The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) issued a response to the Washington Post article published earlier this week about the illegal dumping of toxic chemicals by a Chinese factory that has supplied major companies, including Suntech Power (NYSE: STP), with polysilicon for the production of solar cells.
In the statement, the SEIA said it was "outraged and disappointed" by the reports of the dumping which it said violates "the very spirit of what we’re trying to do as an industry. We are out to solve environmental problems, not create them."
The statement said, "It is a shame that one small company in China (Luoyang Zhonggui), that manufactures less than 1% of all polysilicon in the world, would apparently take short cuts that damage the environment and potentially harm human health."
Suntech said it has only intermittently received "small amounts" of polysilicon from the factory, according to the statement. Suntech said the factory was not one of their major suppliers and that Suntech had terminated business with the factory for "failing to meet their standards" prior to the release of the article.
SEIA said Suntech and the rest of the PV manufacturers require in writing that their suppliers recycle their waste or dispose of it safely.
The statement concluded: "We’re moving swiftly as an association to assess the situation and will take whatever steps we can to ensure that all feedstock providers comply with the law and minimize their impact on the environment."
The SEIA is the national trade association of the solar energy industry, established in 1974 to expand the use of solar technologies in the global marketplace and improve education and outreach for solar.
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