Bethlehem Steel Corporation
1995 Environmental Progress Report

Moving Beyond Compliance

Green Technologies

Bethlehem Steel has had an environmental technology development program for 50 years. Since then we developed and implemented many "green technologies" that have enabled Bethlehem Steel and other companies to meet environmental obligations. Many green technologies have become industry standards and have been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency.

We not only use the new environmental technologies for our own purposes, but also license them for use by other companies. In this way we contribute to better environmental performance beyond our own company.

SUPER DE-TOX � Process
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, we developed a process we called  SUPER DE-TOX by which we chemically stabilize metals, such as zinc, lead, cadmium and others in electric arc furnace dusts to render the dust nontoxic. Bethlehem Steel patented this process and licenses this technology to other companies. The Environmental Protection Agency has accepted this technology as "best available control technology." Another steelmaker also is using the process to detoxify its electric arc furnace dusts.

High-Density Sludge Process
Bethlehem Steel developed a high-density sludge to improve treatment of acid mine drainage at our coal mines. Since introducing this technology, we have used it to treat acidic metal-bearing, coal-mining and steel plant waste waters. These include zinc- and cyanide-bearing blast furnace waste waters at Sparrows Point, zinc-bearing waste waters from galvanizing operations at Lackawanna, chromium-bearing waste waters from tin and chromium coating operations at Sparrows Point, metal-bearing pickling rinse waters at our former wire mill operation at Johnstown, and zinc- and cadmium-bearing ground waters being treated at Sparrows Point. We sold this process in the late 1980s and it is now being marketed world wide.

Blast Furnace Slurry Hydrocyclone Process
Bethlehem Steel developed a blast furnace slurry hydrocyclone process that separates zinc and lead from iron and carbon particles in blast furnace gas scrubber solids. The iron and carbon can then be recycled. This process was used at our Bethlehem Structural Products facility, is being installed at Burns Harbor and has been licensed for use by other companies.

Integrated Waste Management System
Bethlehem Steel developed a collection of processes that will enable us to recycle most of a steel plant's waste iron-bearing dusts. The technologies include a blast furnace slurry hydrocyclone process and injection of oily sludges to a sinter plant. We are installing this patented system at Burns Harbor and are licensing the technology for use by other companies.

Magnetic Filtration of Steel Mill Waste Waters
Since the summer of 1995 we have been piloting a process to remove magnetic suspended particulates from oily hot strip mill waste waters. We made several process improvements during the pilot study and are applying for patents. We are evaluating the economics of this process to compare it to the more conventional sand filtration technology. At present there are no other magnetic filters operating in the United States on oily steel mill waters.

Treating Municipal Waste Waters with Spent Pickle Liquor
In the mid-1980s, Bethlehem Steel conducted extensive tests on the use of spent pickle liquor as a treatment chemical for municipal waste waters. The soluble iron in spent pickle liquor reacts with phosphates in the waste waters to form insoluble iron phosphate, which then can be removed by settling and filtration. Spent pickle liquor also is used to enhance the settling and filtration of sewage solids.

Bethlehem Steel led the development of this technology and since the mid-1980s has sent almost all of the spent pickle liquor from Sparrows Point and Lackawanna to sewage treatment plants for use as a water treatment chemical. Some of Burns Harbor's spent pickle liquor has been used to make very pure iron oxide, which is used in audio tapes, videotapes and computer disks, in addition to use in waste water treatment plants.

Environmental Stewardship

In mid-1994, Bethlehem began participating in two new stewardship initiatives sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency to more fully involve businesses in improving the environment--the Common Sense Initiative and the WasteWi$e Program.

The Common Sense Initiative focuses on pollution prevention, regulation, reporting, compliance, permitting, and environmental technology. Its goal is to bring all stakeholders--industry, government, community, environmental groups--together to examine "cleaner, cheaper and smarter" ways to provide environmental protection in specific industry sectors, including iron and steel, of which Bethlehem is a member.

"As a responsible corporate citizen, Bethlehem Steel is pleased to be associated with the development of environmentally sound programs in a cost-effective manner. . .. We are committed to environmental progress and employee actions to support that progress," Bethlehem Steel's Chairman Hank Barnette said.

