Since the late 1990’s DuPont has devoted substantial resources to reduce PFOA emissions from our fluoropolymer manufacturing operations.  Since 1998 DuPont has installed 21 emissions reduction projects at our three main fluoropolymer production sites in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. These projects have also reduced emissions in a way that allows us to recover and recycle a substantial portion of the PFOA used. Compared to 2000, we have reduced our worldwide fluoropolymer manufacturing facility PFOA emissions by 95 percent through the end of 2006. DuPont has applied these reduction technologies globally, as demonstrated in our fluoropolymer manufacturing facility started up in 2007 in China.

DuPont has also significantly reduced PFOA product content in aqueous fluoropolymer dispersions (AFD) through the development of Echelon™ Technology. The successful conversion of our global AFD product line was initiated in mid-2004 and involved significant effort and cost by both DuPont and our customers. We have installed commercial facilities at all three of our existing fluoropolymer manufacturing sites, as well as at our new plant in China. Echelon™ Technology reduces PFOA content by at least 97 percent, and by the end of 2006, DuPont converted customers representing over 90 percent of our AFD sales volume to low-PFOA products.

Fluorotelomer products are not made with PFOA nor is PFOA added during the manufacture of fluorotelomer-based products. PFOA is found in trace amounts in some fluorotelomer products as an unintended manufacturing byproduct. Although scientific studies indicate that fluorotelomer manufacturing emissions have not been a significant source of PFOA in the environment, DuPont has actively worked to minimize manufacturing emissions and product content of PFOA, PFOA precursors and related homologues. In recent years DuPont dedicated significant resources to develop new impurity reduction technologies. These new, patented technologies were demonstrated in pilot facilities in 2005, and commercialized in late 2006. The company invested $22 million in this new LX Platform™ Products technology that removes greater than 97 percent of PFOA, its homologues and direct precursors in our primary fluorotelomer intermediate and resultant products. This investment in new process technology clearly demonstrates DuPont is committed to minimizing our environmental footprint through scientific innovation and product improvement.

In January 2006, DuPont committed to participate in the voluntary U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2010/15 PFOA Stewardship Program to significantly reduce manufacturing emissions and product content levels of PFOA, its precursors and related higher homologues by 2010, and work toward the elimination of those sources by 2015. 

In February 2007, the company committed to no longer make, use or buy PFOA by 2015 or earlier, if possible. We are taking this action because studies have shown very low levels of this compound in the environment and in the blood of the general population. Questions about this, as well as customer interest in product alternatives, are leading DuPont to develop new products and processes that reduce our environmental footprint and are more environmentally sustainable.

For the past seven years, following findings that PFOA was present at low levels in the environment and the blood of the general population, EPA has focused attention on the sources of PFOA, the pathways of human exposure and potential health effects. DuPont has supported these efforts, along with other fluoropolymer and fluorotelomer manufacturers, to conduct voluntary research in these areas. Information developed under this process is available in an extensive public docket (http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/).

As an outgrowth of this process, the EPA initiated an effort to reduce human and environmental exposure through an innovative voluntary stewardship program announced in January 2006. DuPont was a leader in helping develop this program with EPA. Seven other major fluoropolymer and fluorotelomer manufacturers agreed to participate. For more information on the stewardship program, go to http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/pfoastewardship.htm .

At the program launch, the EPA stated;

“I am pleased to say that DuPont has alerted us they are formally committed to the program. I would like to commend them for their leadership in moving to voluntarily reduce their emissions and uses of PFOA and I am hopeful that others will follow.”

Susan HazenActing Administrator of EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Jan. 25, 2006

The program requires global corporate commitments by each of the participants to the following goals:

1. To commit to achieve, no later than 2010, a 95% reduction, measured from a year 2000 baseline, in both: facility emissions to all media of PFOA, precursor chemicals that can break down to PFOA, and related higher homologue chemicals, and product content levels of PFOA, precursor chemicals that can break down to PFOA, and related higher homologue chemicals.
2. To commit to working toward the elimination of PFOA, PFOA precursors, and related higher homologue chemicals from emissions and products by five years thereafter, or no later than 2015.

To date, DuPont has made significant progress in meeting and in many cases exceeding the objectives of the Stewardship Program.  Our achievements include:

• Reduced total PFOA emissions by approximately 95 percent in our global manufacturing operations since 2000.  The U.S. reduction is almost 98 percent.
• Qualified 90 percent of our sales volume for aqueous fluoropolymer dispersions to newly formulated technology that reduces PFOA content by 97 percent.
• Started up a $22 million facility that removes more than 97 percent of trace levels of PFOA, direct precursors and homologues in our fluorotelomer products.
• Launched DuPont™ Capstone™ fluorotelomer products that are based on short-chain chemistry that cannot breakdown to PFOA in the environment.
• Developed technology for PFOA emissions abatement, water treatment and recovery for reuse.
• Shared royalty-free access to DuPont patents and technology for PFOA emissions abatement, water treatment and recovery for reuse.
• Contributed to the PFOA scientific knowledge base with more than 70 published articles.

As part of our participation in the 2010/15 PFOA Stewardship Program, DuPont submits data annually to the EPA on our progress toward meeting program objectives.  To date, we have submitted baseline data and 2006 actual performance data. Our reports are publicly available on the EPA web site at: www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/DuPont_AppF.pdf . 

Additionally, other information can be accessed from the links below:

EPA Announces Substantial Decrease of PFOA,  February 4, 2008
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/8f9dbdd044050f71852573e50064439f!OpenDocument

Progress Report to US EPA, October 31, 2007
http://www2.dupont.com/PFOA2/en_US/assets/downloads/pdf/LetterToEPA_20071031.pdf

Baseline Report to US EPA, October 31, 2006
http://www2.dupont.com/PFOA2/en_US/assets/downloads/pdf/EPA%20letter-10-31-06.pdf

Voluntary Commitment Letter to US EPA, January 25, 2006
http://www2.dupont.com/PFOA2/en_US/assets/downloads/pdf/LettertoEPA1_25_06.pdf