ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP - - ASHTA Chemicals last week was named one of the Filthy Five - - one of the top-five mercury polluters in the United States, by the environmental group, Oceana, but plant officials chose to comment at a later date.

The report, "Cleaning Up: Taking Mercury-Free Chlorine Production to the Bank," focused on how these chlorine plants refuse to switch to mercury-free technology, despite major economic and environmental benefits.

Chlorine is a chemical building block used in everything from swimming pools to plastic tents to paper towels.

Here is Brad Westfall, president of ASHTA Chemicals Inc.'s statement:

We at ASHTA Chemicals strongly believe that the report, "Cleaning Up: Taking Mercury-Free Chlorine Production to the Bank," which was the subject of a story in the Star Beacon August 19, severely misleads the reader by grossly exaggerating both the environmental impact of our mercury-cell plant and the financial feasibility of converting it to a different process.

The Star Beacon's article cited select information from the report, information with which I believe the environmental group Oceana purposely intended to lead people to the wrong conclusions about ASHTA's environmental practices. ASHTA, one of the area's largest and highest-paying employers, discharges no water of any sort from it's plant. We have also significantly reduced air emissions and in doing so have far exceeded current air regulations.

The report cites outdated information to support Oceana's conclusions. The report also ignores environmental projects by ASHTA, both completed and ongoing, that have resulted in and will continue to yield significant reductions or elimination of mercury-related air and water emissions. Further, these projects will take ASHTA well beyond compliance with any regulations, as well as our operating permits, and we are confident and can currently demonstrate that the end result will be a reduction in total emissions by more than 90 percent.

Under ASHTA's current ownership and management, we have demonstrated only the highest concern for the health and safety of our employees and the community around us. In fact, for over ten years, we have recovered and treated storm water around our plant site in an effort to eliminate even the slightest amounts of mercury from entering local waterways, including Lake Erie.

The Oceana report also makes bold claims about economic benefits of converting to mercury-free technology. We contend the Oceana analysis is significantly flawed due to the use of outdated data, inaccurate cost estimates and a lack of market knowledge. The costs related to conversion today are tens of millions more than it claims; the cost avoidance related to the elimination of mercury is overstated by millions of dollars per year; and the assumption that we could expand production and sell this product in an already oversupplied market illustrates Oceana's complete lack of knowledge in this area.

The Star Beacon has represented Oceana as a "group dedicated to protecting and restoring the world's oceans" yet you and they fail to point out facts such as that natural sources (oceans & volcanoes) contribute 46 percent of the world mercury emissions and non-US industries (particularly in China & India) contribute 37 percent. These distant mercury emissions enter the upper atmosphere (jet streams) and are deposited throughout the rest of the world, including Ohio. ASHTA's contribution is approximately one ten-thousandth of 1 percent (or 0.0000001) of the world's mercury emissions.

If Oceana, and the Star Beacon, were truly interested in protecting our oceans and natural waterways, you would shift your focus to the lax governmental controls in countries that produce the overwhelming (and documented) sources of mercury that reach our land and water.

Star Beacon Print Edition: 7/28/2007

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