PPG chlorine plant faulted as major source of mercury pollution

Thursday, July 19, 2007

By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PPG Industries' chlorine production "PPG's dirty little secret is that changing facility in Natrium, W.Va., which technology is not as big of a challenge as releases more than 400 pounds of they seem to imply," said Jacqueline mercury into the air and the Ohio River Savitz, director of Oceana's Campaign to annually, is one of just five such plants Stop Seafood Contamination and co- in the United States still using an author of the report. "Their refusal to inefficient, polluting technology switch to mercury-free technology -- a invented in 1894. cost-effective solution adopted by the majority of plants around the world -- is If those five "renegade" facilities an outrage that should concern citizens switched from mercury-based to and shareholders alike." available mercury-free production methods, they could eliminate almost The international conservation 4,400 pounds of the pollution a year, organization said that since 1974, more according to a report released yesterday than 100 chlorine production facilities by Oceana as part of its campaign to have switched to one of two alternative reduce worldwide emissions of the toxic technologies that do not use or discharge metal that accumulates in fish and can mercury into the air or water. And by wind up on dinner plates. 2004, mercury-free technology was used to make 90 percent of the chlorine in the Although the mercury-free technology is United States. expensive to install, the Oceana report says it would use up to 37 percent less Betsy Mallison Bialosky, a PPG electricity, be more efficient, could Industries spokeswoman, said the result in increased production, and company has no plans to stop using the would eliminate costly mercury waste mercury-based chlorine production management and disposal charges. process at its Natrium facility, 20 miles from Pennsylvania's western border, and The report estimates conversion costs termed it a "business decision." can, in most cases, be recovered in five years. She said the company's customers demand the pure caustic soda chemical product -- termed "rayon grade" in the PPG's commitment to the mercury industry -- for making such things as process in Natrium was on display last pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, rubber month in the West Virginia courts where products and paints. the company lost an appeal of a West Virginia Environmental Quality Board "Our mercury-cell unit at the Natrium decision denying it a two-year waiver of plant manufactures the highest purity state pollution limits for mercury caustic available for our customers," Ms. discharges into the Ohio River. Bialosky said. "What's more, we strongly believe that mercury-cell But the West Virginia Department of technology can continue to be operated Environmental Protection has proposed in a manner protective of human health granting PPG's request for a "mixing and the environment." zone" for mercury discharges into the Ohio River. Instead of measuring the She said the company will spend about discharges at the end of its pipe, such a $3 million by the end of the year to zone would allow measurement reduce mercury discharges from the downriver, after the mercury has been facility, which opened in 1943, with a diluted. mercury-free diaphragm operation that was upgraded in 1984. The mercury cell According to the state agency's proposal, process, which makes chlorine and the average monthly discharge limit caustic soda by pumping saltwater would be allowed to increase from 12 to through mercury to produce a chemical 143 parts per trillion. reaction, was installed in 1957. Oceana said PPG discharges about 32 Ms. Bialosky said PPG has reduced pounds of mercury annually into the mercury releases at Natrium from 1,248 Ohio River, which is the drinking water pounds in 2004 to a little more than 400 source for many communities downriver pounds in 2005. from the plant.

That's still more than is released by any The other four mercury-cell chlorine of the 36 coal-fired power plants in plants are Ashta Chemicals in Ashtabula, Pennsylvania, and continues to be the Ohio; Olin Corp.'s plants in Charleston, largest source of mercury discharges into Tenn., and Augusta, Ga.; and ERCO water in West Virginia and its third Worldwide in Port Edwards, Wis. largest source of mercury air emissions. All five states where the plants operate PPG already has converted its chlor- have issued fish consumption advisories alkali plants in Canada and Taiwan to because of high mercury levels in their mercury-free processes, and is in the streams, rivers and lakes. The five process of converting its Louisiana chloride-alkali facilities are among the facility. Ms. Bialosky said that biggest mercury emitters in those states. conversion will cost the company $100 million, and isn't feasible in Natrium Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that because the plants serve different can affect humans who eat fish and markets. seafood. If mercury builds up in the body it can cause problems that range from loss of sensory and thought processes, to inability to walk, loss of balance, increased risk of heart disease and death.