1. Protection of the Atmospheric Environment

(1) Boiler Emissions Countermeasures

At the Yokkaichi Plant, which generates its own power, we installed fuel gas desulfurizers to reduce emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx). We also substantially cut emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by installing burners with low NOx emissions and denitrification equipment. In FY2014, the fuel conversion (from heavy oil to public utility gas) change implemented at the Kashima Plant (Kashima Joint Power Generator) resulted in a reduction of both SOx and NOx emissions, an achievement that was maintained in FY2016.
JSR will continue to adopt the best emissions reduction technologies, and will continue to make improvements.

SOx Emissions

NOx Emissions

(2) Initiatives for the Reduction of VOCs^*1 Emissions into the Atmosphere

Having set a high voluntary goal for the reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 75% from FY2001 levels, JSR undertook large-scale investment between FY2007 and FY2010 to install five dried-synthetic rubber waste incinerators in three plants. We also carried out meticulous maintenance and management activities, including enhancing the airtightness of release points, improving the working method by adopting a closed system for chemical sampling and preventing leakage from bulbs. As a result, our VOCs emissions in FY2016 were 971 tons (77% reduction as compared to FY2001), in so doing, we reached our internal target. As we ramp up our production volume, we will maintain the level of the current voluntary goal (75% reduction from FY2001) without large-scale investment by ensuring the proper operation of dried-synthetic rubber waste incinerators and finely tuned maintenance and management.

*1 VOCs = Volatile Organic Compounds.

Acrylonitrile

1,3-Butadiene

Dichloromethane

Styrene

Toluene

VOCs Emissions

(3) Measurement of Ozone-depleting Substances

As part of compliance with the Freon Emission Reduction Act established in April of 2015, all businesses that use designated products, including industrial air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers, must perform basic inspections, periodic maintenance, and create inspection records. A total annual leakage of 1,000 t or more of CO2 must be reported to the acting minister.
For this reason, JSR has created management standards for devices that use freon and has mandated a policy that such devices be managed in accordance with these standards. The amount of freon leakage in FY2016 was 252 t of CO2.

2. PRTR Support

(1) PRTR^*2 Activities

Based on the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof, JSR aggregates the amount of designated chemical substances emitted into the environment (atmosphere, water and soil), transferred by manufacturing, or used in the previous year, and notifies the government of Japan of the results. We have systematically implemented a range of measures primarily for substances that are emitted in significant amounts and have a great impact on the environment. Such measures include enhancing the airtightness of substance release sources, rendering substances harmless by incineration, and improving manufacturing processes. In FY2016, as a result of taking such measures, we reduced emissions of the substances designated by the PRTR (287 tons) by 89% from the FY1996 level.

*2 Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR): A system for registering the emission and transport of environmental pollutants
Outline of PRTR is shown in Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry web site ;
http://www.meti.go.jp/policy/chemical_management/english/prtr.html

(2) Amounts of pollutants emitted and transferred in FY2016 and PRTR atmospheric emissions

Amounts of Pollutants Emitted and Transferred in FY2016 (tons/year)

(Including Techno Polymer Co., Ltd. KRATON JSR ELASTOMERS K.K. Japan Butyl Co., Ltd. Kashima Plant)

Amounts of Atmospheric Emissions of PRTR Applicable Substances

FY2016 Emissions of Chemical Substances (PRTR)

*3 The handling amount represents the value after base deduction (1 ton/year per place of business)

*4 The transfer amount is the amount committed to intermediate waste service companies plus the amount discharged into public sewers

*5 Dioxin category unit: mg-TEQ

3. Preservation of Water Quality

JSR performs rigorous wastewater management at all of its plants, and strives to maintain and improve water quality. JSR is in full compliance with the 7th Total Pollutant Load Control that was put into operation in April 2012. We will continue to strictly monitor water quality and strive to further reduce our impact on water.

Total amount of waste water

Chemical Oxygen Demand Emissions

Total Nitrogen Emissions

Total Phosphorus Emissions

4. Assessment of Soil and Groundwater Pollution

Groundwater (Environmental Quality Standards for Groundwater Pollution) and soil (major items regulated under environmental standards) at all three of our plants are periodically inspected. As in previous years, no problems were found in FY2016.

5. Asbestos Measures

In accordance with the Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards due to Asbestos, JSR has conducted checks at all of its facilities (office, manufacturing, R&D and employee amenity areas), including those of all Group companies, where asbestos containing materials have been sprayed. Subsequently, at locations in plants where asbestos was found, we completed removal and enclosure projects in FY2007. In addition, we are investigating the replacement of asbestos containing gaskets with non-asbestos containing types and are progressively carrying out replacements when the safety of their use in production has been confirmed.
We will continue to act properly to prevent workers engaged in building demolition work from acquiring health problems caused by asbestos exposure in accordance with air pollution prevention laws and asbestos disability prevention regulations.
In order to accommodate requests from the Labour Standards Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to thoroughly inform our employees of various systems, including the issuance of the asbestos-related health care handbook and the provision of special benefits as industrial workers' compensation for bereaved families, we introduced the relevant leaflet released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on our website.

6. PCB Management

JSR stores and manages PCB waste in an appropriate manner in accordance with the "Act on Special Measures concerning Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes" and subsequently carries out detoxication treatment in accordance with the law.

As of March 31, 2016

7. Environmental Accounting

• Policy

  JSR introduced environmental accounting in FY2000 with the following two objectives

  1. To strive to quantify the amount of resources invested into the environment and implement sound measures for the environment.
  2. To publish environmental accounting and increase corporate transparency.

