AIM Members Honored for Leadership in Chemical Reduction
Posted by Rick Lord on Fri, Mar 26, 2010 @ 08:18 AM
Associated Industries of Massachusetts is pleased to congratulate eight member employers honored this month for their leadership in working with the commonwealth to reduce the use of toxic chemicals.
The eight were among 17 organizations named "TURA 20th Anniversary Leaders" March 5 by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI). The Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA), created as an alternative to an outright ban on the use of chemicals, requires companies to evaluate toxic chemical use and assess the financial implications of switching to safer alternatives.
The 20th Anniversary Leaders include:
- Analog Devices, Wilmington facility
- A.W. Chesterton Company, Groveland operation
- Churchill Coatings, Grafton
- Cobham Defense Electronics Systems, Lowell
- Gentex Optics, Dudley
- L & J of New England, Worcester
- Millipore Corporation , Bedford operation
- Raytheon Company operations in Waltham and Andover
These AIM-member companies illustrate the advantages of government working with business, rather than as an adversary, to solve complex problems. Massachusetts employers have used TURA to voluntarily reduce the use of chemicals by 41 percent, waste by 71 percent and on-site releases of toxic chemicals by 91 percent.
Over the years AIM has worked closely with TURI and the Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) to bring members information on alternatives and toxics reduction. Moreover, with AIM's support, the TURA law was updated in 2006 resulting in the ability of companies to expand their accomplishments to conserving energy, materials and water, while at the same time streamline the law and focusing on the intent on higher hazard chemicals, saving firms operating in the state millions of dollars in fees.
Congratulations to you the eight companies and their associates on being honored as one of the "TURA 20th Anniversary Leaders", and thank you for your support that has allowed AIM to continue its work to represent the interest of the employer community.