A.W. Chesterton Company
April 28, 2010
A.W. Chesterton Company Recognized for Environmental Leadership by TURA Program
Groveland, Mass. – The Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) program and state legislators today presented A.W. Chesterton Company with an award in recognition of the company’s environmental leadership demonstrated by its manufacturing facility in Groveland, Mass.
A.W. Chesterton Company, an employer of 580 people in the state that’s headquartered in Woburn, Mass., is one of only 17 Massachusetts companies being honored this spring by the TURA program as a “TURA 20th Anniversary Leader.” The awards and facility tours are intended to showcase environmental accomplishments—use of safer materials, waste reductions and energy savings—since the Toxics Use Reduction Act legislation was passed in 1989.
“A.W. Chesterton Company has gone above and beyond developing its Toxic Use Reduction plan for the last 20 years,” said Scott Fortier, team leader and trainer at the State’s Office of Technical Assistance (OTA). “The company has continuously established specific pollution prevention goals focused on reducing solvent degreasing chemicals, minimizing waste and recycling and reusing materials.”
By switching from chlorinated solvents used for degreasing to water-based cleaners, A.W. Chesterton Company eliminated 12 tons of chlorinated solvent waste that resulted in a savings of over $113,000. By using more efficient and safer materials or reformulations, the company has reduced overall regulated waste by 40 percent, a direct savings of $47,000.
“Reducing toxics is ingrained in our culture,” said Linda Loreth, Director of Environmental, Health and Safety at A.W. Chesterton Company who has been with the company for 24 years and took the first toxics use reduction planner certification exam offered by the State of MA in the early 1990’s. “Because of the nature of our products, sealing devices that help customers prevent chemical leaks, we’ve always been conscious of the environment and open to new ways of doing business. It’s been very helpful for us over the years to have a list of chemicals of concern identified by TURA in Mass. as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help us prioritize our improvements.”
Many of the company’s environmental improvements have reduced the emission of volatile organic compounds. For the last seven years, A.W. Chesterton Company has kept emissions 60 percent under restrictions while still growing the business.
The Toxics Use Reduction Act does not ban chemical use but requires companies to evaluate toxic chemical use, submit usage reports and plans to the state that assess the financial implications of switching to safer alternatives or making changes in production. Since 1989, Massachusetts companies voluntarily reduced toxic chemical use by 41 percent, waste by 71 percent and on-site releases by 91 percent.
About A.W. Chesterton Company
Chesterton helps customers protect against unplanned shutdowns caused by leaking equipment. Headquartered in Woburn, Mass. with manufacturing in Groveland, Mass., Chesterton is a worldwide leader in the production of industrial fluid sealing devices, (including Mechanical Seals, Mechanical Packing, Gaskets and Engineered Polymer Seals), an array of Advanced Composite products and Industrial Chemical Maintenance products. Chesterton’s sealing systems and other products are the backbone of global process industries in more than 100 countries. Among the diverse industries that rely on Chesterton systems are the pulp and paper, power generation, chemical processing, water and wastewater, food and beverage, marine and general industries. To learn more, visit www.chesterton.com.
About the Toxics Use Reduction Act Program
Twenty years ago, the Massachusetts legislature passed landmark legislation—the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). Today, the TURA Program is considered a model environmental policy by other states and countries. The three agencies below have provided training, grants, technical assistance and support to help companies reduce toxic chemical use and costs, improve health and safety and establish new green markets.
- Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Provides education, training, and grants for Massachusetts industry and communities; sponsors research and demonstration sites on safer materials and technologies; provides policy analysis; and manages the TURA Science Advisory Board.
- Office of Technical Assistance & Technology (OTA). A non-regulatory agency within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs that provides free, confidential, on-site technical and compliance consultations to Massachusetts businesses and institutions.
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Certifies Toxics Use Reduction (TUR) Planners, receives and reviews toxics use reports submitted by companies, provides guidance, takes enforcement actions, and collects chemical use data and makes it available to the public.