Seymour breaks ground on wastewater treatment improvements

Seymour, Indiana, April 7, 2003 - Officials from Seymour and EMC will break ground on Monday, April 7, at 10:30 a.m., on $17 million worth of improvements to the Seymour wastewater treatment plant at 5716 East County Road 525 North.

The improvements boost the plant's capacity from 4.3 million gallons a day to 8.7 million gallons a day. The plant is now operating at its maximum capacity. The upgrades are necessary in order to avoid the state placing a sewer ban on the city, which essentially places a moratorium on any new residential or commercial construction.

"These improvements are vital to the continued economic growth of Seymour. They will also greatly enhance our citizens' quality of life," said Mayor John Burkhart of Seymour.

John Mitchell, EMC's president, said, "EMC values working with a city like Seymour to provide citizens and their communities with water and wastewater management solutions that clean and protect the environment and use rate payers' dollars efficiently. We are also pleased to have assembled an excellent and experienced team of construction and engineering partners to help successfully execute this project."

Joining the city and EMC at the ceremony will be Paric Corporation, the construction manager for the project; Sieco, the project's engineer; Bowen, the general contractor; and EIC, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing subcontractor.

Besides increasing the plant's capacity, the improvements will significantly reduce the amount of untreated storm water now discharged into the river via the city's combined sewer overflow system. This will ensure that Seymour complies with the more stringent standards, soon to be introduced, of both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of Indiana.

The plant will also switch from using chlorine and sulphur dioxide as disinfection agents to an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system. The UV system is a safe, efficient and cost-effective technology that uses no chemicals and virtually eliminates the risk of harmful, potentially dangerous spills or leaks.

The project is slated for completion in the fall of 2004. It includes new headworks, oxidation ditch, three new clarifiers, post aeration tankage, the UV disinfection system, storm water pumping, sludge handling facilities, and the installation of pre-purchased mechanical equipment.

EMC, a BOC Group company, operates and maintains municipal wastewater facilities in over 50 U.S. cities. The BOC Group (NYSE:BOX), the worldwide industrial gases, vacuum technologies and distribution services company, delivers solutions to more than two million customers in 50 countries.

BOC's expertise helps improve the quality of people's lives through advances in industries such as food, metals, chemicals, environmental protection and water treatment, welding, glassmaking, electronics and healthcare. BOC employs 46,000 people and had annual sales of some $6 billion in 2002. Further information about The BOC Group may be obtained on the Internet at http://www.boc.com.