Degussa's Goldschmidt Chemical receives Governor's Excellence Award

Company's water-pollution prevention and conservation program earns top honors in Virginia.

HOPEWELL, VA, Sept. 25, 2006 -- Degussa's Goldschmidt Chemical Corp., recognized earlier in the year by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for its successful environmental stewardship, was further honored this past week when it received the top (Gold-level) Governor's Environmental Excellence Award for a Large Manufacturer. The award was presented at the 11th Annual Virginia Industry Environmental Conference on Sept. 13, hosted by the Virginia Manufacturers Association and the DEQ at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

Goldschmidt Chemical was honored for its development and implementation of a pollution-prevention and conservation program that targeted total nitrogen reduction from its North Plant at the Hopewell site. The plant achieved a 74% reduction in total nitrogen and a 60% reduction in organic wastes (measured as biological oxygen demand) over two years. In addition, the plant reduced the total amount of water used in manufacturing by 30%, while increasing production volumes by 40% over the same period.

Virginia's Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, DEQ Director David Paylor, Secretary of Natural Resources Preston Bryant, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Nicole Rovner, and VMA Outreach Chairman Evans Drake presented the Gold (Flag Winner) Governor's Excellence Award to Goldschmidt Chemical. Accepting the award for Goldschmidt Chemical were Russell Mait, Director, Environmental Health Safety & Quality and Philip Munson, Hopewell Site Manager accompanied by staff members

Reinhold Brand, President of Goldschmidt Chemical Corporation, concluded: "Environmental and economic improvements do go hand in hand. We have proved this by dramatically reducing both water consumption and nitrogen in the effluent of the plant, which helps to keep the Chesapeake Bay healthy for everyone." The program was also recognized as being another demonstration that environmental stewardship and business development are mutually achievable.

Goldschmidt Chemical Corp. (www.goldschmidt.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Degussa (www.degussa.com), is a well respected innovator and manufacturer of specialty ingredients for personal and home care products, including sunscreens, deodorants, hair care products, and hard surface cleaners. This past April, the DEQ honored Goldschmidt Chemical's acceptance as an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise (E3) participant in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP), in a special ceremony held at the company's Hopewell site.

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Also see:
-- "Degussa to spin-off its NCN activities as AlzChem: Creation of a new mid-sized enterprise in Bavaria"
-- "DEC's Borger, Texas plant achieves ISO 14001 certification"
-- "Acquisition of Degussa by RAG completed"

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