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Air
Efforts to Reduce and Monitor Air Emissions
We are reporting on direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for all 41 U.S. manufacturing plant locations. In fiscal year 2008, our GHG emissions increased 3 percent from fiscal year 2007. Most of this increase is attributable to production gains across the company.
In 2008, we joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders Program and are working to set our GHG emissions goal by the end of 2009.
Our operations also track and record criteria air pollutant emissions, including NOx (Nitrogen oxides), SO2 (Sulfur dioxide), CO (Carbon monoxide) and PM (particulate matter). These emissions are reported as required by local, state, and federal requirements.
Air Emission Reduction Projects
We report on direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions.
Our Farmer John facility in Vernon, CA, installed a new regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) that is 95 percent energy efficient. The RTO reduces particulates from air emissions generated by our natural wood smoke process, enabling us to meet our air-permit requirements.
The RTO has reduced the amount of natural gas required by the process, effectively eliminating more than 200 metric tons of CO2eq. per month from the carbon footprint at Farmer John. Additionally, fuel consumption was reduced by more than 80 percent when compared to the old emission control system.
Logistics/transportation
Hormel Foods sells products around the world and relies on transportation via truck, train and ship to deliver our products to customers. To minimize our impact on air quality, we transport our products as efficiently as possible by structuring pallet loads, reviewing product mixes and improving route planning to increase overall load factors. Load factors have increased from 31,000 pounds per load in 2006 to 36,500 pounds per load in 2007.
We have also increased our use of Trailer on Flatcar (TOFC) shipping, which has reduced air emissions by 65 percent per shipment. In 2008, we had more than 5,000 TOFC shipments versus 1,328 TOFC shipments in 2006.