CANOGA PARK : Rocketdyne Stops Using Chemical

Officials with Rockwell International’s Rocketdyne division said Monday that they have stopped using a solvent that depletes the Earth’s protective ozone shield.

The chlorofluorocarbon compound, known as CFC-113 or Freon-113, is a cleaner widely used in aerospace and other industries. However, a federal ban on production of the chemical is scheduled to take effect at the end of 1995.

The ban was instituted because of the damaging effects of the chemical’s vapors on the ozone layer that filters the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

As recently as 1989, the aerospace and defense firm used about 11,000 gallons of CFC-113 at its Canoga Avenue and De Soto Avenue plants in Canoga Park and its Santa Susana Field Laboratory west of Chatsworth, company officials said.

“This is a major milestone for Rocketdyne,” said Steve Lafflam, the firm’s director for environment, health and safety. Officials said they have replaced CFC-113 with water-based cleaners and by modifying certain equipment and processes.

Kim O’Rourke, a Rocketdyne environmental engineer, acknowledged that the shift away from CFC-113 has meant a minor increase in the use of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, a less-potent ozone depleter called TCA for short.

But O’Rourke said that since 1989, Rocketdyne has slashed its use of TCA by 75%, or nearly 30,000 gallons. TCA is also subject to a future ban.

Company officials credited their hazardous-materials elimination team, which has been working to replace ozone-depleting chemicals and other hazardous materials used in manufacturing.