New Hampshire Companies Reduce Toxic Releases by 11% in One Year, EPA Names Ten Largest Pollution Emitters.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 1998--New Hampshire's manufacturers reduced the amount of toxics released into the air, water and land by 87.3% between 1988 and 1996, according to data released today by EPA's New England office. The improved environmental performance of New Hampshire's manufacturing facilities represents a reduction of 11% over the previous year, far out-pacing the 5% rate of improvement nationally and slightly below the New England-wide improvement rate of 18%. "We are showing the nation once again that we can grow the New England economy while reducing pollution. Companies across the region are proving that smart environmental practices equal smart business practices," said EPA's New England Administrator John P. DeVillars.

Robert W. Varney, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services said, "We're very pleased that our state's reductions exceed the national averages, not only this past year, but throughout the nine-year period during which EPAhas collected TRI data."

Beginning in 1988, manufacturers were required to send pollutant information to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). A review of data shows that New Hampshire's industries have reduced pollution from 12,280,316 pounds in 1988 to just 1,556,140 in 1996 (the last year for which data is available).

"That is a 87.3% reduction in chemicals entering the environment," said Varney, who noted that the national average for pollution reduction during the same time period is 47.5%.

The following is a list of New Hampshire's ten largest emitters of toxic chemicals. It is important to note that these chemical emissions are reported to EPA under the TRI and do not reflect illegal discharges of pollutants to the environment. -0-

COMPANY NAME                   ADDRESS         TOTAL # pounds
                                           Chemicals emitted  locally

Crown Paper Co.                Berlin            560,479
Bailey Corp.                   Seabrook          348,272
Crown Paper Co.                Gorham            154,508
Nashua Corp.                   Merrimack         109,543
Hitchiner Mfg. Co. Inc.        Milford            90,787
Sturm Ruger Co. Inc.           Newport            85,545
Kingston-Warren Corp.          Newfields          75,472
Kalwall Corp.                  Manchester         72,900
Wausau Papers                  Groveton           63,763
Groveton Paper Board           Groveton           61,925

-0-

The 1996 TRI data also shows that in New Hampshire 29.0 million pounds (64%) of toxic wastes were recycled, 2.1 million pounds (5%) were used for energy recovery, 11.1 million pounds (25%) were treated before disposal, and 217,777 pounds (0.5%) were disposed of at a location other than at the facility.

"EPA's New England office has the largest assistance and pollution prevention program in the nation, and the efforts of this program are helping to reduce environmental impacts across New England," said DeVillars.

The reporting of data to the Toxics Release Inventory is required under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, passed in 1986. The TRI provides the amount, location and type of release to the environment -- whether a pollutant is emitted into the air, discharged into the water, or released onto the land. It also includes information on waste shipped off-site for disposal or further treatment. The TRI has been credited with arming communities with valuable knowledge and encouraging facilities to reduce their releases of toxic chemicals into the environment through source reduction, or pollution prevention, measures.

TRI information is easily accessible to the news media and to the public. Information is available on-line, HTTP://WWW.EPA.GOV/OPPTINTR/TRI, in hard copy and in a variety of computer formats, including CD-ROM. For copies or more information, the public is encouraged to call EPA's toll-free Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Information Hotline at 1-800-535-0202.

    CONTACT: EPA Press Office
              Alice Kaufman, [phone]
               OR
              EPA TRI Coordinator
              Dwight Peavey, [phone]