美國最大聚氯乙烯PVC的生產商和其子公司同意在其德州自由港的工廠裡花費728萬美元以合乎聯邦法規。這兩家公司同意付出258.5萬的環境違規罰款，同時進行470萬的補償性環境保護計畫，12月1日由美國法務部和美國環保署共同宣告這項決議。
Shintech公司和其子公司K-Bin將會減少破壞臭氧層的含氯氟烴（CFC）的排放量，減少乙烯基氯(vinyl chloride)的排放量，同時改善工廠裡有毒廢棄物的管理。
聚氯乙烯(Polyvinyl chloride)，通常又稱為PVC是一種熱塑性的樹脂聚合物，這種硬塑膠用於乙烯基隔版、磁性條卡、水管、各式導管設備。
PVC可以加入不同的化學物例如鄰苯二甲酸鹽(phthalates)使其變得更軟更有彈性，在這樣的型態下，使用於玩具、衣服和沙發內裡，或用於製造彈性的軟管、地板、屋頂隔膜和電線絕緣物。
Shintech和K-Bin同意減少使用破壞臭氧層的冷卻劑，將把六個單位的冷卻劑更換為對臭氧層無害的冷卻劑。
這兩家公司也同意讓第三方的審核單位來稽查其管理這種冷卻劑的過程、增加訓練以及其他措施來確保其合乎美國環保署的乾淨空氣法案裡的要求。
Shintech將會關閉一個潟湖和其乾枯的河床，執行一連串的審核和重新檢討其有毒廢棄物的處理過程，同時在其廢水處理系統中加入處理水槽。Shintech也同意執行三個環保方案。
這家公司會在奧斯丁森林保育區裡增加至少300英畝的森林和濕地，該保育區也被稱為哥倫比亞窪地區，由美國漁業暨野生動物局所管理。
Shintech將會在休士頓開啟一個免費回收方案，將會收取和含有臭氧有害的冷卻劑的家用電器，這個方案可以減少了休士頓市區裡的老舊廢棄電冰箱中所含有的臭氧有害的化學物的排放量，目前還沒有任何方案來解決這樣的問題。
最後Shintech會改善翻新其部分的生產流程以減少PVC的排放量達每年1萬磅，全部加總起來三個方案預計花費至少470萬美元。
這項決議解決了司法部代表環保署對這家公司提出違反乾淨空氣法案和聯邦有毒廢棄物法的控訴。
由美國德州南區休士頓區的地區法庭頒佈的和解書將會經過30天的公開評論期間，並由聯邦法庭所核可，和解書可在下面的網站取得： http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/open.html。
The largest producer of polyvinyl chloride in the United States, and its subsidiary, have agreed to spend $7.285 million to comply with federal laws at their manufacturing facilities in Freeport, Texas.
The two companies have agreed to pay a $2.585 million civil penalty to resolve environmental violations, and to perform $4.7 million worth of supplemental environmental projects in a settlement announced today by the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The actions pledged by Shintech, Inc. and its subsidiary K-Bin, Inc. are expected reduce chlorofluorocarbon emissions that destroy the ozone layer, lower emissions of vinyl chloride, and improve hazardous waste management at these facilities.
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer resin that as a hard plastic is used as vinyl siding, magnetic stripe cards, pipe, plumbing and conduit fixtures.
PVC can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of chemicals such as phthalates. In this form, it is used in toys, clothing and upholstery, and to make flexible hoses and tubing, flooring, roofing membranes, and electrical cable insulation.
Shintech and K-Bin have agreed to reduce emissions of ozone-depleting refrigerants by replacing six refrigeration units with units that use refrigerants that do not harm the Earth's protective stratospheric ozone layer.
The two companies also have agreed to third-party audits of their handling of ozone-depleting refrigerants, increased training, and other steps to ensure compliance with EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act.
Shintech will close a lagoon and a drying bed that were not designed to handle hazardous waste, implement a series of audits and reviews of its hazardous-waste handling practices, and add a treatment tank to its wastewater treatment system. Shintech has agreed to perform three environmental projects as part of the settlement.
The company will add at least 300 acres of forest and wetlands to Austin's Woods preserve, also called the Colombia Bottomlands area, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Shintech will create a free recycling program in the city of Houston that will pick up and recycle residential appliances containing ozone-depleting refrigerants. This project is designed to reduce emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals from residential appliances in Houston, which now does not have a program to deal with old and abandoned refrigerators containing ozone-depleting chemicals.
Finally, Shintech will retrofit part of its manufacturing process to reduce emissions of polyvinyl chloride by 10,000 pounds per year. Altogether, the three projects are estimated to cost at least $4.7 million.
The settlement resolves allegations that the companies violated the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the federal hazardous waste law made in a complaint filed simultaneously with the settlement by the Justice Department on behalf of the EPA.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. The consent decree is available on the Justice Department Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/open.html.
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