Rohm And Haas Powder Coatings Receives First Responsible Care Management System® (RCMS®) Site Certification

Reading, PA - Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings is delighted to announce that its Reading, Pennsylvania, facility is the first site in the world to receive the RCMS® Site Certification awarded by the American Chemical Council (ACC).

When Raj Gupta, Chairman and CEO of Rohm and Haas Company, became Chairman of the ACC in 2003, he made a public declaration of Rohm and Haas' support of the ACC's Responsible Care initiative. He also announced Rohm and Haas' commitment to conducting the first RCMS® pilot site audit at the company's powder coatings site in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA.

The ACC's Responsible Care initiative was launched in the 1980s to demonstrate a willingness, on behalf of the chemistry industry, to set high standards for the behavior of chemical companies in local communities. The ACC has since then proceeded to enhance the business value of Responsible Care and ensure that the industry uses technology and products in a way that both respects peoples' health and the environment and increases the industry's sustainability for the long run.

In response to the Site Certification, Mr. Gupta says, "We believe in the RCMS® certification process and are pleased to help the ACC blaze the trail. Our Reading site is proud to be the first of 150 ACC members to carry out the RCMS® audit. Now that we have achieved certification, Rohm and Haas will stay committed to supporting the long range initiative of the chemical industry - demonstrating the contributions and positive impact of responsible chemistry in the lives of people, wildlife and the environment."

Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings' Reading site has also played a role in the ACC's ongoing efforts to identify commonalities between the RCMS® auditing process and the U.S. Government's Occupational Safety & Health Administration's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) – attaining VPP Star status on May 18th, 2004. The VPP sets performance-based criteria for a managed safety and health system, invites sites to apply, and then assesses applicants against these criteria to assure safe and healthful working conditions as far as possible for every working man and woman in the Nation.

About Rohm and Haas Company
Rohm and Haas is a Philadelphia-based specialty materials company which makes products for the personal care, grocery, home and construction markets, and the electronics industry. The company had annual sales of approximately $7.3 billion in 2004 with operations in 27 countries. Additional information about Rohm and Haas can be found at www.rohmhaas.com.

About Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings
With over 40 years experience in powder coatings, Rohm and Haas is a leading global provider of high quality cost-effective powder finishing materials for a wide range of general industrial and specialized applications. This rich heritage brings a proud history of business integrity, batch-color consistency, customer care, innovation, and environmentally-friendly products. Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings serves the automotive, architectural, consumer durables, general metal finishing and industrial goods markets, with a choice of powder coatings suitable for applications as diverse as anti-graffiti surfaces in train stations, ceiling tiles in supermarkets, car wheels and trims and garden furniture. In addition, they are fast becoming architects' and interior designers' first choice when specifying colours and finishes to suit ever-changing fashions and trends. Thanks to the hard wearing, solvent-free ingredients and the wide choice of colors, powder coatings are a superior substitute for many wet paint finishes. Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings' products touch our lives all day, everyday.

Source: Rohm and Haas Company