vvEPA
News and Notes
; Combatting animal
, ^'waste, vehicle emissions,
**•* and nitrogen oxide
P2 Goes to College
Case studies in saving
, *money, too
ENERGY STAR Programs
Builders, Allies
"recognized with awards
Green Federal
Facilities
Pentagon, Fort Carson
implement new programs
;ln the States:
Washington
Companies do well by
- ~ doing good
Calendar
^
I
1
\
1
on
the Internet!
ggSfej^w
yjmw.epa.gov/opptintr/
'emLibPPN
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics
Washington, DC 20460
April-May-June 1998
EPA 742-N-98-OO2
Pollution
News
EPA to Expand Chemical Right-to-Know
Initiative Will Give Public Access to More Health Data
Vice President Gore announced a
major expansion of EPA's chemical
right-to-know program on April 21,
the eve of Earth Day, and directed the
Agency to proceed with a new initiative to
accelerate the collection and dissemination
of information about widely used chemi-
cals to which people, especially children,
may be exposed.
The Chemical Right-to-Know Initiative
(ChemRTK) builds on EPA's right-to-know
philosophy and the Toxics Release Inven-
tory (TRI), a program that has helped
communities and industry work together
to achieve significant reductions in
pollution for more than a decade.
ChemRTK will address:
^- High production volume (HPV)
chemicals. The Vice President challenged
industry to come forward with complete
test data for HPV chemicals, 43% of which
currently have no testing data on basic
toxicity, and EPA will propose test rules to
fill remaining data gaps. An OPPT analy-
sis issued in April reported that, of the
3,000 HPV chemicals that the U.S. im-
ports or produces at more than I million
pounds per year, only 7% have been fully
tested for toxicity. (The Chemical Hazard_
Data Availability Study is available at
http ://www. epa.gov/opptintr/chemtest/.)
K Children's health. EPA will consider
additional testing for chemicals that
Continued on page 5
Commercial Buildings Vow to Cut CO2
New York, Chicago Landmarks Volunteer for ENERGY STAR
Three of the world's greatest landmark
buildings — the World Trade Center
and the Empire State Building in New
York and the Sears Tower in Chicago —
will take action to reduce energy consump-
tion and cut the pollution that contributes
to global warming, EPA Administrator
Carol M. Browner and Department of
Energy (DOE) Secretary Federico Pena
announced in April.
The effort is part of EPA's ENERGY STAR
Buildings Program, which creates volun-
tary partnerships with owners of commer-
cial buildings to save energy and combat
global warming. ,
Commercial buildings in the United
States account for 19 percent of green-
house gases through their use of energy.
If all commercial office buildings in this
country follow the lead of the three
landmark buildings and other partners in
this program, energy consumption will be
cut 30 percent and $25 billion per year
could be saved. EPA estimates that carbon
dioxide emissions could be reduced by 130
million tons by 2010.
EPA and DOE are jointly developing
and managing the ENERGY STAR Buildings
Program, which encourages voluntary use
of more efficient products ranging from
new lighting to improved heating and
cooling systems. For example, the World
Trade Center already has converted
23,000 light fixtures for an annual savings
of $1 million.
Continued on page 6
-------
2 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
News & Notes
The proposal is on the
Internet at http://
www.epa.gov/ttn/
oarpg/ramain.html
under "Recent Actions.
Editorial Staff:
Maureen Eichclbcrgcr,
Editor
Gilah Languor
Suzanne Harris
Jon Rendey
Free Hand Press, Layout
To be added to or removed
from our mailing list, please
writes
Pollution Prevention News
U,S. EPACMC7409)
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Washington, DC 20460
or fax to:
Pollution Prevention News,
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or e-mail to:
eichelberger.maureen®
i cpamail.epa.gov
Printed with vegetable oil-based
,a>, inks on 100% recycled paper
'fey (50% post-consumer).
"CAP AND TRADE"
PROPOSED FOR NITROGEN
OXIDE EMISSIONS
EPA proposed an emissions trading
program in April to help protect public
health, from air pollution in the eastern
U.S. The program is part of a regional
strategy for cost-effectively meeting EPA's
new public-health standard for ozone, or
smog, by reducing by 35 percent
the nitrogen oxide pollution from
"upwind" states.