In the Waste Wi$e program, Bethlehem Steel made significant progress in reducing wastes and became a charter member of the EPA's WasteWi$e effort, which is working with companies to reduce solid wastes. Charter members are companies that have been successful in preventing waste, by recycling and buying or manufacturing recycled products.

More recently, in late September 1995, Bethlehem Steel became the first steel maker to endorse the CERES Principles as a guide to ensuring continuous improvement in environmental performance and sustainability in manufacturing. CERES is a nonprofit organization composed of leading social investment professionals, environmental groups, public pension trustees, religious organizations and public interest groups. Our CERES' endorsement supports Bethlehem Steel's objectives of being the premier steel company, a good citizen and a neighbor of choice.

Good Citizenship

Loons, lynx, mink, bald eagles, otters and a host of plant life were the beneficiaries of a Bethlehem Steel conservation arrangement in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in spring 1995. In a three-way transaction involving the corporation, The Nature Conservancy and the state of Michigan, Bethlehem sold 10,245 acres of lake shore, pristine forest, lakes, ponds and rivers for permanent conservation. Bethlehem Steel sold the land to the Conservancy, which has since transferred it to the state.

When added to other preserved shoreline, the Bethlehem Steel property helps create 16 contiguous miles of shore frontage protecting sandy beach, dunes, forest, marshland, the mouths of the Crow and Catarac Rivers, and parts of nine inland lakes. It also protects interdunal wetland communities, and a series of wooded dune, northern fen and swale complexes unique to the Great Lakes region.

The area is important for recreation too and has long been considered the best trout fishing sites on the Upper Peninsula. With the Conservancy's help, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and its Lake Superior State Forest planners are developing a management plan that will mesh conservation goals with recreational use.

Encouraging Waste Minimization Through Education and Communication

Employee education is another important way to help Bethlehem Steel's business units meet waste minimization and emission reduction goals.

Bethlehem Steel has begun an environmental education and awareness program for all of its employees. This program increases communication with all employees about laws that affect efforts to improve environmental compliance.

Bethlehem Steel plans to keep its employees up to date on environmental affairs and is working to improve communication with government agencies, the public, customers, suppliers, stockholders and the financial community.

For example, Bethlehem Structural Products routinely takes steps to increase communication with the community by:

• participating in Earth Day and other public awareness events,
• providing speakers to local schools,
• giving environmental tours to university classes,
• holding environmental "open house" days for employees' families,
• giving timely one-on-one tours to neighbors who express concern about environmental issues, and
• developing a series of fact sheets with easy-to-understand descriptions of environmental operations and controls for use by journalists and the public.

Our business units also have established community-response programs to provide a timely response when a neighbor telephones about an environmental issue.

Environmental issues are addressed in business transactions with customers, suppliers and contractors. When business units write standard operating procedures for safety, health and environment, they include sections for these audiences when appropriate.

Community Involvement

Resource conservation and community involvement focus on efforts to participate in community activities. Our Business Units have developed working relationships with their neighbors and community groups. For example, Burns Harbor periodically meets with representatives from the Save the Dunes environmental group, the Hoosier Environmental Council, and the Dune Acres Sound and Pollution Committee to discuss environmental issues. In addition to providing plant tours of various operating facilities, plant personnel usually make a presentation on major issues of concern, followed by a question- and-answer session.

Sparrows Point representatives from environmental control regularly attend meetings of neighborhood, community and business organizations to address any environmental issues that might be raised. Sparrows Point also gives plant tours to concerned neighbors and offers an environmental "hot line" staffed 24 hours a day.

Bethlehem Structural Products has established an active community outreach program, which involves regular interaction with neighborhood and community organization and university students on environmental issues. Structural Products participates regularly in annual spring Earth Day events and last year joined with Home Depot to erect an exhibit booth using steel studs. The Bethlehem Steel Foundation donated $1,000 to support the children's environmental education tent at the same event.

Bethlehem Steel has made excellent progress toward our environmental goals over the past few years and we will continue to make progress. As we look to the future, there are several directions that our program must take to ensure compliance and meet our obligations to external stakeholders.

Safety, Health and Environment Department
1170 Eighth Avenue, Martin Tower; 12th Floor, Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
For further information about this report, send mail to [email protected]

Environmental Report Table of Contents

If you have any questions or comments, please Contact Us
�1999, Bethlehem Steel Corporation