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Our Environmental & Social Commitment

Meiji 1869 Denzaburo Fujita establishes a business, Fujita-Gumi in Osaka.
¡From the latter half of 1890s and the first half of 1900s. Several hydroelectric power plants were constructed in Kosaka. They still supply 50% of power to Kosaka Smelting and Refining.
September 1884 The Japanese Government sells the Kosaka Mine to the Fujita-Gumi.
June 1897 Kosaka Choshi Power Plant, Japanfs second hydroelectric power plant, commences operations.
May 1899 Kojima Bay reclamation work launches.
June 1902 Kosaka Black Ore Flash Smelter commences operations
Taisho April 1915 Fujita Gumi acquires Hanaoka Mine.  
September 1916 Fujita Gumi acquires Tanahara Mine.
March 1919 Toyosaki Rolling Mill (present DOWA Metal Co., Ltd.) established.
Showa December 1945 Corporate name changed to DOWA Mining Co., Ltd.
¡1962 Method to select metal concentrates and return the remaining mining wastes back to the mine to reduce mining wastes adopted for developing Uchinotai Mine in Kosaka.
¡1967 Dowa Mining changed the smelting and refining method of Kosaka Smelting and Refining to a more energy saving method of melting ores using reaction heat of ores and installed facilities to collect sulfurous acid gas to convert it to liquid sulfurous acid.
¡1969 Facilities established to safely deposit mining wastes in a site where no environmental pollution may occur, in cooperation with Akita Prefecture (Four yeas before enforcement of the Law on Special Measures for Mine Damage Caused by the Metal Mining Industry, etc).
¡1970 gLetter of Agreement on an Zinc Smelting and Refining Plant to be Established by DOWAh executed the with Akita Prefecture and Akita City. Akita Zinc Co., Ltd. positioned as a "Green Smelting and Refining Planth, trees planted in 53% of its site of 600,000 m2.
¡First half of 1970s Dowa Mining started the efforts to completely collect metals other than just the target metals to reduce mining wastes.
¡1974 Pit-water treatment technology using bacteria implemented for the first time in Japan that is connected to resource-recycling, energy-saving and environmental conservation.
August 1953 Constructed Okayama works established, commences operations.
September 1957 Dowa Mining absorbs Fujita Kogyo Co., Ltd.
June 1959 A new black ore mine discovered in Uchinotai area of Kosaka.
June 1964 A new black ore mine discovered in Matumine area of Hanaoka.
September 1967 Kosaka Flash Smelter Plant completed, commences operations.
July 1969 A new black ore mine discovered in Fukazawa area of Hanaoka.
February 1971 Akita Zinc Co., Ltd. established
June 1972 DOWA Koei established.
November 1972 Akita plant completed, commences operations.
April 1973 Central Laboratory established.
December 1980 Kosaka Lead Smelting facility completed, commences operations.
August 1982 Semiconductor Materials Laboratory established.
September 1983 Okayama Works completed, commences manufacturing metal powders.
September 1986 Hanaoka Mining Co., Ltd. established.
June 1988 Akita LED Factory completed, commences operations.
Heisei March 1989 DOWA INTERNATIONAL CORP. established.  
May 1989 Kosaka Smelting and Refining Co., Ltd. established.
April 1991 Dowa Mining absorbs Tokyo Heat Treatment Co., Ltd., establishes Thermotech headquarters.
May 1992 MINERA TIZAPA, S.A.DE C.V. established.
December 1992 Shiojiri Works completed.
June 1993 Thermo-Technology Center completed.
¡1993 DOWAfs environmental voluntary plan prepared to respond to increasing global awareness on the global environment issues. Energy Committee and Environmental Conservation Committee established under the Business Strategic Council for active environmental efforts.
¡1994 gDOWA groupfs Response to the Issues of the Ozone layer Destructionh prepared. Steam supply started to Tohoku Powerfs Kamino-Tai geothermal power plant.
¡1995 gDOWA groupfs Response to the Wastes Issuesh prepared.
¡1996 gDOWA groupfs Status Survey on Environmental Issuesh conducted.
¡1998 Environmental survey conducted on all aspects of DOWAfs business activities based on items of ISO 14001.
¡1999 Volume of hazardous substances handled within the DOWA group was surveyed.
¡2000 Preparation of Environmental Report started.
¡2001 Status survey on wastes management, recycling and CO2 emission conducted. CO2 benchmarking of 1999 confirmed.
¡2005 PCB disposal plan prepared. Early registration and provision completed.
¡2006 Chairman Yoshikawa participates in the World Economic Forum held in the 8th Basel Convention (Nairobi) as a representative from Asia.
¡2006 "Lake Kojima Blossom Corridor Project" started in cooperation with local communities to plant 3,000 Kawazu cherry threes.
¡2007 The first hHome Town Afforestationh planting ceremony held with 400 participants including local people. 6,000 young trees planted.
¡2008 The second hHome Town Afforestationh planting ceremony held with 430 participants including local people, 6000 young trees planted.
¡2008 Participation in gTeam Minus 6%h
¡2009 Participation in the UN Global Compact.
¡2009 3,000 Kawazu cherry threes planted for the "Lake Kojima Blossom Corridor Project".
August 1994 Operations commenced at the Tizapa Mine.
August 1997 DOWA THT AMERICA, INC. established.
April 2000 In-house company system implemented.
June 2000 Nippon Purle Limited joins the Dowa group.
April 2001 E&E Solutions, Inc. joins the Dowa group.
October 2001 Recycle Systems Japan Co., Ltd. established.
April 2002 Akita Zinc Solutions Co., Ltd. established.
October 2002 Dowa Advanced Materials Shanghai Co., Ltd. established.
April 2003 Zinc Excel Co., Ltd., Acids Co., Ltd., Geotechnos Co., Ltd. and Dowa Techno Engineering Co., Ltd. established.
December 2003 Dowa Environmental Management Co., Ltd. established.
October 2004 Dowa Techno Research established.
December 2004 Green Fill Kosaka (final landfill disposal site) completed.
February 2006 Act-B Recycling Co., Ltd. joins the Dowa group.
March 2006 Dowa relocates Head Office to Akihabara, Tokyo.
August 2006 CEMM Co., Ltd. joins the Dowa group.
October 2006 Holding company system implemented. New group management system started with five operating companies.
Dowa Mining Co., Ltd. changed its name to Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd.
April, 2007

DOWA ThermotechiThailandjCo., Ltd. established to offer maintenance service of heat treatment processing equipment and facilities in Thailand.
Taiwan office of DOWA ECO-SYSTEM established.

August 2007 New furnace for recycled materials completed in Kosaka Smelting and Refining.
September 2007 DOWA HD EUROPE GmbH established in Germany.
November 2007 DOWA METANIX Co., Ltd. and DOWA-OLIN METAL CORPORATION join the Dowa group.
May 2008 The CDM business established to recover methane from hog farms in the Philippines jointly with Itochu Corporation.
May 2008 New environmentally friendly heat treatment plant completed in Ohta City, Gunma.
August 2008 A biodiesel fuel manufacturing company established in Okayama City, Okayama.
February 2009 MAEH Inc. a waste disposal company in South East Asia acquired.
March 2009 The largest-class waste incineration furnace in Eco-System Chiba completed in Sodegaura City, Chiba.

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