Corning Lauded for Environmental Efforts in New York State.

CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 25, 1999--

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) received the New York State Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention today for its voluntary redesign of an existing technological process that has resulted in a significant reduction of air emissions.

The process was redesigned by Corning scientists and engineers for the company's Canton, N.Y., plant, which is one of the world's leading suppliers of high purity fused silica (HPFS(R)), an ultra-pure glass used in the semiconductor industry. As a result, the Canton, N.Y., plant was able to completely eliminate its hydrogen chloride emissions from the forming process while still producing the same quality HPFS(R) glass it had produced before the process redesign. Prior to this process redesign, the plant was emitting more than 600 tons of hydrogen chloride (HCl) per year.

"We invested millions of dollars in this project because we are committed to improving our environmental performance whenever possible," said Randall D. Price, executive vice president, Advanced Materials. "Our efforts, and the cooperation from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, resulted in a win-win situation. There is a positive impact on the community, and Corning is able to continue to produce the same high-quality, high-technology products."

Achieving these extraordinary results was no simple task. HPFS(R) glass, and other products made at the plant, are highly technical and have extremely rigorous production standards. Moreover, the plant was undergoing a significant expansion at the same time the process was being redesigned.

In addition to the HCl emissions, the plant was also able to reduce its particulate emissions by approximately 98% through the installation of state-of-the-art baghouses. The non-hazardous particulate collected in these baghouses is then sold and used as a raw material in another industry. Capturing and recycling the particulate from the manufacturing process prevents a large volume of material from being landfilled.

The award was presented to Corning today by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Deputy Commissioner Carl Johnson at the 12th-annual Pollution Prevention Conference in Rochester, N.Y. The Governor's Award recognizes pollution-prevention practices that exceed the legal requirements of environmental protection and successfully reduce or eliminate the generation of pollution at its source.

The Canton, N.Y., plant employs approximately 300 men and women and manufactures high-technology glass. The advanced materials are used as lenses in microlithography equipment for the semiconductor industry, mirrors for land- and space-based telescopes, and windows for NASA's Space Shuttle and the International Space Laboratory.

Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated creates leading-edge technologies for the fastest-growing markets of the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products for the telecommunications industry; and high-performance displays and components for television and other communications-related industries. The company also uses advanced materials to manufacture products for scientific, semiconductor and environmental markets. Corning's revenues in 1998 were $3.5 billion. More information on the company is available at www.corning.com.