefits from these pollution prevention projects include capital and maintenance cost avoidances, reductions in hazardous waste transportation and disposal costs, and reductions in emissions reported under the Toxic Release Inventory. Long term benefits include annual cost avoidance, environmental benefit and enhanced corporate image.

Amoco Performance Products has decreased water usage from 600,000 gallons per day to 300,000 gallons per day. Amoco continues to search for methods to reduce water use or to reuse water in other processes in the plant.

Looking Ahead

Amoco intends to reduce fugitive emissions through monitoring programs in both process units. These fugitive monitoring programs will pro-actively reduce future emissions and emissions estimates. Furthermore, Amoco plans to reduce VOC (volatile organic compounds) point source emissions by the following methods:

• route remaining tank vents to existing control devices;
• implement process and operational improvements in the filtering system;
• route all remaining VOC process point sources from both units to existing control devices;

Amoco will also continue to evaluate reduction of methyl chloride usage, primarily in the Multipurpose Polymer Unit, by implementing process, operational and mechanical improvements. As methyl chloride use is reduced, associated emissions will be reduced.

For More Information

Amoco Performance Products, Inc.
P.O. Box 446
Marietta, OH 45750
Francisco J. Vacas
(614) 374-6187

This document is one of a series of information circulars Ohio EPA has prepared on pollution prevention. For more information, call the Office of Pollution Prevention at (614) 644-3469.