EVONIK

EVONIK Canada Inc. occupies land, formerly owned by Dupont Canada, in Maitland. The single product continuously manufactured at the site is high concentration hydrogen peroxide. Finished product is distributed by road and rail to customers within a 2000km radius of the site. Product is used as a raw material in the pulp & paper, food preparation, environmental remediation and manufacturing industries.

EVONIK Canada Maitland site complies to RC14001, Responsible Care® principles as encouraged by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC), of which it is a participating member.

Hydrogen Peroxide, as manufactured by the Maitland facility, promotes local employment and township tax revenue all while producing an environmentally friendly product. Once used, hydrogen peroxide decomposes to water and oxygen.

The plant site uses several raw ingredients in order to manufacture hydrogen peroxide, these include: ambient air, water from the river, hydrogen gas, natural gas, enhanced oil product, acids and bases.

All cooling water and water used in the manufacturing process is monitored in real-time and returned to the river, at similar or better quality, either by passing through detention ponds or bio-remediation ponds (another environmentally friendly process). The Maitland business park is one of the few industrial facilities in Eastern Ontario that treat water using natural aerobic and anaerobic activities, limiting the addition of industrial water treatment chemicals.

Responsible Care® principles expect local residents to be made aware of potential site emergency situations.

Potential emergency situations for the EVONIK Maitland plant site include:

• Release of air contaminants
  • Potential air excursions could include oil mists or peroxide vapors, both of which would not be expected, under normal operations, to travel beyond the site perimeter before degrading/dissipating (peroxide), or falling to the ground (oil mists).
  • Community effects expected to be minimal (possible odor near County Road 2).
• Release of liquids (spill)
  • Potential spills include
    • Acids/bases: Effects are expected to be small due to site volumes being low.
    • Hydrogen peroxide: May result in localized fish kills, due to decomposition not contamination, if the product escaped to river.
      • Ongoing site automated systems, engineered infrastructure, and employee training is in place to reduce likelihood of this occurrence.
    • Oil: May result in oil released to the river. If quantities were large enough, it may result in a visible oil ‘slick’.
    • Ongoing site automated systems, engineered infrastructure, and employee training is in place to reduce likelihood of this occurrence.
  • Community effects may be moderate (limited river access, clean-up of localized oil patches along nearby riverbanks).
• Site fire (process plant or surrounding area)
  • EVONIK Maitland site works in collaboration with local emergency service providers and township emergency planning services to pro-actively manage employee and public risk.
    • Site enhanced oil products and solvents are combustible.
    • Site concentrated peroxide will cause dry brush to catch fire if spilled.
    • Community effects may be significant (possible road closures, emergency vehicle traffic, news crews, smoke pollution, etc.).

Any local residents wishing to know more about the site’s Responsible Care® commitments are encouraged to take part in the site’s CAP (Community Advisory Panel). Please contact site manager Greg Canning-LeBlanc (613-348-7702 or greg.canning-leblanc@evonik.com) should you wish to participate.

More Companies to Come….