TTM Technologies Inc.'s Sustainability Efforts Recognized by U.S. EPA
By Kelly Scanlon, director, environment, health and safety policy and research, IPC
Key Summary
• TTM Technologies earned EPA recognition for reducing emissions and improving printed circuit board production processes.
• The Sterling facility lowered ammonia air emissions and reduced nitrate compounds discharged to the local water treatment facility.
• TTM promotes sustainable chemical and material choices, reducing off-site transfers of lead and copper sent for recycling.
• The company installed a new Ion Exchange wastewater system to improve water footprint and metal recovery efficiency.
Kudos to IPC-member company TTM Technologies, Inc. for reducing air and water emissions while continuously improving their printed circuit board production processes. On February 11, 2020, the Sterling, Va. facility was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator and the Region 3 Director for Land, Chemicals, and Redevelopment Division for these improvements as demonstrated by the Toxics Release Inventory data from 2018. TTM’s Sterling facility has optimized production processes resulting in reduced air emissions of ammonia and reduced quantities of nitrate compounds discharged to the local water treatment facility. In addition, TTM educates it customers and staff about chemical and material selections resulting in reduced off-site transfers of lead and copper sent for recycling. The company is passionate about what it makes as well as how sustainably it makes it. Printed circuit board fabrication in the United States is essential to defense systems and other critical applications. Producing these essential products reliably and without increased cost to the environment is a challenge that TTM Technologies has taken head on. “TTM’s lean management system enables them to demonstrate continuous improvement across all that they do and the Sterling facility is no exception,” said Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations. Across the United States, TTM is investing its capital and engineering intelligence -- the skills of its own employees, to design, fabricate, and install new Ion Exchange (IX) wastewater treatment systems. In 2019, the Sterling facility’s IX system came online and it is expected that this will further improve the company’s water footprint through increased capacity and improved metal recovery efficiency. IPC worked with the Sterling facility staff to host the EPA’s Smart Sectors Program and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) staff for a tour of the new IX system in July 2019. Read more here. We look forward to this facility’s and this company’s efforts to shape and define achievable sustainability goals.
TTM reduced ammonia air emissions, lowered nitrate discharges to the local water facility and improved recycling efforts for lead and copper.
EPA recognized the Sterling facility for demonstrating emissions reductions and continuous improvement shown in its 2018 Toxics Release Inventory data.
The company has optimized production processes, educated customers and staff on material choices and invested in advanced wastewater treatment systems.
The Ion Exchange system increases wastewater treatment capacity and improves metal recovery efficiency, further reducing the facility’s water footprint.