The ROE Award is presented worldwide to a select group of industrial, commercial and institutional establishments whose strong working relationship with BetzDearborn has resulted in significant environmental, health and safety benefits, while reducing operating costs.

The Nampa plant processes sugar beets into sugar, cattle feed, high nutrient feed additives, amino acids and dust suppressants. Despite the company's past efforts at odor reduction and control, the process still generated odors in the flume water system that were objectionable to the surrounding community. Some of the odors were also detrimental to working conditions in the plant.

Working closely together to find a a better solution, Amalgamated Sugar and BetzDearborn introduced a series of odor control products and process protocols that inhibited odor production and chemically scavenged any residual odors in the beet water flume. A trial run also was conducted of treatment chemicals that neutralized naturally occurring odors in the pulp dryer stacks.

The treatment program was successful in all respects, eliminating flume water odor complaints and creating a better working environment. The progress of the plant's Action Plan for odor control, one year ahead of schedule, was recognized by neighboring industries and reported in favorable newspaper articles. The new process also required less lime and defoaming agents and reduced the disposal of wastewater and solid waste, for a net annual saving of $180,350. Because of the favorable trial run results, the odor abatement program was expanded to include the pulp dryer stacks.

The ROE Award, a hand-crafted Irish crystal globe depicting the earth enclosing a chemical flask, was presented to Larry Corry, President and CEO, James E. Kusterer, technical manager, Stephen Coe, environmental engineer, of Amalgamated Sugar, by Dan Walter, regional vice president of BetzDearborn, who said: "Amalgamated Sugar turned this difficult problem into an opportunity to become a better neighbor in the community, and they succeed in achieving both environmental benefits and cost reductions. We are proud to recognize them publicly with this ROE award."

In his reponse, Mr. Corry said: "We are very pleased that our joint effort has been so successful. It demonstrates what can be accomplished when suppliers and customers work closely together."

BetzDearborn, a division of Hercules, Incorporated, is a global company headquartered in Trevose, Pennsylvania, that supplies specialty chemicals and engineered programs for the treatment of industrial water, wastewater and process systems.