Hazardous Waste Reduction Continuation

A silicone manufacturing process yields two-phase wastewater, of which the aqueous phase flashes at 2°C primarily due to hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). To be classified as non-hazardous and immediately disposable, it must flash above 60°C. Project objectives entailed identifying a method and then designing a prototype for on-site aqueous phase treatment, removing enough HMDSO for non-hazardous disposal. The previous team’s proposal was gravity separation, NaCl extraction, and feeding through an activated carbon packed bed. Extraction proved ineffective, packed bed outlet samples flashed at 52°C, and HMDSO quantification methodology was incorrect. From titration, wastewater was determined to be 3.3 ± 0.2 wt.% aqueous ammonia. This ammonia concentration was used to spike water samples prepared with variable HMDSO concentrations with the target of determining HMDSO concentrations in the treated water that would flash above 60°C. Without ammonia, 36 ppm HMDSO passed the flash point test. Adding ammonia expanded the tolerance to \u3e50 ppm HMDSO. Waste was subjected to various treatment method combinations: adsorption on activated carbon, reaction with bleach, and semi-batch gas stripping with nitrogen in column packed with ceramic saddles. Flash point results are given below. The process very nearly satisfies the 60°C flash point goal, with some variation. To correctly quantify HMDSO, standard addition was used with GC. Consequently, the proposed treatment process is gravity phase separation, activated carbon packed bed treatment, and then semi-batch stripping with nitrogen. Recommendations for future work are to explore amendments to the proposed procedure, including time-dependent mass transfer analysis, counter-current gas stripping through a packed bed, and implementation of automated sample preparation and testing.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1154/thumbnail.jp

Waste Reduction, Construction and Demolition Debris: Guide for Building, Construction and Environmental Professionals, Revised November 2008

This document is intended to lay the foundation for resource reduction strategies in new construction, renovation and demolition. If you have an innovative idea or information that you believe should be included in future updates of this manual please email Shelly Codner at [email protected] or Jan Loyson at [email protected]. Throughout this manual, we use the term “waste reduction” to define waste management initiatives that will result in less waste going to the landfill. In accordance with the waste management hierarchy these practices include reducing (waste prevention), reusing (deconstruction and salvage), recycling and renewing (making old things new again) - in that order. This manual will explain what these practices are and how to incorporate them into your projects

Alternatives for Measuring Hazardous Waste Reduction

PTI Project number 233U-4913FRHWRIC Project Number 89006

The Cost of Reducing Municipal Solid Waste

This paper explores public policies for reduction of municipal solid waste. We parameterize a simple model of waste disposal using supply and demand elasticities from the economics literature and 1990 prices and quantities of recyclable and recycled materials. Using this model, we calculate the waste reduction in response to three public policies: (i) deposit/ refunds, (ii) advance disposal fees, and (iii) recycling subsidies. The results illustrate the effects of the three policies on source reduction and recycling of five recyclable materials that comprise 56 percent of municipal solid waste: aluminum, glass, paper, plastic, and steel. The calculated responses provide information about the cost of reducing municipal solid waste through various policies. This analysis suggests that a 7.5 percent reduction in disposal of the solid wastes in the model might have been optimal in 1990 from a benefit-cost perspective.

Handbook of Environmental Regulations for Agribusiness

This Handbook is intended to provide the information needed for agribusiness facilities to comply with state and federal environmental regulations. Staff at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center wrote the Handbook. Technical input and review was provided by Dan Eddinger, Nebraska Department of Enviromental Quality; Mark Lohafer and John Whipple, Iowa Department of Land and Agricultural Stewardship; staff at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) Region 7; staff at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR); and Chris Murray, Agribusiness Association of Iowa.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iwrc_facbook/1009/thumbnail.jp

Cutting Fluid Management: Small Machining Operations

This manual has been organized into seven sections. Section 1 introduces the reader to fluid management and potential rewards of a fluid management program. Section 2 provides a brief review of cutting fluid systems, functions of cutting fluids and characteristics a fluid should have in order to perform safely and effectively. Section 3 presents information on cutting fluid selection and types of cutting fluids available. It covers the four types of metalworking fluids used today, their advantages and disadvantages, and factors to consider in selecting a fluid. Section 4 is the main focus of this manual. It discusses the four integral components of fluid management–administration, monitoring, maintenance, and recycling. It provides information on practices that can be readily adopted to prevent the onset of fluid degradation, maintain fluid quality, extend fluid service life and reduce waste. Section 5 presents information on waste management and disposal. It provides an overview of environmental regulations that pertain to spent cutting fluid and reviews possible disposal alternatives for waste cutting fluid. Section 6 looks at alternatives to cutting fluids. Advantages and disadvantages of dry machining and other existing technology is examined, and information is presented on a number of emerging technologies that can extend cutting fluid life or even eliminate traditional cutting fluids altogether. Section 7 provides detailed information on the subject of worker health and safety, and provides sources for additional information on this subject. Appendix A contains several case studies. These studies demonstrate how the many pieces of a cutting fluid management system can be fit together to provide an effective, economical and efficient operation.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iwrc_facbook/1005/thumbnail.jp

Compliance Calendar/Logbook for Bulk Gasoline Plants: Less than 19,999 Gallons/Day Throughput

EPA has new requirements for Gasoline Distribution Bulk Terminals, Bulk Gasoline Plants and Pipeline Facilities under 40 CFR Part 63 Subpart BBBBBB (NESHAP 6B) to reduce air pollution. This calendar has been developed to assist Bulk Gasoline Plants in complying with NESHAP 6B. Additional Iowa specific NESHAP 6B rules are discussed later.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iwrc_facbook/1004/thumbnail.jp

Golf Course Pollution Prevention Guide

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution prevention can be defined as: “The use of materials, processes, or practices that reduces or eliminates the creation of pollutants or wastes at the source.” Pollution prevention represents a shift away from the old school of thought, “pollution control,” in which waste was not dealt with until after it was generated. Through pollution prevention, we look at the processes that generate the waste to see if we can avoid creating a waste in the first place, or at least reduce the hazardous nature of the waste. When this is not possible, the next best solution to prevent wastes from having a negative impact on the environment is through careful management and recycling. This manual will help golf course maintenance staff identify areas where pollution prevention techniques can be applied in a practical manner. Each section presents a waste type common to golf courses accompanied by pollution prevention recommendations. Although the focus of this manual is on pollution prevention, regulatory information is given as necessary where it impacts pollution prevention practices and to illustrate how pollution prevention can help reduce regulatory requirements.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iwrc_facbook/1008/thumbnail.jp

Employee Participation in Pollution Reduction: Preliminary Analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory

Can the amount of toxic waste released into the environment by manufacturing facilities be reduced by formally involving employees in pollution prevention? Pursuant to the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began requiring that manufacturers report human resource management strategies related to source reduction (reduction of waste at the source), as part of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). These strategies often involve employee participation in some form. Here we report the preliminary findings of an ongoing study of the effect of employee participation on source reduction, based on the 1991-1992 TRI database. We find, for example, that manufacturers using a certain combination of three formal employee participation practices had triple the reduction in emissions of manufacturers using none of these practices. We also discuss competing predictors of source reduction, and future research directions

Solid waste management in Puerto Rico : an assessment of environmental impacts and benefits

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management has been a challenging issue throughout history. Waste management options have evolved, but they can present distinct environmental impacts, such as the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). This study quantified the environmental benefits (i.e., greenhouse gas emission and energy use reductions) of various MSW management plans proposed for Puerto Rico through the use of the Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The waste management initiative known as the “Base Case” was found to offer the most environmental benefits. Thus, higher benefits can be attained from the implementation of an integrated solid waste managementDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental ManagementThesis (M.S.