The Vinyl Institute Recognizes Leading Companies for Outstanding Health, Safety, and Environmental Performance

Nov. 12, 2020

WASHINGTON – The Vinyl Institute (VI), the U.S. trade association representing manufacturers of vinyl resin, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), additives, and modifiers, announced recipients of its annual health, safety and environmental awards, which are given to companies in the vinyl industry for safeguarding workers and protecting the environment at manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. This year, VI recognized 36 facilities with 52 awards for outstanding performance.

These awards are based on facility performance according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable incidents, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), other regulatory permit performance, and the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory data for air and water during the 2019 calendar year.

“Our industry is fully committed to the safety of our workers and environmental practices, and this is evident by the large number of awards we’re presenting this year,” said VI President and CEO Ned Monroe. “Worker health and safety continues to be a long-term goal in our sustainability journey, and we’re proud of the major investments our member companies have made and continue to make to ensure employee health and safety and in finding additional ways to reduce emissions. In fact, our resin and monomer producer members have an occupational injury and illness rate that is less than one third of the chemical industry. And since 1987, VCM emissions have reduced by 88 percent, while PVC resin production has increased by 100 percent.”

Each year, VI proudly recognizes facilities in the PVC, EDC/VCM, plasticizer production, additive production and chlorinated PVC compounding categories that have achieved outstanding performance in four categories: Safety Excellence, Safety Performance, Environmental Excellence and Environmental Honor.

Safety Excellence Award

This award recognizes consistent adherence to OSHA safety regulations and recognizes plants with five or more consecutive years with no recordable incidents. This award was presented to:

• Formosa Plastics Corporation, PVC Compounding plant, Point Comfort, TX (9 consecutive years of performance)
• Oxy Vinyls LP, EDC/VCM plant, Deerpark, TX (7 consecutive years of performance)
• Shintech Louisiana LLC, PVC plant, Plaquemine, LA (7 consecutive years of performance)
• Westlake Vinyls Company LP, PVC plant, Geismar, LA (10 consecutive years of performance)
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Baton Rouge, LA (8 consecutive years of performance)
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Long Beach, CA (6 consecutive years of performance)
• Teknor Apex Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Brownsville, TN (6 consecutive years of performance)

Safety Performance Award

This award recognizes efforts to improve worker safety based upon federal OSHA recordable incidents, which are defined as an occupational injury or illness resulting in medical treatment. This award, which recognizes plants with no recordable incidents for the reporting year, was presented to:

• Formosa Plastics Corporation, EDC/VCM plant, Point Comfort, TX
• Formosa Plastics Corporation, EDC-only plant, Point Comfort, TX
• Formosa Plastics Corporation, PVC plant, Point Comfort, TX
• Formosa Plastics Corporation, PVC Compounding plant, Point Comfort, TX
• K-Bin Inc., PVC Compounding plant, Freeport, TX
• Occidental Chemical Corporation, EDC-only plant, Convent, LA
• Occidental Chemical Corporation, EDC-only plant, Geismar, LA
• Occidental Chemical Corporation, EDC/VCM plant, Ingleside, TX
• Oxy Vinyls LP, PVC plant, Pedricktown, NJ
• Oxy Vinyls LP, EDC/VCM plant, Deerpark, TX
• Shintech Inc., PVC plant, Freeport, TX
• Shintech Louisiana, LLC, PVC plant, Plaquemine, LA
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, PVC plant, Calvert City, KY
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Aberdeen, MS
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, PVC/CPVC Compounding plant, Aberdeen, MS
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, Lake Charles North EDC/VCM plant, Westlake, LA
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, Lake Charles South EDC-only plant, Westlake, LA
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, Lake Charles South EDC/VCM plant, Westlake, LA
• Westlake Compounds LLC, PVC Compounding plant, Prairie, MS
• Westlake Vinyls Company LP, EDC/VCM plant, Geismar, LA
• Westlake Vinyls Company LP, PVC plant, Geismar, LA
• Dow Chemical Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Louisville, KY
• Eastman Chemical Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Chestertown, MD
• Eastman Chemical Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Kingsport, TN
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Baton Rouge, LA
• Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., PVC plant, Louisville, KY
• Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., CPVC Compounding plant, Louisville, KY
• Vestolit USA, PVC plant, Henry, IL
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Long Beach, CA
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Pasadena, TX
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, St. Remi, Quebec
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Terre Haute, IN
• Teknor Apex Company, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Brownsville, TN

Environmental Excellence Award

This award is based on outstanding track record of performance for five or more consecutive years under EPA’s NESHAPs, and other environmental permit requirements. The following facilities demonstrated continued outstanding performance in 2019:

• Formosa Plastics Corporation, EDC-only plant, Point Comfort, TX (8 consecutive years of performance)
• Formosa Plastics Corporation, PVC Compounding plant, Point Comfort, TX (9 consecutive years of performance)
• Occidental Chemical Corporation, EDC-only plant, Convent, LA (8 consecutive years of performance)
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Aberdeen, MS (7 consecutive years of performance)
• Westlake Chemical Corporation, PVC/CPVC Compounding plant, Aberdeen, MS (7 consecutive years of performance)
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Avon Lake, OH (6 consecutive years of performance)
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Long Beach, CA (6 consecutive years of performance)
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Pasadena, TX (6 consecutive years of performance)
• GEON Performance Solutions, PVC Compounding plant, Terre Haute, IN (6 consecutive years of performance)
• Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., CPVC Compounding plant, Louisville, KY (5 consecutive years of performance)

Environmental Honor Award

The criteria for this award includes emissions reduction under the NEHSAP, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for air and water. This award is presented to two plants, one in the PVC category and one in the EDC/VCM category. The facilities achieving this award for performance during 2019 were:

• EDC/VCM category: Westlake Chemical Corporation, EDC/VCM plant, Calvert City, KY
• PVC category: Formosa Plastics Corporation, SPVC plant, Point Comfort, TX

2020 Lifetime Achievement Award

In addition to the Health, Safety and Environmental Awards, the VI bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award to an outstanding individual at Vinyl360. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes outstanding service to the vinyl industry during a person’s career. This year’s recipient was the T.T. Chao Family, of Westlake Chemical Corporation, for their lifelong commitment to innovation and growth of the U.S. vinyl industry.

2020 Partner of the Year Award

Finally, VI recognized Dick Church, Executive Director of the Plastic Pipe & Fittings Association, as Partner of the Year, for his continued contributions to the vinyl and PVC pipe industries, and advocacy for fair standards and regulations for industry members.

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About the Vinyl Institute:
The Vinyl Institute (VI), founded in 1982, is a U.S. trade association representing the leading manufacturers of vinyl, vinyl chloride monomer, vinyl additives, and modifiers. The VI works on behalf of its members to promote the benefits of the world’s most versatile plastic, used to make everything from PVC piping to flooring, roofing and vinyl siding. The vinyl industry in the United States employs over 350,000 highly skilled employees at nearly 3,000 facilities and generates an economic value of $54 billion. For more information, visit vinylinfo.org.