Invista

Invista is a subsidiary of Koch Industries. It is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers, primarily for nylon, spandex and polyester applications.

Brands
Brands include: Antron Carpet Fiber, Comforel Fiber, Coolmax Fabric, Cordura Fabric, Dacron Fiberfill, Lycra Fiber, Polyshield Resin, Solarmax Fabric, Stainmaster Carpet, Supplex Fabric, Supriva Fiber, Tactel Fiber, and Thermolite Fabric.

History
On September 4, 2003, the E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) renamed its DuPont Textiles & Interiors (DTI) unit, choosing Invista as a step toward its eventual separation, either by spin-off or sale. On April 30, 2004, the sale of the DuPont Textiles and Interiors assets to Koch Industries, Inc. for $4.2 billion was finalized. The transaction involved more than 40 sites worldwide. Twelve acquired facilities were located in the U.S., the Seaford, Del. facility and facilities located at: Athens, Ga.; Calhous, Ga.; Camden, S.C.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Dalton, Ga.; Kinston, N.C.; LaPorte, Texas; Martinsville, Va.; Orange, Texas; Victoria, Texas; and Waynesboro, Va.

Existing Coal Plants
The Invista Seaford Power Plant provides power to Invista's Seaford, Delaware synthetic textiles manufacturing facility, and the Invista Waynesboro Power Plant in Waynesboro,Virginia, provides power to Invista's Waynesboro synthetic textiles manufacturing facility. The Camden May Power Plant produces power for Invista's Camden May polymers manufacturing plant.

Seaford Environmental Violations
The Seaford plant burns coal and in 2001 reported discharging into the air 130 pounds of the neurotoxin mercury. Total “Toxic Release Inventory” on-site releases for that year were 469,000 pounds. For 2005, the total was 602,000 pounds. By 2007, the amounts reported had increased to 764,000 pounds. Careless disposal of coal ash on the site has contaminated groundwater with arsenic, carbon tetrachloride, and other toxic chemicals.

A December 2008 EPA Region 3 progress report on the Invista Seaford Plant found arsenic in the underlying groundwater, and stated the "source of the arsenic is most likely coal ash generated by the site’s power plant." Invista has said it is converting its coal-fired boilers to natural gas, however activists such as Citizens for Clean Power and the Sierra Club argue any additional coal ash generated should only be disposed of in a lined landfill.

In April 2009 it was determined that INVISTA would pay a civil penalty of $850,000 to EPA and a civil penalty of $500,000 to Delaware for environmental violations found through audit at various INVISTA facilities, including the INVISTA-Seaford Plant. A Consent Decree was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware specifying corrective actions expected to result in net reductions in emissions from three boilers at the Seaford plant of 1,029 tons per year of nitrogen oxides; 4,211 tons per year of sulfur oxides; and 269 tons per year of particulate matter.

Contact Information
Invista 2801 Centerville Road Wilmington, DE 19808 Phone: 302-683-3001 Website: http://www.invista.com/

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Delaware and coal
 * United States and coal
 * Global warming