The program, called "cap and
trade," gives industries flexibility
in choosing pollution controls by
allowing them to buy and sell
market-based "credits" to reduce
their nitrogen oxide emissions.
In November 1997, EPA proposed that
22 states and Washington, B.C. reduce
emissions of air pollution that blow across
state boundaries. The proposed emissions
trading program would allow each juris-
diction to establish a cap on nitrogen oxide
emissions. 'Power plants' and other sources
that reduce emissions in amounts greater
than required would be allowed to sell
credits to facilities that cannot reduce
emissions as quickly or as cost-effectively.
A similar market-based program has
proven successful in reducing sulfur
dioxide to control acid rain.
For more information, contact Kimber
Scavo of EPA's Air Program at 919-541-
3354 or e-mail scavo.kimber@epa.gov.
GLOBAL STANDARDS TO
TARGET VEHICLES
The United States, Japan, and the Euro-
pean Community have agreed to cooperate
in regulating the performance and design
of motor vehicles.
The Agreement on Global Technical
Regulations, announced on March 12,
establishes a process that will decrease
environmental pollution, increase energy
efficiency, and improve the safety and anti-
theft performance of vehicles, equipment,
and related components through globally
uniform governmental technical regulations.
The United States spearheaded this
move, which will open the door for every
United Nations member nation—and
selected non-members—to instill unifor-
mity in the design of testing protocols,"
explained Ken Feith, senior policy advisor
in EPA's Office of Air and Radiation.
Feith, a member of the U.S. team
working on the negotiations, said a key
purpose of the agreement is to promote the
adoption of higher standards in developing
countries. "We believe that the only way
we can persuade developing countries and
other countries that lack the resources and
intrinsic knowledge to implement pollu-
tion prevention on their own is to provide
test protocols and performance standards
as a resource to them, at no cost. We have
had inquiries from throughout the Pacific
Rim, southeast Africa, and elsewhere."
The agreement, under development for
18 months, is being established under the
United Nations' Economic Commission for
Europe and administered by its Working
Party on the Construction of Vehicles. The
agreement calls for regulatory activities to
be carriedr6ut=openly with objective"'" "*
consideration of best available technology,
public benefits, and cost effectiveness.
Final approval is expected in June.
For more information, access the agree-
ment at http:I /www.itu.ch/itudoc/un/
editrans/ wp29.html or contact Ken Feith at
202-260-4996 or feith.ken@epamail.epa.gov.
ANIMAL WASTE RUNOFF
STRATEGY ANNOUNCED
As part of the Clinton Administration's new
Clean Water Action Plan, EPA has released
a draft strategy to minimize environmental
impacts from animal feeding operations
(AFOs), a major source of water pollution.
The strategy calls for new water pollution
control requirements, immediate inspec-
tions, and more aggressive enforcement to
reduce animal waste runoff into water-
ways. Ideas from the EPA strategy will be
incorporated into a joint strategy with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, a draft of
which is expected July I. ' •:' '>"
For more information, call Will Hall at
202-260-1458 or Jeff Lape at 202-260- 6057.
-------
3 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
P2 Goes to College
National Wildlife Federation Tallies
'Green Return' on Nation's Campuses
Colleges and universities are achieving
big savings through environmental
initiatives, many of which concen-
trate on pollution prevention.
This is the message of Green Investment,
Green Return: How Practical Conservation
Projects Save Millions on America's Cam-
puses, a report released by the National
Wildlife Federation (NWF) in March.
"This study proves that you don't have
to choose between a healthy environment
and healthy bottom line," said NWF
President Mark Van Putten. "The fact is,
the actions being taken on these campuses
are actually improving the environment
and the financial condition of the institu-
tion, often in very dramatic ways."
Consider, for example:
>• Over $9 million
is being saved r ,
annually at the
State Univer-
sity of New
York (SUNY)-
Buffalo, through
a variety of
creative energy-
saving strategies
that also prevent
the emission of
63.4 million '
pounds of carbon dioxide, 140,000 .
pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 214,000
pounds of nitrous oxide.
