Oxy Vinyls, LP (Oxy Vinyls) has reached a settlement that should significantly reduce vinyl chloride emissions at its plants in Pasadena, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; and Pedricktown, N.J., and the requirements associated with these reductions will become part of Oxy Vinyls' permits.

Under the agreement with the federal government, the Louisville (Ky.) Metropolitan Air Pollution Control District (LMAPCD) and the state of New Jersey, Oxy Vinyls has agreed to perform three environmental projects at an estimated cost of more than $1.22 million that are expected to permanently decrease emissions of vinyl chloride by approximately 40,000 pounds per year within five years. Oxy Vinyls, headquartered in Dallas, is North America's largest polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin supplier and the third largest PVC supplier worldwide.

Most vinyl chloride is used to make PVC plastic and vinyl products. Exposure to vinyl chloride emissions has been linked to adverse human health effects, including liver cancer, other liver diseases, and neurological disorders. EPA has classified vinyl chloride as a human carcinogen.

See: Vinyl Chloride Settlement for More Information