ACC Recognizes Chemical Industry Leaders for Excellence in Environmental, Health, Safety and Security Initiatives

MIAMI (March 29, 2022) — Today, at the 2022 Responsible Care^® & Sustainability Conference & Expo, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) recognized chemical industry leaders for their exceptional environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) performance and commitment to sustainability and sound chemicals management.

The annual conference educates EHS&S and sustainability leaders at ACC member and Responsible Care Partner companies about new developments and processes to help enhance their company’s commitment to Responsible Care and sustainability, and promote safe operations and chemicals management throughout the value chain.

Responsible Care awardees qualify based on exemplary performance and are selected by a committee of internal and external experts. The following industry awards were announced today:

The Responsible Care Employee of the Year Award recognizes member and Partner company employees who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in Responsible Care. This year, ACC presents this honor to two member company and one Partner company employees:

• The Member Company Employee of the Year is Andy Piper, Global Responsible Care Manager at Ashland. Since 2016, Andy has been a team member and lead auditor for Ashland’s third-party certification audits. He was involved in performing internal audits that led to Ashland receiving an RC14001^® certificate for its eight U.S. sites and one European site. Andy also led the effort toward Ashland’s goal of achieving certification at all its manufacturing locations. He has demonstrated exceptional personal commitment and leadership in support of the Responsible Care management system throughout Ashland, attending every third-party certification audit domestically and internationally. Andy also has served as the chair for ACC’s Responsible Care committee since 2018 and has contributed to efforts to define and refine RCMS^® and RC14001^® technical specifications.
• The Member Company Employee of the Year is Teresa Keating, Global Director of EH&S Operations at Dow. Teresa has a long history of inspiring and leading others in outstanding EHS&S performance. In 2021, under Teresa’s leadership, Dow achieved zero fatalities and surpassed the company’s best-ever performance in consecutive days without a severe injury. Theresa had introduced Dow’s Flatten the Curve initiative in 2020, which features front line employees sharing stories to help prevent severe injuries and fatalities. These sessions, now called “What’s the Worse that Can Happen?”, have been attended virtually by thousands of Dow employees and contractors and are considered to have directly led to Dow’s improved safety performance.
• The Partner Company Employee of the Year is Tanya Rogers, Corporate Compliance Manager at Quantix Dry Bulk Transportation. Tanya is actively engaged in numerous committees and work groups, focused on updating Responsible Care’s Codes of Management Practices, enhancing the initiative’s third-party auditing program, and developing tools for ACC companies to use to assess the EHS&S performance of their commercial partners. During multiple acquisitions, Tanya has guided each corporate entity through their Responsible Care Certification process.    

The Responsible Care Partner Company of the Year Award recognizes the superb performance and safety record of companies involved in the distribution, transportation, storage, use, treatment, disposal and/or sales and marketing of chemicals. This year’s Responsible Care Partner Company of the Year Award recipients are repeat winners: Highway Transport Logistics, Inc., based in Knoxville, Tenn.; Total Quality Logistics, LLC, based in Cincinnati; and WTS, Inc., based in Lewiston, N.Y. 

The Responsible Care New Company of the Year Award recognizes a company that has joined Responsible Care during the most recent certification cycle and fulfilled their obligations ahead of schedule. This year’s New Company of the Year Award winner is Quantix In-Plant Services based in The Woodlands, Texas.

The Responsible Care Product Safety Award recognizes ACC member and Responsible Care Partner companies that have excelled at driving continuous improvement in chemical product safety. Three companies received the 2022 Product Safety Award for the following initiatives:

• Covestro LLC: Desmopack™ RC: Rapid Curing Resins for High Performance Flexible Packaging Adhesives
• Trinity Industries, Inc.: TrinityRail^® Hourglass™
• Veolia Regeneration Services: First Order Procedure

The Waste Minimization, Reuse and Recycling Award provides ACC member and Responsible Care Partner companies an opportunity to share their achievements in the areas of waste minimization, reuse and recycling. This year, ACC presented this award to 17 companies with substantial achievements (*Denotes Exceptional Merit):

• Afton Chemical Corporation:
  • Filter Rebuild Reduction initiative (Waste Minimization Category)
  • Lime Waste Minimization initiative (Waste Minimization Category)

• Albemarle Corporation:
  • Improved Soda Ash Usage and Control initiative* (Waste Minimization Category)

• Arkema, Inc.:
  • Beaumont Texas Waste Reduction Project* (Waste Minimization Category)

