Environmental Management System

Basic ideas and policies

The Resonac Group is committed not only to fulfilling its responsibilities as both a chemical company and an emitter by minimizing the discharge of hazardous substances, waste and pollutants, but also to contributing to environmental conservation based on the appropriate assessment of the impact of its business activities on the environment. To this end we are working to build a monitoring system and an effective environmental management system across our supply chain targeting a wide range of environmental risks, including those posed by waste, water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, noise and vibration. Through this effort we are improving our environmental management system based on the concept of Responsible Care.

Promotion system

The Resonac Group conducts environmental conservation activities as part of its Responsible Care activity under the Responsible Care promotion system. The president of Resonac. assumes ultimate responsibility for the Group’s Responsible Care activity. Under the leadership of the president, each of the divisions and sites conduct environmental conservation activities, receiving support from the administrative departments of the head office. At regular safety meetings, the Management Committee is briefed on environment-related activities of the Group and gives relevant instructions, which will be conveyed to the divisions and sites for implementation. Moreover, at each site, the head of the site and the environment & safety manager lead environmental conservation activities based on their Environment and Safety action plans.

Implementation of environmental management systems

The Resonac Group is managing and reducing environmental risks posed to its sites in an appropriate manner by establishing an environmental management system at each site, for which the Group is promoting the acquisition of certification and fostering improvements. We have these management systems regularly assessed by external certification bodies to keep them up to date. Moreover, the systems are implemented at each site by following a PDCA cycle to further promote the related activities.

• * The Resonac Group obtains certification for the environmental management system of each site.
  List of sites with certified environmental management systems
• * For internal audits on the Responsible Care activity including environmental initiatives, please refer to the following:
  Responsible Care activity

Reduction of environmental risks

The Resonac Group is implementing the following measures to reduce environmental risks, aiming to achieve zero serious environmental accidents that badly affect human health and the environment^*, such as the outflow of chemical substances from company premises and environmental pollution by hazardous substances.
In 2021 we had no serious environmental accidents.

• * Serious environmental accidents: Events that result in damage to human health or the natural environment along with any of the following situations due to the discharge of certain substances beyond the regulatory or agreed standards
  1. Ambulance transportation due to physical injury or illness
  2. Damage to the lives, business activities and natural environments of third parties
  3. Request for assistance made to outside (other than official emergency calls)
  4. (Nationwide) media coverage

• Education of employees on latest revision of environmental laws and regulations and internal auditing at each site
• Confirmation of compliance with environmental laws and regulations at each site through Environment and Safety auditing by the head office
• Implementation of environmental risk assessment
• Formulation of a manual on responses to incidents (about how to establish an internal response system including the response headquarters; information communication channels; and about internal and external reporting and information sharing) and organization of drills
• Sharing of environmental accident information across the board
• Promotion of “Active Safety” activities^* to prevent the reoccurrence of similar problems based on the analysis of past accidents and problems
• Implementation of measures including surveys in line with the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act and the ordinances of local governments following the change of land usage or the excavation and transportation of soil from the premises to prevent soil and groundwater contamination

• * Active Safety activities: Activities in which we analyze past incidents and disasters and summarize the lessons learned from them in the “Active Safety checklist,” and then make use of the list to identify related risks and as an educational material to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents

Measures against soil contamination

In October 2020, at our production base for the aluminum specialty components business located in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, substances including fluorine were detected in an amount exceeding the regulatory standards in the groundwater flowing beneath the premises. In response we have implemented remediation measures in line with the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act.

Niigata Minamata disease

Regarding the Niigata Minamata disease, the outbreak of which was officially confirmed in 1965, we acknowledge that it caused great inconvenience to people living around its site, our wastewater caused the pollution of the Agano River. Resonac, in cooperation with the national and local governments, will continue to respond in good faith to the victims of the incident and work to solve the related problems in line with the laws and regulations that provide for compensation to be paid for the damage caused by the pollution.

Environmental education

We have been planning and implementing a range of environmental education programs for all Group companies in Japan. In 2021, we provided training on environmental laws and regulations and training for internal auditors in an online format. We provide such training with a focus on promoting communication through group discussion while checking participants’ level of understanding about the content.

Communication about environmental management

We inform people living around our sites of the details of our environmental management through on-site tours, opinion exchange meetings and the sites’ CSR reports and regularly conduct dialogue meetings with them. We also invite them to share their opinions and comments via the Resonac Group’s hotline.