Stockholm Convention Review Committee Accepts Continued Use of Pentachlorophenol

cKMG-Bernuth, Inc., a subsidiary of KMG Chemicals, Inc. KMG, announced that the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention has recommended that pentachlorophenol (penta) may continue to be produced and used for certain key industrial wood preservation applications, specifically the treatment of utility poles and cross-arms. That recommendation will be considered by the Conference of Parties at its next meeting in May 2015. If adopted by the Conference, the decision will apply to Canada and other countries that have ratified the Convention. The United States has not ratified the Convention, and a decision by the Conference will have no binding effect on the United States. Canada and the United States have concluded comprehensive assessments of penta as an industrial wood preservative, and each country has independently authorized penta for that use. Both Canada and the United States recognized that penta has a long-established use in pressure treating utility poles and cross-arms, and serves a critical role in preserving the uninterrupted delivery of power through the electric grid. KMG will remain actively engaged in the Convention process, and intends to vigorously assert at the Conference that the use of penta on utility poles, cross-arms and other registered applications should be continued indefinitely, as the current, stringent regulatory practices in North America are protective of human health and the environment. KMG is confident that Canada and the United States will continue to support their previous regulatory decisions, and will strongly support the continued use of penta at the Conference.