Abanaki Corp. recently surveyed pollution control professionals and found that pollution control is far from a “top-of-mind” priority at most companies. In fact, respondents admitted that pollution control receives little budgeting priority.
Almost four out of ten respondents couldn’t recall the size of their pollution control budgets, and one out of four spent just 1-2 percent of their companies’ budgets on pollution control programs. Also, pollution control receives little attention, with more than a quarter of those surveyed reporting that they spend no time over the course of a year training personnel about proper pollution control, and 39 percent admitting they devote just one to two hours each year on pollution control training.
However, the survey shows that clean wastewater is a primary concern for respondents, 87 percent of whom listed removing oil from water as “most important” or “important.” Nearly half (49 percent) ranked coolant maintenance as “most important” or “important.” Issues such as groundwater remediation, exterior air pollution and interior air pollution/indoor air quality generated relatively little uneasiness.
According to Abanaki’s president, Tom Hobson, this finding is not surprising. By removing oil from water, he said, manufacturers can decrease their operating cost through reduced labor and maintenance, increased regulatory compliance, less machine downtime, cleaner work environments and more. “However the survey shows that respondents are struggling with a variety of pollution challenges, which spotlights the need for more education about the solutions that are already available and the importance of continuing product innovation,” said Hobson.
EHS Today is an IndustryWeek companion site within Penton's Manufacturing & Supply Chain Group.
