Number of incidents of non-compliance associated with water quality permits, standards and regulations
2020
2021
2022
Plant managers and HESS managers at our facilities conduct active assessments of water risks and put in place corresponding mitigation strategies and projects. For instance, our plant in Korat, Thailand continues to address the risk of rainwater overflow. Meanwhile, some local managements have determined water-related risks to be either minor or robustly controlled, as seen in our plants in Tianjin and Jiangyin, China, and Peterborough, Canada. At our Tianjin facility, we comply with local regulations by discharging sewage at a Level III standard. In general, water management practices do not lead to lifecycle impacts or trade-offs in plant operations. Our Korat plant, for example, operates on a zero-discharge basis by means of recycling. However, in some cases, additional electricity consumption is necessary to power the water treatment process, as is the case at our Tianjin plant. Neo remains committed to meeting and surpassing standards for water quality and compliance with discharge laws and regulations, as evidenced by zero incidents of noncompliance in 2022.
In recent years, our operating facilities have increased efforts on wastewater treatment. We have implemented several water treatment projects in recent years. In 2018, our Peterborough plant developed a new, site-specific wastewater policy and procedure. In 2019, our Tianjin (China) plant established an advanced treatment station to treat electrophoresis wastewater. Meanwhile, our Korat (Thailand) plant treats all its wastewater, with a focus on recycling and regular quality monitoring and inspections. Our Tianjin (China) plant operates wastewater treatment stations and contracts third-party testing agencies to monitor discharge water quality on a quarterly basis.
Our Zibo (China) plant faces challenges due to the local municipality’s aging and limited water treatment infrastructure, particularly for chloride discharges. Continuation to operate at this location poses the risk of deviation from the high environmental standards Neo’s global operations have followed. To address this, the Zibo plant is undertaking a relocation project to a new industrial park with improved water treatment infrastructure with higher capacity.