Pacific Scientific EKD
Wins Green Award
The purpose of the Green Award is to recognize voluntary activities by companies and organizations, big or small, private or nonprofit, in Santa Barbara County that result in cleaner air or water, less waste, less traffic, conservation of water, energy and natural resources, or reduced use of hazardous materials. The Green Award honors those organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment or innovation above and beyond their primary mission. In selecting the recipients, the awards committee does consider the following:
    • Measurable improvements to
       environmental quality;
    • Comprehensive environmental
       philosophy;
    • Ongoing or long-term environmental
       benefits;
    • Creativity and innovation in technology
       or approach; and
    • Model achievements.

The Green Award is given in Santa Barbara County by a consortium of the following organizations:
    • Santa Barbara County Air Pollution
       Control District
    • Santa Barbara County Water Resources
       Division· Santa Barbara County Solid
       Waste and Utilities Division
    • Community Environmental Council
    • Traffic Solutions

Pacific Scientific EKD, located in Carpinteria, California, is a 2001 Green Award Recipient. This facility manufactures high reliability custom electrical generating equipment for aerospace and specialty markets. The company has adopted a comprehensive environmental planning process to continually reduce the firm’s impact on the environment. This process has been implemented through programs covering a wide range of environmental areas, including air pollution prevention, hazardous waste reduction, recycling, and alternative transportation.

Using water-based cleaners, Pacific Scientific EKD successfully eliminated the use of trichloroethane and carbon black, and reduced hexavalent chromium and isocyonate emissions to the air. Pacific Scientific EKD latest challenge was to find an environmentally friendly replacement to their solder flux “Kester 185”, which emits over 50 pounds per year of volatile organic compounds. The new candidate, “Kester HF 1189”, will be made out of lemon juice mostly and will emit no volatile organic compounds. In addition, the company has a facility-wide recycling program. Employees at Pacific Scientific EKD carpool and have staggered shift times and four-day workweeks, which help reduce traffic and air pollution.