Environmentalists List Top Polluters

WASHINGTON —  An environmental group Wednesday ranked Du Pont Co. as the No. 1 corporate polluter in the United States.

Citizen Action, a Washington-based coalition of state environmental pressure groups, compiled a list of the top corporate polluters based on data obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

It found that manufacturing companies reported releasing 5.8 billion pounds of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere in 1989, the latest year for which figures were available. Of that amount, the 10 biggest polluters accounted for 1.5 billion pounds.

Monsanto Co.’s Alvin, Tex., plant was the worst single polluter, emitting 206.5 million pounds of toxics.

Citizen Action Vice President Robert Brandon said manufacturers reported an 18% reduction in toxic pollution from 1988 to 1989.

Brandon credited a number of companies, including Shell Oil Co., Monsanto and National Steel Corp., for taking “real actions to reduce toxic pollution” by either changing processes or installing new equipment to eliminate hazardous wastes.

The group’s report said chemical companies dominated the list of polluters, releasing 2.8 billion pounds, or 49%, of all reported toxics. Primary metal manufacturers were ranked second with 930 million pounds or 16% of the total.

Citizen Action called on the EPA to change its rules to require companies to report toxic releases that are not counted now because they are sent away to be recycled or reused. The group said up to 2 billion pounds of hazardous emissions are not counted as a result of what it called a loophole in EPA’s regulations.

Who’s Polluting the Most Below are the top U.S. polluters and the amount of pollutants each released into the atmosphere in 1989. Figures in millions of pounds.

Du pont: 343.6 Monsanto: 293.8 American Cyanamid: 201.8 123.7: BP America 119.1: Renco Holdings 108.6: Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing 93.1: Vulcan Materials 85.8: General Motors 79.5: Eatman Kodak 77.4: Phelps Dodge Sourse: Citizen Action