Photo provided IDEM Office of Program Support Assistant Commissioner Bob Lugar and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Carl Wodrich, left-right, Cummins Industrial Engineer Clarissa Arriaga, Cummins Service Engineer Ashwini Khandelwal, and Governor’s Office Senior Operations Director John Roeder at the Indiana Pollution Prevention Conference and Tradeshow in Indianapolis recognize Cummins Inc with a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for Pollution Prevention.
Cummins Inc. is among seven organizations to win the 2022 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management said Monday that the Columbus-based company had received the honor for a pollution prevention project at the Cummins Mid-Range Engine Plant in Walesboro, which specializes in diesel and alternative fuel engines and generators.
The project consisted of reviewing processes that had been in place for 30 years at the facility in which engines were washed and painted to prevent rust and create brand association, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
After a two-year validation, including working with its supplier and customer, Cummins determined that painting was no longer needed. The company was able to eliminate five resource-intensive processes, including washing with chemicals, painting and using a dry-off and cure oven.
The benefits of this project include reductions in air emissions. The project also reduced natural gas usage by 79%, chemical usage by 23,500 gallons a year, clear-coat usage by 14,000 gallons a year, energy usage by over 10%, water usage by 12,000 gallons a day, as well as reductions in general waste from masking.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says that the award is the most prestigious environmental honor in the state and is “reserved for the most innovative, sustainable and exemplary programs or projects that positively impact Indiana’s environment.”
To be considered for the award, the projects must have been done voluntarily and not as the result of federal or state mandates, regulations or enforcement decrees.
The other recipients of the award this year included Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC in Huntington, Paramount Schools of Excellence in Indianapolis, AstraZeneca in Mount Vernon, Indianapolis Public Schools, Big Pine Creek Watershed Group in Fowler and the City of Monticello Partnership with Ball Corp.
“Exciting and innovative environmental projects are happening in Indiana. Projects that reduce waste, use alternative energy, and conserve water are happening where we work, play, and go to school,” said IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess in a statement. “These award winners are implementing real world examples for us all to strive to achieve.”
