Because we handle chemical substances, we have a responsibility to prevent environmental pollution.
We consider the management of hazardous chemical substances emitted during the production process and the reduction of emissions to be important issues, and we are working to resolve them.
We are aware of the significant environmental risk accompanying the use of chemical substances, and we are taking steps to avoid pollution. We take into particular consideration the degree and duration of environmental impacts when storing and transporting chemical substances within our facilities, applying four voluntary standards for proactive prevention.
We contract legally certified waste disposal specialists for the disposal of industrial waste in Japan and overseas, and we visit their processing facilities regularly to ensure proper treatment. We also conduct surveys to minimize the risk of soil pollution caused by ground deformations when constructing plants.
No environmental accidents or other violations of environmental standards occurred in fiscal 2010.
Overhead pipes at Yasu Plant
Emergency shutdown valve at Anamizu Electronics Industries
We consider minimizing the impact of our business activities on local communities to be one of the most important aspects of our corporate social responsibility, and we work hard to respond swiftly if a problem occurs.
In fiscal 2010, the Murata Group’s plants received two complaints regarding noise and tree planting, and we quickly resolved these issues in consultation with local residents.
We also strive to promote information disclosure, by such means as inviting local residents to tour around our operating sites, so that they can better understand our active environmental efforts.
Community tour of Toyama Murata Manufacturing
Community tour of Kanazu Murata Manufacturing
Sabae Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Administration Sec.
Michiko Yabuuchi
(t/year)
| PRTR No. | Chemical name |
Amount handled |
Emissions | Amount transferred | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air emission | Releases into public waterways | Soil | Land- fill |
Release into sewerage systems | Waste transfer | Recycling transfer | |||
| 8 | Methyl acrylate | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| 20 | 2-aminoethanol | 21.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 17.8 |
| 51 | 2-ethylhexanoate | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.6 |
| 53 | Ethylbenzene | 4.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| 58 | Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether | 30.7 | 0.1 |
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.4 |
| 71 | Ferric chloride | 712.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 712.0 |
| 73 | 1-Octanol | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| 80 | Xylene | 159.1 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| 82 | Silver and its water-soluble compounds | 149.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| 132 | Cobalt and its compounds | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| 296 | 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| 297 | 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| 300 | Toluene | 4,419.6 | 37.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 185.7 |
| 304 | Lead | 18.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.1 |
| 305 | Lead and its compounds | 267.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 19.2 |
| 308 | Nickel | 1,346.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 80.1 |
| 309 | Nickel and its compounds | 558.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 52.3 |
| 333 | Hydrazine | 976.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 375.2 |
| 343 | Pyrocatechol | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| 354 | Di-n-butyl phthalate | 12.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.4 |
| 355 | Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | 102.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 40.0 |
| 405 | Boron and its compounds | 8.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.6 |
| 408 | Poly (oxyethylene) = octylphenyl ethel | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| 411 | Formaldehyde | 6.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 412 | Manganese and its compounds | 53.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
In 1997, Murata set up its own standards concerning chemical substances with large environmental impact among those used in production processes at manufacturing plants. These voluntary standards target the reduction or elimination of chemical substance groups by ranking them according to toxicity as Prohibition, Emission Reduction or Preparation for Emission Reduction.
| Rank | Target substance group | |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibition | Substances specified as Class I Specified Chemical Substance in Paragraph (2) of Article 2 of the Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc. | |
| Substances specified in Paragraph (1) of Article 16 of the Enforcement Order of the Industrial Safety and Health Act | ||
| Specified poisons as prescribed in Paragraph (3) of Article 2 of the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act | ||
| Substances specified in Row 35-3 (1), (3), and (4) of Appended Table 2 of the Export Trade Control Order | ||
| Substances classified as "Any use" under the Significant New Use Rules (SNUR) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) | ||
| Substances listed in Annexes A, B, C, and E of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer | ||
| Acrylonitriles | Asbestos | |
| Azo compounds | Chlorine-based flame retardants | |
| Chlorinatd organic compounds | Chlorinated paraffins (short-chain) | |
| Chlorinated furans | Cadmium and its compounds | |
| Metallic carbonyls | Simazine | |
| 2,4-Dinitrotoluene | Bromine-based flame retardants (PBBs, PBDEs) | |
| Mercury and its compounds | Red phosphorus and red phosphorus-based flame retardants | |
