COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 8, 2012--
W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE: GRA) has received Responsible Care®
Energy Efficiency Awards, Facility Safety Certificates and a Performance
Award from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) for implementing energy
efficiency improvements and achieving certain safety and product
stewardship milestones.
Individual ACC member companies nominated specific energy efficiency
projects and safety milestone achievements for recognition. Winners were
selected by members of the judging committee, and were recognized at the
2012 Responsible Care® Conference and Expo in Hollywood,
Florida on April 30.
The Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Awards Program is
among ACC’s many ongoing initiatives to improve energy efficiency in the
chemical industry. In 2011, the total annual energy savings achieved by
all of the projects that won ACC awards was 16.9 trillion BTUs—enough to
power all the homes in a city the size of Norfolk, Virginia for one year
(95,000 housing units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau).
The Energy Efficiency Program Award is
given to companies with broad programs to achieve energy-efficiency
improvements, with components such as establishing energy teams, goal
setting, communications, management support and recognition. Grace’s
Alumina manufacturing plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana received an
Energy Efficiency Program Award for reducing its steam and natural gas
usage by 80% and 15%, respectively, from 2010 to 2011.
The Environmental Impact Award is given for
initiatives with substantial environmental benefits, including
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to improvements in
energy efficiency. Grace’s Lake Charles facility won an Environmental
Impact Award for reducing the volume of waste water requiring treatment
by 25% from 2010 to 2011.
The Non-Manufacturing Improvement Award is
given for improvements resulting from energy-efficient lighting,
insulation and other building improvements, and other non-manufacturing
energy improvements. Grace’s global headquarters in Columbia, Maryland
won a Non-Manufacturing Improvement Award for reducing its electricity
and natural gas usage by 12% and 7%, respectively, from 2010 to 2011.
These changes reduced the company’s annualized emissions of carbon
dioxide by 8,594 short tons.
A total of 13 Grace locations received Facility Safety Certificates.
Facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Chattanooga and Mt. Pleasant,
Tennessee; Chicago 51st Street and 65th Street,
Illinois; Columbia, Maryland; East Chicago, Indiana; Edison, New Jersey;
Hesperia, California; and Houston, Texas received Certificates
of Excellence for having operated without fatalities, days away
from work, safety-related job transfers or restricted work among both
employees and contractors in 2011.
Grace’s facility in Chicago 71st Street, Illinois, received a Certificate
of Honor for having operated without fatalities, days away from
work or safety-related restricted work in 2011.
Grace’s facilities in Curtis Bay (Baltimore), Maryland and Deerfield,
Illinois received Certificates of Achievement
for having operated without fatalities or days away from work in 2011.
For the first time, Grace also received the Responsible
Care® Performance Award,
which recognizes member companies who excelled at helping ACC meet
industry-wide safety and product stewardship targets. The award
recognized the company’s improvements in recordable and lost time
incident rates; having operated without fatalities; and, improvement in
the number of product stewardship summaries that are publicly available.
“We lead with safety, everyday,” said Karen Ethier, Grace’s Vice
President of Global Environment, Health and Safety. “Being recognized in
the industry for our environment, health, safety and energy improvement
performance is great recognition for the Grace teams that focus on these
issues every day.”
Grace received Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Awards
from the American Chemistry Council in 2009, 2010 and 2011, as well as
Facility Safety Certificates in 2010 and 2011.
About Grace
Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts; engineered and
packaging materials; and, specialty construction chemicals and building
materials. The company’s three industry-leading business segments—Grace
Catalysts Technologies, Grace Materials Technologies and Grace
Construction Products—provide innovative products, technologies and
services that enhance the quality of life. Grace employs approximately
6,000 people in over 40 countries and had 2011 net sales of $3.2
billion. More information about Grace is available at www.grace.com.
About the American Chemistry Council
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies
engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of
chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people’s
lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved
environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®,
common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues,
and health and environmental research and product testing. More
information about ACC is available at www.americanchemistry.com.
Source: W. R. Grace & Co.
W. R. Grace & Co.
Media Relations
Greg Euston, +1
404-775-0285
greg@mcgraweuston.com
or
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Relations
Mark Sutherland, +1 410-531-4590
mark.sutherland@grace.com