Energy efficiency is both an economic
goal and a moral imperative at SUNY-
Buffalo. The person responsible for much
of the strategy and implementation is
Walter Simpson, the campus's long-time
Energy Officer. Simpson has overseen
more than 300 energy-related retrofit
projects over the past 16 years, including
the installation of efficient lights and
motors, weatherizing buildings and
modifying heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning systems. SUNY estimates
the savings resulting from these activi-
ties at $6 million per year. Another $3
Walter Simpson oversees
a vast program at SUNY-
Buffalo.
million in savings was
achieved through a compre-
hensive energy retrofit.
- Over $3 million is being saved
each year at Cornell Univer-
sity by "getting students and
staff out of the car," which
also prevents emission of 6.7
million pounds of carbon
monoxide.
Cornell's Transportation
Demand Management Pro-
gram, created in 1991 to
address a 2,500-parking space
shortfall, proposed a number of alterna-
tives to transportation by single-
occupant vehicles. These included the
OmniRide bus pass system, under
which staff and faculty can ride city and
county buses anytime for free, and a ,
RideShare program that offers incen-
tives for high-occupancy vehicles.
Approximately 3,000 faculty and staff—
one-third of the total—participate in
some^aspect of the program.
Annual savings of more than $2 million
at Brevard Community College (in
northeastern Florida near the Kennedy
Space Center), which Florida Power &
Light dubbed "the energy miracle" for
saving 257 million kilowatt hours of
electricity.
Brevard has doubled
its building space since
1982 but has kept energy
usage under control
through measures such as
the replacement of all
fluorescent light fixtures
with 10,000 energy-efficient T-8 fix-
tures. The college saves money on air
conditioning and reduces peak electrical
demand by using a system that chills
water at night when electric rates are
lower, then circulates the cold water
during the day.
Continued on next page
Brevard (FL) Community College
worker adjusts energy controls.
"The actions being taken on these
campuses are actually improving
the environment ana* the financial
condition of the institution."
••" —NWF President Mark Van Putten
-------
4 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
P2 Goes to College
Where Campuses Found Savings
Annual savings for 23 campus conservation
projects, as reported in Green, Investment,
Green Return
Energy conservation $11,517,500
Transportation 4,123,000
Recycling 327,000
Water conservation 280,800
Other $507,200
(hazardous waste management,
composting, re-use and re-distribution,
dining services)
Tbtal Savings .'..: $16,755,500
Columbia University has reduced its
$1 million annual water expenditure by
approximately 25 percent through one
of the largest water conservation
upgrades ever attempted at a univer-
sity. The 1996 upgrades focused on
domestic water, including toilets,
showerheads and faucet aerators.
Columbia undertook
the project because of
the significant
savings, estimated at
$235,000 per year,
and the short pay-
back period. Even
with the cost-of
hiring an outside firm
to design and imple-
ment all aspects of
the work, the payback
was only 1.8 years.
The project's annual
savings have helped
to finance energy
conservation projects
with longer'payback
periods.
Other money-saving programs:
K By promoting bus passes, the Univer-
sity of Colorado in Boulder eliminated
the need for more parking lots at an
annual savings of $1 million.
^- The University of Wisconsin-Madison
earns $241,800 a year by selling surplus
office, classroom and laboratory equip-
ment that otherwise might have ended
up in a landfill. By offering refillable
mugs in dining halls, the university
saves $11,400 a year on disposable cups.
^- Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH,
uses composted kitchen waste to
fertilize campus gardens at an annual
savings of $10,000.
^ Elizabethtown (PA) College undertook a
major replacement of lighting fixtures
and other equipment for a net annual
savings of nearly a quarter of a million
dollars. The $1.8 million project is
financed by a tax-free bond issue,
brokered through a performance
contract underwritten by a major
energy consulting firm. Recognizing the
sure-fire savings linked to the project,
the energy firm helped overcome
administration skepticism by guaran-
teeing the 10-year payback of the
borrowed money.
Green Investment, Green Return, spon-
sored by NWF's Campus Ecology program,
highlights 23 cost-saving conservation
initiatives at 15 public and private post-
secondary institutions across the United
States. Total savings were $16.8 million.
"The implications of this study are
incredible," Van Putten said. "When the
average annual campus savings are
multiplied across the remaining 3,685
campuses nationwide, the potential for
savings is in the billions. This represents :
real benefits for the economy and the
environment."
NWF points out that college campuses,
as microcosms of society, have great
potential for making positive impacts
through even simple, common-sense
conservation practices such as recycling,
using native plants in landscaping, running
atmospherically safe transportation
systems, creating fertilizer from kitchen
food waste, and maintaining university
vehicles with re-refined motor oil.
"Many of our current and future leaders
are on these campuses," said Julian
Keniry, NWF's Manager of Campus
Outreach, who co-authored the report with
David J. Eagan, Ph.D., of the University of
Wisconsin. "They will be the ones who
make decisions that affect the whole
planet. What better place to learn how to
be financially and environmentally
responsible than in college?"
Details of report findings can be viewed
on the NWF Web page at http: / f
www.nwf.org/. For more information,
contact Kay Lybrand at 703-790-4085.
-------
5 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
P2 Goes to College
PARTNERSHIP INTRODUCES
FACULTY TO P2 CONCEPTS,
INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS
An alliance between EPA's Design for the
Environment (DfE) program and a not-for-
profit organization called Partnership for
Environmental Technology Education
(PETE) is introducing pollution prevention
concepts to community and technical
college faculty nationwide.
PETE is a public-private partnership
among academia, business and industry,
and government. The organization is
composed of six regional partnerships that
include over 600 technical schools, commu-
nity colleges and universities. Last year,
PETE conducted regional workshops to
introduce new curricula and videos and
conducted other sessions to present P2 and
DfE concepts to automotive repair instruc-
tors and bring chemistry instructors up to
date on instructional techniques using small
scale or micro-scale chemistry.
In the program's second year, PETE
and DfE are focusing on the printing
industry, auto and fleet maintenance,
and garment care.
For more information, contact Dave
Boon, PETE/DfE Program Manager, at
303-404-5259 or Carol Hetfield at 202-260-
1745 or at hetfield.carol@epamail.epa.gov.
P2-MINDED STUDENTS
GRADE THEIR CAMPUSES
At least 200 campuses have conducted
comprehensive environmental audits
since 1990, according to the National
Wildlife Federation, which put some of
the best examples onto the Web
(www.nwf.org). One of the most specific is
from Tulane University in New Orleans,
LA, whose "Green Card for the Green
Wave" gave the university an F for
procurement of cleaning supplies and
pesticides ("no environmental or safety
considerations"), a C for buildings (new
buildings "OK"; old buildings "poor, no
retrofitting plans"), and an A- for lights
("upgrading program underway").
At Rice University, students complete a
campus environmental audit as part of
their coursework in an environmental
studies sequence. They also come up with
environmental designs for a hypothetical
new residential college.
Itight-to-Know
Continued from page 1
children are most likely to encounter.
Working under President Clinton's 1997
Executive Order on Children's Health,
EPA will identify chemicals that children
are disproportionately exposed to and
propose additional testing where
necessary. Voluntary measures will also
be considered.
^- Persistent chemicals that accumulate
in body tissue. EPA will review persistent
and bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) and
determine whether they should be subject
to TRI reporting or lower reporting
thresholds. Certain PBTs are already on
the TRI, including mercury, PCBs, and
lead. In addition, EPA will propose to add
dioxins, octochlorostyrene, and other
chemicals appearing on the U.S.-Canada
Binational Level 1 list.
Hazard Data Available for U.S.
High Production Volume Chemicals
Acute Toxicity
Teratogenicity/
Reproductive Toxicity
Chronic Toxicity
Mutogenicity
Ecotoxicity
Environmental Fate
All SIDS Health Data
All SIDS Test Data
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
SIDS: Screening Information Data Set
-------
6 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
ENERGY STAR Programs
World TVade Center In New York
.
Buildings to Cut CO2
Continued from page 1
Building owners who want to receive
an ENERGY STAR label seek a charter
application and begin tracking their
utility consumption and
related criteria to bench-
mark their buildings'
energy performance against
that of other buildings of
similar type. DOE and EPA
typically award ENERGY
STAR Building labels to
those in the upper 25
percent of energy efficiency.
Other landmark commer-
cial buildings have signed
on to launch the new
program in the following
cities:
New York: 4 Times Square
building, Conde Nast
building, Foley Square
Federal Office Building;..
Time Life building, ,
McGraw-Hill building,
American Express Tower,
1211 Avenue of the Americas, 1251
Avenue of the Americas, and the New
York Information Technology Center;
San Francisco: the Transamerica Pyramid;
Nashville: MagneTek headquarters;
St. Paul, MN: the St. Paul Facility-Trane
Co. building;
Los Angeles: Westwood Gateway I and
Westwood Gateway II;
Irvine, CA: Jamboree Centers;
Boston: the Lafayette Corporate Center;
Dallas: LBJ Financial Centers, Rolex
building, Centex building, Jones Day
Reavis & Pogue International Center,
International Center Phase IV;
Beverly Hills: Rolex building and Phase
II building;
Richardson, TX: Chase Bank building;
Piano, TX: Harrington Place; and
Philadelphia: Wannamaker building and
1528 Walnut Street.
EPA expects that thousands of additional
buildings will be joining the program over
the next several years.
Engineering Foundation
Conference to Focus on
Commercial Buildings
An Engineering Foundation confer-
ence will explore how problem solving
and decision making tools can help
professionals involved in pollution
prevention communicate with one
another more effectively. The confer-
ence, "Improving the Practice of
Pollution Prevention," will focus
specifically on managing commercial
buildings. It will take place August
16-21 in Crested Butte, CO.
::--•- Tools to be discussed will include -j
process mapping, Pareto analysis,
cause and effect diagrams, brain-
storming, bubble-up/bubble-down,
criteria matrices, and action plans.
Conference participants will work on
cases that address prevention in a
wide variety of contexts and will
present their results in plenary
sessions for general comment.
The Engineering Foundation is
seeking funding to make the confer-
ence available via Internet. An e-mail
listserver and web-based archive are
being used now to develop and
discuss the cases that will be ana-
lyzed by conference participants. For
information about participating in
the listserver and the conference, go
to the Engineering Foundation's web
site, http://www.engfnd.org/.
Information about the conference
is also available directly at 212-705-
7836 or by sending e-mail to engfnd®
aol.com.
-------
7 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
ENERGY STAR Programs
ENERGY STAR Homes® a Haven for
Efficiency; Partners Recognized
EPA's ENERGY STAR Homes Program
currently has more than 500 builder
and developer partners in 47 states.
An estimated 10,000 ENERGY STAR Homes
will have been constructed by the end of
1998. Now completing its third year,
ENERGY STAR Homes is a voluntary
program encouraging builders to con-
struct energy-efficient homes. In turn,
EPA allows them to use the ENERGY STAR
logo and provides marketing support,
sales training, technical support and links
to preferred financing.
The advantage of an ENERGY STAR
Home goes beyond the virtue of being
environmentally responsible. Energy used
in homes accounts for over 20 percent of
all air pollution emissions in the country.
ENERGY STAR Homes deliver at least 30
percent greater energy efficiency than
Code. Monthly energy savings typically
exceed what the additional energy
features add to mortgage payments.
EPA encourages buyers to seek out and
purchase ENERGY STAR Homes by pointing
out the following additional advantages:
^ With their savings, buyers can afford
more upgrades;
^ Buyers can qualify for special mort-
gages;
>• Buyers are making a good investment;
^- ENERGY STAR Homes are more comfort-
able, quieter, and have greater assur-
ance of good indoor air quality.
ENERGY STAR Homes also meet builders'
business objectives. By offering more
comfortable, quieter interiors and quality
construction for a lower total outlay each
month, builders can differentiate them-
selves in the, marketplace and improve
customer satisfaction.
This Year's Winners ...
EPA announced nine winners of 1998
ENERGY STAR Homes Builder and Ally
Awards in March. The 1998 ENERGY STAR
Homes Builder Awards will be presented
in October to:
fr* Southlake Development, Inc.
(Hobart, IN)
*• Watt Homes—Utah (Salt
Lake City, UT)
> Best Homes (Indianapo-
lis, IN)
*> Pulte Homes—Arizona
(Phoenix, AZ)
^ Palm Harbor Homes,
Inc. (Dallas, TX)
EPA
DOE
SAVING THE EARTH. SAVING YOUR MONEY
EPA presented the 1998 ENERGY STAR
Homes Ally Awards in March to:
>• Energy Rated Homes of Indiana
(Indianapolis, IN)
HeniWrating/techtiicar support provider
to ENERGY STAR Builders.
> Andersen Corporation (Bayport, MN)
Window manufacturer recognized for
conserving natural resources through
reduction, reclamation, reuse, and
recycling of materials.