• Ascend Performance Materials, LLC: 
  • Pallet Recycling initiative (Recycling Category)

• Celanese:
  • Ohio River Operation Clean Sweep Efforts (Waste Minimization Category)
  • Pensacola Plant – Reduce Waste to Landfill initiative (Waste Minimization Category)

• Covestro LLC & WTS, Joint Project: 
  • Stewardship Beyond the Fence Line initiative (Waste Minimization Category)

• Dow:
  • Deer Park Operations B3/B4 Light Ends Optimization initiative (Waste Minimization Category)

• FMC Corporation: 
  • Centrate Recovery to Reduce Off-Site Recycling (Reuse and Recycle Categories)
  • Plastics Recycling initiative (Recycle Category)

• Hexion, Inc.:
  • UF Distillate Waste Reduction – Sheboygan, WI* (Waste Minimization Category)

• Innospec Specialty Chemicals:
  • Manufacturing Process Improvement initiative (Waste Minimization Category)

• LANXESS Corporation & WTS, Inc. Joint Project:
  • MIBK Reuse initiative (Reuse Category)

• Occidental Chemical Corporation:
  • Brine Recovery Study (Waste Minimization and Reuse Categories)
  • Chloroprene Treatment initiative (Waste Minimization Category)
  • Cooling Tower Cascade Improvements (Waste Minimization Category)
  • Light Ends Drying* (Reuse Category)
  • PVC Losses to WWTP* (Waste Minimization Category)
  • Reduction in Ion Exchange Column* (Waste Minimization Category)

• SABIC: 
  • Process Optimization at Bay St. Louis Plant (Waste Minimization Category)

• Trinity Industries, Inc.:
  • TrinityRail Sustainable Railcar Conversion Program* (Reuse Category)

• W.R. Grace & Co.: 
  • Molybdenum and Tungsten Waste Minimization (Recycling Category)
  • Production Line Optimization (Waste Minimization Category)

The Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Awards recognize ACC member companies for initiatives to improve energy efficiency in facility operations. Member companies are required to consider operational energy efficiency and waste minimization, reuse and recycling when developing their environmental, health, safety and security plans. Companies receiving the award in 2022 and their recognized initiatives include (*Denotes Exceptional Merit):

• Albemarle Corporation
  • Energy Efficiency Gain Through Improved Level Control and Instrumentation

• Ascend Performance Materials, LLC
  • Chocolate Bayou Solar Energy Transition

• BASF Corporation
  • ISO 50001 Certification Program*
  • Rooftop Economizer
  • Electrical Reduction Project
  • VFD Instillations Process Control Automation

• Celanese
  • Clear Lake New Air Compressor
  • Energy Treasure Hunt in a World of COVID
  • Environmental Sustainability Data Reporting Application Upgrade*

• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC
  • Continuous Improvement at the Borger Texas Plant
  • Continuous Energy Improvement at Chevron Phillips Orange Plant
  • Chevron Phillips LP Old Ocean Continuous Improvement
  • Pasadena Plastics Complex Saving Fuel through Operational Excellence
  • Chevron Phillips LP Sweeney Unity 24 Efficiency Improvements*

• Dow
  • Flare Upgrade Project

• DuPont
  • Enhance Sustainability: CO2 Reduction & Energy Savings in Kevlar® Manufacturing
  • Delrin® Chiller Improvement
  • E315 Chiller Upgrade
  • 2021 Parlin Stream Use Reduction Program

• Eastman Chemical Company
  • Cobalt Reduction in CTA
  • Replace Bucket Traps with Orifice Trap
  • Real-Time Optimization of Utility Systems*
  • Propionic Anhydride Optimization
  • Propionic Stripping Advanced Controls Program*

• FMC Corporation
  • Discovery Biology Lab HVAC Controls Upgrade

• Hexion Inc.
  • Cooling Tower Pump Electrical Efficiency – Geismar Site

• Norfolk Southern Corporation
  • Locomotive Fuel Efficiency*

• Occidental Chemical Corporation
  • Proprietary Technique for Adjusting Diaphragm Liquor Strength
  • Heat Exchanger Improvements
  • Hydrogen Boiler Fuel Recovery Improvement
  • Hydrogen Pipeline Replacement*
  • Steam Condensate Capture and Reuse
  • Steam Pipeline Re-Insulation
  • Sulfate Reduction

ACC issued safety certificates to member and Partner company facilities that meet the requirements for a Certificate of Achievement, Honor or Excellence. The following 47 companies received a 2022 Facility Safety Award: