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EPA PURCHASES NEW INFRARED CAMERA TO DETECT HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS THAT CAUSE HEALTH RISKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DANGERS; STATE REGULATORY AGENCIES AND REFINERIES AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL CORPORATIONS FOLLOW SUIT
10/4/2005
NEW “BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY” HAS EPA EVALUATING CHANGES TO LONGSTANDING REGULATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS; INDUSTRY SEES MAJOR GAINS IN WORKER SAFETY, REDUCED LIABILITY
N. Billerica, MA. (October 4, 2005) - FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: “FLIR” pronounced “flear”), the global leader in infrared cameras, today announced that the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TEQC), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Texas Petrochemical, and other leading industrial corporations have all purchased a new “breakthrough” infrared (IR) camera, the GasFindIR, that will Help petrochemical facilities and gas refineries reduce the risk of explosions, EPA fines, and greenhouse gas emissions.
GasFindIR is the first commercially viable infrared camera capable of detecting volatile organic compound (VOC) gas emissions from petrochemical facilities, gasoline refinery installations, natural gas pipelines, transfer stations, supertankers, moving railway tank cars and even landfills emitting methane gas and other toxic chemicals into the environment. It’s the result of the new complimentary engineering and manufacturing strengths realized by FLIR’s strategic acquisition of Indigo Systems.
The new cameras are expected to play a role in the clean-up and repair of facilities damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“We just purchased two GasFindIR cameras to help the EPA identify fugitive gas emissions and hazardous air pollutants. For the very first time, we have a technology that lets us visually see gas leaks that were never before visible to the naked eye. We look forward to using this camera to evaluate future changes to the EPA’s leak detection and repair regulations,” said Ken Garing, a leader in the EPA’s National Enforcement Investigation Center. “We are very anxious to start using GasFindIR in the field.”
Fugitive gas emissions are a major contributor to global warming, cost industry billions of dollars in regulatory fines and damages, and pose deadly risks to both workers and people living close to these facilities – all major contributors to higher gas prices. A truly revolutionary technology, GasFindIR inverts the physics of fugitive gas leaks. What was once invisible can now be clearly seen – with an ultra high-tech infrared camera that is as simple to use as an everyday camcorder.
“I’ve been in this industry for over 30 years. I practically grew up on the oil fields,” said David Furry, cofounder of Leak Detection Services, Inc. “This has been the Holy Grail everyone’s been chasing for a long, long time. This is big.”
Initial field trials of GasFindIR have exceeded expectations, and word-of-mouth has spread rapidly. A temporary web page (www.flirthermography.com/smartLDAR) has been set up to assist in fielding inquiries and to provide a video introduction to this new technology.
“It’s good to see the results of our long-term investments and strategies pay off,” said Earl Lewis, president and chief executive officer of FLIR Systems, Inc. “We’ve integrated core competencies across the board, using our knowledge and experience in making military-grade, battlefield-ready IR cameras and adapting them to the exceedingly harsh conditions of petrochemical facilities, a battlefield of a different sort.”
“We’ve leveraged our comprehensive manufacturing capabilities – we’re the only IR camera manufacturer in the world with this all-inclusive production life-cycle capability – and translated it into the first cost-effective, commercially viable gas detection IR camera. We have Marketing, Sales, and Engineering all pulling towards a common goal. I couldn’t be more pleased with our execution.”
GasFind IR infrared camera from FLIR Systems Inc. has been purchased by EPA, state regulatory agencies, Gulf area petrochemical and chemical companies and other industrial corporations to detect presence of hazardous air pollutants that cause health risks and environmental risks.
About FLIR Systems:
FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) designs, manufactures, and markets infrared (IR) imaging systems worldwide. Commercial product applications include non-destructive testing, research and development, manufacturing process control, predictive maintenance/condition monitoring and broadcast imaging. With over 30 years experience and more than 30,000 of its IR systems in use, FLIR is the global leader in infrared cameras, software, service, training, and support. FLIR’s ThermaCAM thermal imaging cameras have set the standard for thermographic testing and analysis and are the most widely used IR non-contact temperature measurement systems in the world. FLIR products also play pivotal roles in such diverse applications as public safety, defense, navigation, and search and rescue.
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