In accordance with the Government of India’s ODS Rules, 2000, formulated to comply with the Montreal Protocol, 1987 which regulates/bans the use of ozone depleting substances internationally, ITC has developed and implemented a comprehensive plan for the phase out of ODS.
The salient features of ITC’s Plan on ODS
phase out are –
•
All newly purchased equipment to be free of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), Halons and Methyl Chloroform (MCF).
•
All units to monitor and reduce
consumption of ODS.
•
Replace all existing equipments using ODS well before the phase out stipulation.
•
Recover all the ODS from the equipments being replaced for recycling or safe disposal.
In 2009-10, the total consumption of ODS by all our units was 188 Kg of CFC- 11 equivalent.
Responsible Management of Chemicals, Oils and Fuels
All our Units manage chemicals, oils and fuels as per defined ITC norms, which take into account all statutory requirements and international best practices. These norms are adhered to, from the design stage and include measures to ensure leakage/spillage prevention, containment provisions, impervious flooring, leak detection systems and all the other requirements as per Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for hazardous chemicals.
Safe work practices on handling & storage, procedures for leak detection & spill control and preventive maintenance have been instituted to avoid any incidence of uncontrolled spills or leakage. The effectiveness of these measures is checked on a regular basis.
We also continuously evaluate the feasibility of substituting hazardous chemicals with less or non-hazardous materials.
In 2009-2010, there was no significant spill of any chemicals, oils, fuels or hazardous wastes in any of our units.
Biodiversity
None of our units/operations is located in or adjacent to a biodiversity sensitive zone.
All new/expansion projects have been undertaken after due Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and stakeholder consultations, as applicable. Environmental Management Plans where required as per the EIA studies, are implemented along with projects.
Beyond Compliance
All our Units are committed to the implementation of state-of-the-art processes and technologies and achieving benchmarked performance.
Environment, Occupational Health & Safety management systems in our units conform to international standards such as ISO 14001/OHSAS 18001/HACCP etc. and are certified by accredited 3rd Party agencies.
Besides internal audits and other 3rd party audits Corporate EHS experts audit every unit at periodic intervals not exceeding 18 months, to ensure compliance to statutory norms and Corporate EHS requirements.
During 2009-2010, no violation of environmental laws/regulations was recorded at any ITC Unit.
