Kemira Annual Report 2005

closed, partly as a result of damagecaused by Hurricane Katrina. TheBrantford plant in Ontario (Canada)is in the process of obtaining a newpermit dealing with the preventionof hydrochloric acid discharges.Performance ChemicalsThe major environmental permit processfor the Pori plants (Finland) continuedwith public hearings. A newpermit for using river water was obtained.A EUR 1.6 million investmentin expansion of the off-site gypsumlandfill was completed. Carbon dioxideemissions were below the allowancesgranted to the site’s powerplant. The number of workplace incidentsincreased. Occasional acidicemissions from the sulphuric acidplant resulted in damage to paintworkon cars in the car park.The Tiel plant (The Netherlands)evaluated options for reducing noiseand expanding the extent of liquidtightflooring. The site is certified inaccordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001and OHSAS 18001, as well as withfood and feed quality managementrequirements. The Barcelona site(Spain) is upgrading dust reductionmeasures at its phosphate plant.In Finland, the Oulu plants completedthe construction of a new oilstorage area with improved safetyarrangements. Some water pipeswere relocated to avoid the occurrenceof an accident similar to theone in Helsingborg.Paints & CoatingsTikkurila continued to optimize environmentalsafety by centralizing theproduction of solvent-based paintsin Russia – production in Estonia hasceased. Internal EHS audits were continuedin order to roll out best practiceswithin units. Soil investigationscontinued at Debica (Poland) andStockholm (Sweden).Environmental statisticsThe environmental data presentedhere is based on reports from 85 productionplants. As a result of acquisitions,eleven plants were reportingfor the first time. These include fivesites that mainly produce sodiumchlorate (BA Pulp and Paper), twoorganic acid/salt plants (BA PerformanceChemicals), and four plants inNorth America producing water treatmentchemicals (BA Kemwater).Three minor units were closed duringthe year.Divestments that took place in theprevious year were not accounted forin 2005, and were the cause of mostof the reductions in the corporatelevel environmental statistics.While overall production volumedropped by approximately 50% fromthe previous year as a result of divestments,the total production ofcontinuing and acquired sites increasedby approximately 21%. Theacquisition of Finnish Chemicals, acompany whose main product is sodiumchlorate, more than doubledthe Group’s use of electricity. This increaseis a result of the electrochemicalnature of the production process,even when the best available technologiesare applied.The Group’s overall environmentalindex shows a reduction of 50%from the previous year, while netsales declined by 21%. Improvementhas been continual since reportingbegan in the early 1990s. The compositionof the index was changedthis year by replacing a commonnutrient discharge phosphorus withCOD (chemical oxygen demand), andTonnes350300250200150100500Tonnes6 0005 0004 0003 0002 0001 0000Tonnes50403020100VOC emissions97 00 01 02 03 04 05COD discharges97 00 01 02 03 04 05Heavy metal discharges98 00 01 02 03 04 05Sum of eight different heavy metals31