Petroleum industry, 92 capital research

It is characteristic that traditional industries which maintain older plants (metal fabrications, polymer fiber, rubber plastics, wood furniture, organic chemicals) contribute more to releases and transfers of solvents (as measured by releases plus transfers per 1000 sales), than industries which invest capital in the improvement of equipment, safety, and research and development (e.g., printing, motor vehicle assembly). This suggests that the avoidance of cost of the required investment is one reason for pollution. This reason was illustrated in the discussion of the petroleum industry where one manufacturer almost eliminated pollution by fixing leaking valves. 

---