Dinniman: Collegeville Air No Longer High in TCE
Public Meeting Set for Tuesday, Dec. 1 at Perkiomen Valley Middle School East

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2009

CONTACT: ADAM CIRUCCI     
PHONE: 610-692-2112     
acirucci@pasenate.com 

WEST CHESTER (November 30) - State Senator Andy Dinniman recently announced that the levels of airborne trichloroethylene (TCE) in the Collegeville area are now comparable to those across Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s latest findings.

“Airborne TCE is a serious public health issue, and I’m pleased to see that levels in the Collegeville area are now in line with those across Pennsylvania,” Dinniman said. “However, it is important that we continue to monitor air quality to ensure that we are breathing safe, clean air.”

TCE, or Trichloroethylene, is a manmade chemical that is commonly used as an industrial degreasing agent. In high levels, it can be extremely hazardous to your health.

In 2005, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) test results showed higher-than-normal TCE levels in the air in the Collegeville area. Dinniman, along with fellow legislators John Rafferty and Mike Vereb, worked with DEP to lower two local companies’ emissions of TCE.

DEP recently issued its third report of air monitoring results from samplings collected between 2005 and 2008. The results show a significant decrease in TCE concentrations that can be attributed to emission reduction strategies implemented by Superior Tube and Accellent - the two area narrow tube manufacturers.

Superior Tube has eliminated the use of TCE from its manufacturing process. In February 2008, the company announced that it would switch to an EPA-approved alternative, n-propyl bromide, which is not classified as a hazardous air pollutant.

Accellent has installed two carbon absorber units to control TCE emissions from its large degreasers and voluntarily reduced its allowable TCE emissions from 94 tons per year to 45 tons per year.

DEP will hold a public meeting on its efforts to reduce TCE emissions in the Collegeville area on Tuesday, December 1, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Perkiomen Valley Middle School East.

For more details, contact Adam Cirucci in Senator Dinniman’s office at 610-692-2112 or at acirucci@pasenate.com.

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