Protecting the Environment

Environmental Performance

TPC conducts our operations in a responsible and ethical manner that is protective of the environment. We meet regulatory requirements and strive to minimize our environmental footprint.

TPC has a robust energy management program, as described in the “Spotlight on Energy Management” section of this report. Strong energy management programs result in best practices to minimize our greenhouse gas emissions footprint. In addition to the impact of our ongoing energy management practices, shut down of TPC’s isobutylene manufacturing units at its Houston plant and a shift from operating older, less efficient boilers to modern efficient boilers, including a shutdown of an oil-fired boiler at TPC’s Port Neches plant, resulted in a 33 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, comparing the years 2009 to 2006 (EN16, EN18).

Direct greenhouse gas emissions include those from fuel burned in our operations, both natural gas and plant offgas, for plant boilers, heaters, and onsite electricity generation. Indirect greenhouse gas emissions include those from purchased electricity and purchased steam.

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from TPC’s operating plants totaled 515,000 kilograms in the year 2009, a 68 percent reduction from 2006 emissions (EN20). Plant boilers use various types of NOx emissions control technology appropriate to the time each unit was built or permitted, including low NOx burner technology and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). Similar to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, NOx emissions reductions occurred due to shutdown of older boiler equipment including oil-fired equipment and isobutylene manufacturing equipment. 

Sulfur dioxide (SOx) emissions were relatively low, averaging around 4000 kilograms in recent years (EN20). After reducing operation of an oil-fired boiler and its eventual permanent shutdown, the only remaining source of sulfur emissions is the odorant added to natural gas fuel by the suppliers for safety purposes.

TPC’s operating philosophy requires minimizing emissions of hazardous air pollutants through the use of advanced technology and operating principles. Despite acquiring a second large manufacturing facility in mid-2006, TPC’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) emissions to air under the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) TRI release reporting requirements dropped steadily over the past several years, with 2009 emissions at 63,000 kilograms, a 38 percent reduction compared to 2006 emissions (EN20).

In 2009, almost two-thirds of TRI emissions to air were from 1,3-butadiene, a chemical that is a primary product for the Company and which is used by many of our customers to make rubber for tires, elastomers, and nylon. TPC implemented a number of projects and programs to reduce its emissions of 1,3-butadiene, and has successfully reduced them by 37 percent since 2006.  Compared to the baseline year of 2004, just prior to a major program to reduce 1,3-butadiene emissions, the Houston plant reduced total 1,3-butadiene emissions by 76 percent. See section titled “Houston Plant Focus:  Reducing 1,3-Butadiene Emissions.” TPC’s Port Neches plant also operates a flare gas recovery system and a gas chromatograph style fenceline monitoring system (EN20, SO1).

While TPC’s 2009 emissions of 1,3-butadiene from its Port Neches and Houston plants rank fifth and seventh respectively for 1,3-butadiene emissions to air reported in Texas, emissions from the top four facilities add up to 43 percent of the total Texas emissions of the chemical, and TPC’s emissions from our two facilities combined constitute less than 10 percent of the Texas total. As described in the inset, the Company continues aggressive efforts towards reducing these emissions (EN20).

TPC’s TRI emissions to land and water in 2008 and 2009 were not significant, at two and one percent of the total TRI emissions, respectively.

In 2009, TPC had a total of 16 reportable releases, of which 15 were to air. Compared to the year 2006, this was a reduction of 47 percent in total releases reported and a reduction of 32 percent in releases to air reported (EN23). TPC’s policy requires that a formal incident investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective actions be completed for each reportable event. This policy has been an important part of the Company’s release reduction effort.