Environmental, Health, Safety and Security

Protecting our social and physical environment is one of 3M’s core values. At 3M Cordova, we achieve this through our commitment to proactive environmental, health, safety, and security management.

Managing Our Environmental Footprint

Environmental Health, Safety, and Security Management System

3M Cordova's Environmental Health and Safety (EHSS) Management System promotes sound environmental, health, safety, and security management. It helps us to manage the environmental footprint of our operations, drive sustainable growth, and address the expectations of our stakeholders. These stakeholders include our employees, customers, regulators, environmental groups, and the communities surrounding our plant.

Our EHSS Management System:

• Includes an integrated, holistic system that anticipates and addresses long-term issues and drives continuous improvement.
• Promotes a strategic planning process that integrates EHSS issues into business planning.
• Includes a process for identifying issues, developing formal action plans, setting goals and measuring results.

Cordova’s Environmental/Responsible Care® Policy
3M Cordova will continue to recognize and exercise its responsibility to:

• Solve our own environmental and conservation problems.
• Prevent pollution at the source wherever and whenever possible.
• Develop products that support a sustainable environment.
• Conserve natural resources through the use of optimized manufacturing operations, reclamation, and other appropriate methods.
• Assure that our facility and products meet and sustain the regulations of all federal, state, and local agencies.
• Assist, wherever possible, governmental agencies and other official organizations engaged in environmental, health, safety, and security activities.
• Foster continual improvement through company and employee initiative.
• Set and review environmental, health, safety, and security objectives and targets appropriate to our activities, products, and services.
• Support the Guiding Principles of Responsible Care®.

Pollution Prevention
3M pioneered the concept of pollution prevention with the creation of the pollution prevention pays (3P) program in 1975. The 3P program is based on the reality that pollution prevention is more environmentally effective, technically sound and economical than conventional pollution control equipment. Natural resources, energy and money are used to build conventional pollution controls, and more resources are consumed operating them. Conventional controls are temporary and do not eliminate the problem. 3P seeks to eliminate pollution at the source through product reformulation, process modification, equipment redesign, and the recycling and reuse of waste materials.

3P is a key element of 3M Cordova’s environmental strategy. Since 1976, 3M Cordova has completed 243 3P projects which prevented more than 53,571 tons of pollution to the air, water, and land and has also saved approximately 64 million dollars since the first year of the projects.

Key Environmental Accomplishments
We are particularly proud of our work around the following:

Awards and Certifications

• 3M Cordova received ISO 14001 certification in 2000.
• The Prairie Restoration Project is underway to restore native sand prairie communities on 3M property at Cordova’s plant site. 3M Cordova has received a grant and begun restoring approximately 54 acres.
• 3M Cordova has installed a Thermal Oxidizer to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. This earned us the 3M 2006 Chairman’s Leadership EHS Award.
• By working within the Illinois Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Title V, Synthetic Minor, the plant has reduced its Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) emissions from 119 tons to 15 tons per year from 2003 to 2008.
• 3M Cordova participates in the “Adopt-A-Highway” program and is responsible for clean up of the four mile stretch of state highway on which the plant is located.
• 3M Cordova is a 2007 3M Bronze Energy Level Award winner for reducing energy usage.