By Eric Eisenberg
ALLSTON-BRIGHTON – Chemical companies in the neighborhood have begun to reduce pollutants, according to EPA reports.
“We know what is going on with global warming and that sort of thing,” said Joseph Lima, the technical and operations vice president for the Houghton Chemical Corporation on Cambridge Street in Allston. “We’re interested in the community. We’re here too.”
The Houghton Chemical Corporation produced 5,252 pounds of pollution in 2006, according to Toxic Release Inventory data, which measures chemical emissions and waste management. In 2002, when ranked against 19 other pollution-producing companies in Suffolk County, Houghton ranked 10th. Barry Controls, previously located in Brighton and now in Hopkinton, ranked 2nd. Mystic Station of Charlestown produced the most pollution, with 64,404 pounds in 2002.
A representative from Barry Controls was unavailable for comment.
Houghton Chemical, which manufactures and distributes automotive fluids as well as water treatment and industrial chemicals, has attempted to reduce its pollutants by adding conservation venting on to chemical storage tanks, which are set to open at levels of over-pressure or under-pressure within in the tanks during filling and emptying and prevent evaporation from repetitive exposure.
“During the daytime, with the sun shining on them, or at night, when they are cooling down, they’re not constantly evaporating liquid,” Lima said.
As well as stopping pollutants from entering the air, the conservation vents are also an economic strategy for Houghton Chemical. Citing the rising costs of chemicals that the company handles, Lima said the vents allow the company to prevent valuable materials from simply disappearing into the air.
“We try and cut our losses of product any way we can because they are expensive,” Lima said. “It prevents waste, and it prevents loss to a large extent... It was more an economic factor initially.”
In addition to searching for articles about developing technologies, the company communicates with its suppliers, takes part in organizations with other chemical distributors and belongs to the American Chemical Council, which works with the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies to improve the quality of the industry, Lima said.
“I don’t really see anything coming that we can adapt to, but we are always looking for things,” Lima said.
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