Purdue helps Indiana companies with polluti...( WEST LAFAYETTE Ind. -- Engineer...)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Engineers at Purdue University have shown in preliminary findings that pollution associated with several key Indiana industries could be reduced by more than 40 percent through an employee-training program.

The research is part of an effort to help companies comply with federal environmental guidelines for emissions of styrene, a chemical compound used to make fiber-reinforced plastics for products such as recreational vehicles, boats and shower stalls.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has changed how it estimates the annual quantity of styrene that a company emits, in effect doubling its estimates of emission levels. That could make it more difficult to meet federal and state air pollution regulations, says James R. Noonan, assistant director for education and technical assistance of the Indiana Clean Manufacturing Technology and Safe Materials Institute at Purdue.

The emission statistics for 1998 will be the first to reflect the higher levels. They will be released by state, federal and industry sources over the next year.

At the same time, EPA has proposed a more stringent air-quality standard for the concentration of ozone, a byproduct of styrene pollution, but a court challenge has placed those changes on hold.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management estimates that more than 4 million pounds of styrene are emitted in the state annually. Most of the emissions come from plants concentrated in northeastern Indiana.

Many of the Indiana companies that are affected by styrene-emission guidelines have fewer than 100 employees and lack the engineering resources to cope with the changes, Noonan says. As a result, a consortium has been organized by industry, the Purdue institute and the Greater Elkhart County Chamber of Commerce to research pollution-cutting steps, prove that they work and pay for employee training. The consortium is funded by a $90,000 gran
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Contact: Emil Venere
emil_venere@uns.purdue.edu
765-494-4709
Purdue University
29-Jul-1999