>• Gainesville Regional Utilities
(Gainesville, FL)
Utility company that developed a well-
attended ENERGY STAR Homes Day.
> Vermont Star Homes (Burlington, VT)
A collaborative effort among Burlington
Electric Department, Central Vermont
Public Service Corporation, Citizens
Utilities Company, Green Mountain
Power, Vermont Electric Cooperative,
and Vermont Gas Systems. Winner for
best promotions contest/most creative
use of media.
For more information, or to receive an
ENERGY STAR Builder and /or Ally packet,
call the Energy Star Hotline at 888-STAR-
YES (888-782-7937).
-------
8 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
Green Federal Facilities
Pentagon Paves Parking Lots with
Environmentally Preferable Products
The Pentagon's parking lots contain
12,000 spaces and occupy 67 acres.
It takes a lot of asphalt to keep them
up—also traffic paint, reinforced concrete
materials, and numerous other products.
In June 1997, the Department of
Defense (DOD) awarded a five-year, $1
million per year contract to maintain and
repair the parking lots as well as 10 miles
of access roads at various facilities in the
Washington, D.C. area.
DOD and EPA collaborated on a pilot
Software Makes It Easier To Decide What to Buy
As part of its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program,
EPA has contributed to the development of software for use in identi-
fying products that will reduce energy use, improve air quality, and in
other ways improve the environmental attributes of buildings.
Building for Economic and Environmental Sustainability, or BEES,
was developed under a federal interagency agreement by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology. EPA provided funding in hopes
that the software will help federal facility managers make purchasing
decisions based on both cost and environmental considerations. BEES
runs on a Windows-based system and requires 32 megabytes of RAM
and 10 megabytes of available disk space. To purchase BEES, contact
the U.S. Green Building Council, 90 New Montgomery St., Suite 1001,
San Francisco, Calif. 94105, 415-543-3001, or order from the Council's
Internet site at http://www.usgbc.org/.
project to minimize adverse environmental
impact of this repair work through Envi-
ronmentally Preferable Purchasing.
The contract developed by DOD and
EPA promotes the use of products with
positive environmental attributes. The
work must meet price and performance
requirements, but the contractor can earn
a price differential by using products with
environmentally desirable attributes, such
as low levels of volatile organic compounds
and high percentages of recycled content.
In developing the contract, DOD and
EPA used publicly available information
from sources such as the Harris Directory,
Thomas Directory, and the National Park
Service's Sustainable Design and Con-
struction Database to identify so-called
"baseline" environmental attributes for 20
product categories representing 90 percent
of the materials to be used ,
The contractor is eligible for a two
percent price differential for each baseline
environmental attribute included in the
products it uses. If DOD approves, the
contractor can also receive a price differen-
tial for identifying and using products and
processes with environmentally desirable
characteristics beyond the baseline.
One year into the contract, the winner,
D-M&S Inc. of Woodstock, MD, has
identified several innovative products and
a new process that significantly improve
environmental quality while meeting or
sometimes exceeding performance require-
ments.
Detailed information about this EPP
pilot project is contained in the case study,
Paving the Road to Success (EPA #742-R-
97-007). Copies of this and other EPP case
studies and guidance can be ordered from
Pollution Prevention Information Clearing-
house, tel: 202-260-1023, fax: 202-260- '
4659, ppic@epamail.epa.gov. For addi-
tional information, contact Ruth Heikkinen
at 202-260-1803 or at heikkinen.ruth®
epamail.epa.gov.
-------
9 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
Green Federal Facilities
Fort Carson Reduces HAZMAT Disposal,
Wins Secretary's Award For P2 Program
Secretary of Defense William Cohen
awarded the Secretary's Environ-
mental Security Award in April to
Fort Carson, an Army installation south of
Colorado Springs, for a broad array of
pollution prevention efforts.
"P2 is stressed at all levels of the
military/civilian hierarchy," wrote the Port
Carson pollution prevention team, headed
by civilian Stephen Snyder. "Environmen-
tal Protection Officers and NCOs and
Building Energy Monitors are introduced to
P2 in training and asked to submit their
ideas to reduce waste/energy usage in their
respective work areas. Most often this level
is where the best ideas are generated."