• Scope

  JSR Corporation - JSR Head Office, Yokkaichi Plant, Chiba Plant, Kashima Plant and Research Laboratories

• Target Period

  Wednesday, April 01, 2015 - Thursday, March 31, 2016

• Underlying Assumptions regarding Aggregation and Calculation

  1. Calculations are performed in accordance with the Environmental Accounting Guidelines, 2005 edition (Ministry of the Environment) and environmental guidelines used in the chemical industry (issued by the Japan Chemical Industry Association and the Japan Responsible Care Council).
  2. While the calculation of costs was based mainly on actual results, the calculation of some expenses was based on underlying assumptions.
  3. Economic effects were substantial and did not include conversions of risk aversion effects or deemed effects into monetary amounts.

  * Units of one million yen
  * Abbreviations - YP: Yokkaichi Plant, KP: Kashima Plant, CP: Chiba Plant

(1) Environmental Protection Costs

*6 Refers to the amount of the orders placed

(2) Environmental Protection Effects

*7 Improvement from previous years has not been corrected in terms of the production volume.

(3) Economical Effects of Environmental Protection Measures^*8 -Substantial Effect-

*8 The economic effects of energy and resource saving compared to the previous year.

(4) Consolidated Accounting

(5) Development of New Environmental Protection Technologies

1. Amount of Capital Investment

JSR makes continuous investments in the environment and safety. Investments made in FY2016 reached 4.0 billion yen. This consisted of plant and facility investment aimed at various environmental improvements such as energy-saving equipment, and safety improvements such as workplace accident prevention. JSR will continue to make ambitious investments to maintain and improve the environmental, safety, and health aspects of operations in accordance with its medium-term capital investment plan.

2. Main Areas of Environmental & Safety Capital Investment (Year in parentheses represents the investment year)

• Large-scale, natural gas-fired turbine cogeneration system (FY2010)
• Full-scale anti-seismic measures for facilities (FY1996-2015)
• Ground flare installation (FY2000, FY2008)
• Renovation of sludge dehydrator and upgrading efficiency (FY2001)
• Facilities to reduce hazardous atmospheric pollutants (FY1999-2008)
  (Dichloromethane solvent recovery facilities, 1,3-Butadiene treatment facility, incinerators for dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust, etc.)
• Augmented comprehensive facilities to treat wastewater (FY2006, FY2008)
• Sludge dryer system (FY2013)

3. Development of New Environmental Protection Technologies

Led by its Process Development Center, JSR is actively engaged in the development of new technologies to promote environmental protection. The following are recent themes in technological development approached by JSR. We deploy technologies as they are developed.

4. Main Areas of Environmental & Safety Technology Development

• (1) Development of Energy-saving Processes

  • Computer-assisted optimization of heat recovery (pinch technology)
  • Computer-assisted optimization of energy use in control systems
  • Energy-saving through changes in heat recovery and solvent types across multiple plants

• (2) Other Technologies to Reduce Environmental Impact

  • Development of solution polymerization manufacturing facilities and a new solvent recovery process (to reduce hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere)
  • Development of synthetic rubber manufacturing facilities and dry exhaust systems (to reduce odors near plants and hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere)
  • Development of polymerization technologies to combat total nitrogen emissions (measures to prevent eutrophication of ocean waters)
  • Development of environmental technology through more effective use of microbes (to reduce odors near plants and to improve the quality of wastewater)
  • Incineration technology for dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust (measures for harmful atmospheric pollutants)
  • Installation of a sludge dryer system (to reduce CO2 emissions and promote effective utilization of waste)

8. Improving the Local Environment

Dried-synthetic rubber waste incinerator (Kashima Plant)

JSR values the opinions of local residents and considers high transparency of plant operations to be the key to improve the local environment. With this in mind, we have strived to improve the local environment by implementing monitoring and tours of environmental equipment at regular intervals. In FY2007 and FY2008, we installed equipment to incinerate dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust (RTO^*9) at the Yokkaichi, Kashima, and Chiba plants to prevent foul odors. In FY2009, a ground flare was installed at the Yokkaichi Plant to prevent noise and flashes. As a result, there have been no environmental complaints from FY2009 to FY2016.
We will continue striving to maintain our basic policy of improving the local environment.

*9 RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer): A device that combusts breaks down VOCs into water and CO2 to make emissions clear

Number of environmental complaints

Ground flare (Yokkaichi Plant)

9. Other

* Only Japanese version available.

(1) Maintenance management information regarding waste treatment facilities (Yokkaichi Plant)

1. Maintenance management information

• FY2017 (PDF 90.9KB)
• FY2016 (PDF 90.2KB)
• FY2015 (PDF 96.0KB)
• FY2014 (PDF 95.0KB)
• FY2013 (PDF 83.8KB)
• FY2012 (PDF 53.4KB)
• FY2011 (PDF 34.3KB)

2. Periodic inspection notifications

• Incinerator #1 (primary reactor) Industrial Waste (PDF 272KB)
• Incinerator #2 (Fluidized bed incinerator #1) Industrial Waste (PDF 260KB)
• Incinerator #4 (Fluidized bed incinerator #2) Industrial Waste (PDF 259KB)
• General Waste (PDF 263KB)

3. Licensing

• Industrial Waste Disposal Permits (PDF 313KB)
• Special Control Industrial Waste Disposal Permits (PDF 369KB)
• Specific Waste Treatment Facilities License (PDF 911KB)

(2) By-product Reduction Plan Based on Laws Promoting the Effective Use of Resources

• By-product Reduction Plan Based on Laws Promoting the Effective Use of Resources (PDF 15.4KB)

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