Companies recognized for control of pollution

APAC-Southeast Inc., Huntsville Hospital and Toyota Motors Manufacturing Alabama have received 2004 Industrial Air Pollution Control Achievement Awards presented by the city of Huntsville Air Pollution Control Board.

The awards recognize voluntary efforts to reduce air pollutant emissions by industrial, institutional and commercial facilities in the city. The program is intended to promote implementation of pollution prevention projects by area companies. Only projects which go beyond regulatory requirements to control emissions are eligible for recognition.

APAC was recognized for replacing its aging equipment with a new state-of-the art asphalt manufacturing plant equipped with a high efficiency burner that has resulted in a 30 percent reduction in fuel use per ton of asphalt produced. As part of APAC's capital improvements project at its Stringfield Road site, it paved the entire plant site, stockpile areas and access roads and eliminated a source of fugitive dust emissions from truck traffic.

Huntsville Hospital completed construction of an automated tram system that connects the hospital's main facility and Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. Use of the trams has eliminated 4,500 ambulance trips between the two hospital facilities each year and the use of two full-time shuttle vans, which average 14,000 miles a year.

Since startup, the Huntsville Toyota plant has used alternate coolant and washer chemicals that have a lower volatile organic compound content. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama received a Pollution Prevention Achievement Award from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in 2003 for implementing a comprehensive program to cut the amount of construction-related waste, installing equipment to allow recycling of materials from the manufacturing process and initiating a number of projects to cut energy use.