Fort Carson's Pollution Prevention
Division reports progress in hazardous
and solid waste reduction, energy effi-
ciency, and recycling (see box). ,
Specific accomplishments in, hazardous. _
waste reduction range from simple mate-
rial substitution, such as using sand in
place of snow-melting chemicals, to the
establishment of a HAZMAT Pharmacy.
Military bases use such pharmacies to
distribute hazardous materials to the user
in the amount needed, a departure from
the traditional supply system, which
simply orders and distributes materials.
One of the biggest challenges facing
Fort Carson's P2 staff over the past year
has been tracking and reducing the
procurement of hazardous materials. An
estimated 50 percent of hazardous waste
disposal is of unopened, expired materials,
a percentage that P2 staff hope to decrease
by establishing the Pharmacy and focusing
attention on proper inventory manage-
ment. For example, over 1,700 five-gallon
cans of expired paint were given extension
dates and made available for use or
relocation. More than 2,000 gallons of
sulfuric acid were given to the Bureau of
Reclamation in Leadvile, CO.
The P2 program also emphasizes energy
reduction. During FY94-96, Fort Carson
committed a total of $12 million to energy
projects, including a utility control system
for the entire post, exterior installation on
barracks, boiler replacements, and a
number of smaller projects including
photovoltaic (PV) irrigation and monitoring
as well as installation of a solar heating
wall. Fort Carson has over 60 lighting,
environmental monitoring, and other
systems that operate using PV power.
Under an agronomy program called
"Trees for FC," units are encouraged to use
trees and shrubs for erosion control,
wildlife habitat, natural wind breaks/
shelters, and for energy conservation.
Recycling has increased steadily since
that program began in FY92. Materials
processed include cardboard, white paper,
computer paper, colored paper, plastics, bi-
metal and aluminum cans, and tab cards.
Not only does the Fort Carson recycling
center handle family housing, the commis-
sary, and pick-up at military units, but
support is also extended to the U.S. Air
Force Space Command and the Federal
Bureau of Prisons, located 40 miles to the
south. As a direct result of recycling, the
installation reports $114,000 in landfill
cost avoidance last fiscal year and over
$200,000 in revenue from the sale of
recyclable material.
For more information contact Stephen
Snyder at 719-526-1684 or snyders®
carson-emhl. army. mil.
Thirty of these photovoltaic
pumps at Fort Carson direct
water into a system of shallow
ponds, which serve as
wetlands and contribute to the
area's ecological diversity.
Targets for the Year 2000
Goals:
Hazardous waste reduced by 70% from FY94
Solid waste reduced by 50% from FY93...........
Energy efficiency improved 25% from FY85....
Pesticide use reduced by 50% from FY93
Recycling increased by 50% from FY92
Water usage reduced by 30% from FY94
Develop a sound P2 training program
Inform all levels of command on P2 Program .
Establish a working group throughout
Directorates to set P2'goals
Status:
40%
38%
18%
18%
71%
28%
. Achieved
, Achieved
Achieved
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10 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
Green Federal Facilities
DOE, EPA Support P2 at Brookhaven
EPA and the Department of Energy
(DOE) signed an agreement in March
to promote pollution prevention and
sustained compliance with environmental
safety regulations at the Brookhaven
National Laboratory in Upton, Long Island.
Under the agreement, the first of its
kind, DOE will support comprehensive
evaluations of environmental processes
and activities at Brookhaven. The labora-
tory will also develop a program-by-
program blueprint in pollution prevention,
waste minimization, and compliance
through new and expanded initiatives.
EPA Regional Administrator Jeanne M.
Fox and Martha Krebs, DOE Director of
the Office of Energy Research, signed the
voluntary Memorandum of Agreement.
"The agreement is the most recent action
on Secretary (Federico) Peiia's May 1997
commitment to ensure that the protection
of public health and the environment will
never again take a back seat to science at
the facility," Fox said.
Earlier in March, EPA cited DOE and
Associated Universities, Inc., the contrac-
tor formerly responsible for operating the
facility, for violations of the Safe Drinking
Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conser-
vation and Recovery Act and the Toxic
Substances Control Act. EPA is also
investigating and remediating the tritium
plume from the High Flux Beam Reactor,
discovered in January 1997, and oversee-
ing Superfund cleanups.
For more information contact Richard
Cahill, tel: 212-637-3666, fax: 212-637-5046,
or e-mail: cahill.richard@epamail.epa.gov.
