April 11, 2007

Two LANXESS Sites Achieve RC14001 Certification

The LANXESS Corporation sites in Orange, Texas, and Addyston (Cincinnati), Ohio, have achieved RC14001 certification. The RC14001 standard, developed by the American Chemistry Council, extends the environmental requirements of the ISO14001 Standard to Health, Safety, and Security.

These facilities join LANXESS Corporation’s U.S. headquarters in Pittsburgh as RC140001-certified sites. The RC14001 certification audit was conducted by ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. After a four-day audit at the Addyston site, the employees and the established programs earned praise from ABS QE. 

“The positive feedback we’ve received from the audit process confirms that our commitment to employee safety and environmental responsibility is one of the best in the industry,” said Sandy Marshall, vice president of manufacturing for the Lustran Polymers business unit in NAFTA and site manager at Addyston. “We were pleased to receive complimentary remarks on our site emergency response, external communications on environmental issues and new employee training practices.”

At the Orange, Texas site, ABS QE assessed the suitability and effectiveness of the Management System and found that they continue to demonstrate excellent HSSE performance. “Achieving this certification reflects our ongoing desire for excellence in every facet of our business,” said John Schmidt, head of NAFTA Polybutadiene Rubber Production and site manager at Orange. “Our commitment to Responsible Care® puts the Orange facility on the map as a high-performing chemical facility.”

LANXESS is positioned to be a leader in the industry with its commitment to Responsible Care® and, as such, RC14001 certification is planned for all U.S. LANXESS sites. The RC14001 standard is an environmental, health, safety and security technical specification that combines elements of the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® initiative with ISO 14001, the environmental management system established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Responsible Care® is a global chemical industry performance initiative that helps America's leading chemical companies go above and beyond government requirements for environmental, health, safety and security performance and openly communicate their results to the public. Participants in Responsible Care® must implement world-class management systems, verified through independent auditors; track performance through established environment, health, safety and security measures; and extend these best practices to business partners through the industry supply chain.