Union Carbide Corporation's Water
Pollution Control Program
G. M. ROSENGARTEN, Manager
Environmental Pollution Control
Chemicals and Plastics Operations Division
Union Carbide Corporation
South Charleston, West Virginia 25303
INTRODUCTION
The Union Carbide Corporation, as measured on a number of scales, is large.
During 1966 in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, the Corporation operated with 80,000 employees, sales in excess of $2.2 billion, construction and
modernization expenditures greater than $350 million, and it spent $81 million
on research and development activities.
Union Carbide Corporation is broadly diversified, with major commitments in
a large number of the significant sectors of industrial activity. Its divisions produce chemicals, plastics, silicones, carbon products, industrial gases, metals,
electronic products and operate major nuclear facilities under contract with the
United States Atomic Energy Commission.
For many years, Union Carbide has shouldered its responsibility for environmental pollution control -- from top management to plant managers at their individual facilities. In an effort to provide some room in his files, the coordinator for pollution control at one of the Corporation's older plants recently discarded records and plant letters concerned with pollution abatement that dated
back 30 years. So ... this is not a new effort! In regard to pollution control, the
Corporation has long let it be known that the divisions should be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
The divisions, over the years, have had organizational arrangements and implementation tailored to confront their particular problems. These organizations
and programs have continued in a state of dynamic evolution, changing to meet
the new problems, as the plants expanded and as the pressures on the environment
increased. As an example of an early divisional response to pollution control, a
policy statement issued in 1954 by the Chemicals Company is quoted:
COMPANY POLICY — WASTE ABATEMENT
The following is to be considered Company policy with respect to waste disposal and related publicity:
1) Engineering Departments are responsible for incorporating into the design
of any new installations the means for disposal of all process wastes with a minimum of disturbance to the plant community.
2) Each operating plant will assign some individual the responsibility for
proper disposal of process wastes.
3) Each operating plant will assign Engineering and Laboratory talent for continuing studies of waste disposal.
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