| Dioxin | Thallium and its compounds (with some exceptions) | |
| Thiuram | Thiobencarb | |
| Trichlorobenzene | Arsenic and its compounds (with some exceptions) | |
| Lead and its compounds (lead as subject to the RoHS Directive) | ||
| Beryllium and its compounds (used in ceramics) | Perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFAS) | |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | Benzene | |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and PFOS salts | ||
| Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and mixtures containing PVC | Inorganic cyanide compounds | |
| Organotin compounds (tri-substituted compounds, DBB, DBT, and DOT for specific applications) | ||
| Methyl demeton | Hexavalent chromium compounds | |
| 2,4-D | CFCs | |
| Halons | HCFCs | |
| Reduction | Acetone | Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) |
| Ethanol | Ferric chloride | |
| Xylene | Samarium and its compounds | |
| Thallium (used in gold plating) | Toluene | |
| Lead and its compounds (ceramics, glass , high-temperature solders, etc. to which the RoHS Directive does not apply) | ||
| Hydrazine | Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) | |
| Formaldehyde | Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) | |
| Nickel sulfate | Sulfur hexafluoride | |
| HFCs | PFCs | |
| Monitoring | Acetaldehyde | 2-Aminoethanol |
| Alkylene glycol ether and its acetates | ||
| Sulfur and its compounds | Iso butanol | |
| Chlorinated paraffin (excepting short-chain) | 1-Octanol | |
| Chloroform | Chrome and its compounds | |
| Cobalt and its compounds | Acetate | |
| Antimony trioxide | Cyanide | |
| 1,4-Dioxane | Cyclopentanone | |
| Dimethylamine | Nitric acid compounds and nitrous acid compounds | |
| Selenium and its compounds | Tellurium and its compounds | |
| Triethylamine | o-toluidine | |
| Lead and its compounds (alloys, etc. to which the RoHS Directive does not apply) | ||
| Nickel and its compounds | Vanadium and its compounds | |
| Barium and its compounds | Biphenyls | |
| Pyridine | Arsenic and its compounds (used in semiconductors) | |
| Fluorine and its compounds | Phthalate esters (excepting DEHP) | |
| 1,3-butadiene | 2-heptanone | |
| n-heptane | Beryllium and its compounds (other than when used in ceramics) | |
| Benzyl alcohol | Benzo(a)pyrene | |
| Boron and its compounds | Aromatic compounds | |
| Manganese and its compounds | Mineral spirits | |
| Maleic anhydride | Methanol | |
| N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone | Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) | |
| Monomethylamine (methylamine) | Phosphorus and its compounds | |
Murata has been quick to carry out surveys on soil and groundwater contamination caused by past business activities and has actively worked toward early remediation. In 1989, we ceased using trichloroethylene and five other chlorinated organic solvents at 17 of our 22 manufacturing plants upon the prohibition of underground seepage based on the Water Pollution Control Law, and achieved total elimination in 1998.
The Company has conducted more detailed soil and groundwater contamination surveys since 1991 using state-of-the-art technology. These surveys have verified contamination originating from the use of chlorinated organic solvents at 14 of our 36 business sites and subsidiaries. Cleaning work has commenced, and work is in progress at 10 locations.
Since 1997, Murata has cleaned up 14 locations deemed to require remediation. We have also installed wells at the boundaries of business site premises, where we gather data on trichloroethylene and cis-1, 2-dichloroethylene, and constantly monitor the progress of groundwater purification. For business sites and subsidiaries with particularly high concentrations of contaminants where complete remediation will take a long time, to supplement existing measures we have introduced a new technique* that shortens the cleanup period to within six months, which we implemented at seven sites through fiscal 2005. We have achieved values within the environmental standards at Hakui Murata Manufacturing (Hakui Murata Manufacturing and Hakui Murata Manufacturing, Togi Site), and are working to reduce contamination concentrations by at least 90% from original levels at Iwami Murata Manufacturing. Both of these areas continue to advance remediation measures begun in fiscal 2006. We additionally began new decontamination efforts at Kanazu Murata Manufacturing Natsume Plant and Fukui Murata Manufacturing, Shirayama Site.
As of March 2011, cleanup efforts are in progress at ten locations. We have already completed remediation at three business sites.
Due to the high cost burden of contamination remediation, Murata posts all expenses through to cleanup completion provisionally on its corporate accounts.
*We implement and use decontamination methods according to application, based on soil quality, contamination concentration and the source location of the contamination: the in-situ bioremediation method, the in-situ iron powder method, the in-situ oxidative decomposition method, and other advanced technologies.
(Millions of yen)
| Expenditure up to FY2010 | Estimate from FY2011 | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-consolidated | Consolidated | Non-consolidated | Consolidated | Non-consolidated | Consolidated |
| 1,183 | 8,835 | 488 | 2,418 | 1,671 | 11,252 |
Instilling awareness about Murata’s environmental conservation in the community through heart-felt activities
Sabae Murata has been carrying out various “hand-making” activities to promote awareness about our environmental measures among the regional community members. For example, we have been offering compost materials from our food waste for gardening, and placing planters or seasonal decorations in our neighborhood as a part of our heart-felt communication with the community. We are also participating in municipal events and giving lessons at local elementary schools to strengthen our ties with local residents.