New Tools Turn Buildings Green
Government agencies are finding a
growing range of innovative ways to
build pollution prevention into new
construction and renovation projects. At
the Resource Efficient Federal Buildings
Symposium in April, speakers presented
case histories of successful experiences at
Federal, state and local levels, including:
^ Application of alternative energy,
energy efficiency, and water conservation
technologies.
>• Use of standard guides and models for
selecting resource-efficient materials which
can result in improved indoor air quality
without increasing project costs. Symposium
participants received copies of the Guide to
Resource Efficient Building Elements
published by the Center for Resourceful
Building Technologies in Missoula, MT, and
heard presentations on Air Force and Army
design guidelines for buildings.
> Disassembly of buildings so the
materials can be re-used. For example,
workers disassembling World War II
barracks at the Presidio in San Francisco
found valuable Port Orford cedar boards,
which are no longer available.
Obstacles to sustainable design and
construction persist, however. Participants
commented that architects and civil engi-
neers often regard environmental issues as
someone else's responsibility. They also
pointed out that when construction funds
come from a different source than funding
for building operations, it can be difficult to
convince design personnel to spend up-front
money to reap long-term benefits. Speakers
noted that construction projects need to be
monitored on a daily basis to assure that
green design is not shortchanged by care-
lessness or last-minute substitutions.
The symposium, conducted at the U.S.
Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,
was sponsored by the Department of
Energy Federal Energy Management
Program, EPA Federal Facilities Enforce-
ment Office, EPA Region VIII, the Air
Force Center for Environmental Excel-
lence and the Air Force Academy Civil
Engineering Division and Faculty.
Summaries of all presentations are
scheduled to be available after June 1 on the
symposium web site, http://www.eeba.org/
refb. For more information, contact Dianne
Thiel, EPA Region VIII, at 303-3,12-6389.
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11 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
In the States
Success Stories Show How 20 Firms
Bring Nature, Economy Into Balance
Washington State is convinced that
business and the environment can
find a harmonious balance. To
prove the point, the State's Department of
Community Trade and Economic Develop-
ment recently documented 20 success
stories in Finding the Balance: Economic
Prosperity & Environmental Progress —
Volume II.
The report, funded in part by EPA,
follows up on the popular Volume I pub-
lished in 1996. Among the 20 success
stories are some of the biggest names in
corporate America, including Ikea, Intel,
Starbucks, and Boeing. The stories
summarized here show how leaders in
fields as diverse as cargo containers and
ammunition are becoming more environ-
mentally responsible while improving
efficiency and profitability.
Container-Care International
...specializes in the storage, cleaning,
maintenance, and repair of containers
used in the Seattle cargo shipping trade.
The company first became aware of the
liabilities associated with waste handling
when it was named as a potentially liable
party in a waste disposal dispute. Al-
though the case resulted in a de minimis
settlement, Container-Care hired a
consultant to study its waste streams.
The company installed a wastewater
recovery and recycling system that elimi-
nated all water discharges, reducing water
bills and mitigating water discharge fees.
Container-Care also instituted low-tech
solutions for painting and cleaning con-
tainers. It reduced emissions in larger
paint jobs by switching to a high volume/
low pressure spray gun and an enclosed
spray gun cleaning system using a non-
hazardous cleaning solvent. The technique
cut down on;use of paint thinner, and thus
VOC emissions.
Through such changes, Container-Care
reduced the generation of hazardous waste
from 18,235 pounds in 1992 to 3,949
pounds in 1995, decreased costs, and
increased profits.
Rainier Ballistics Corporation
.. .of Tacoma, a manufacturer of sport
shooting projectiles, weathered a "dirty"
image for waste water standards from
1991 to 1994, then worked with state and
local regulators to redesign the electroplat-
ing process. Examples include:
> Instead of discharging alkaline waste-
water from its initial soaking operation
to avoid heavy buildups of chemicals,
the company purchased an evaporation
system, which completely eliminated
wastewater generation.
> Rainier switched from an all-chemical
"brightening process" used for cleaning
parts and giving a shiny appearance to
: .a cleaning mixture, of ground walnuts
and corncobs which reduces chemical
usage by 50%.
> Formerly, Rainier treated its products
in a carbon-filtered bath once every
month. By modifying the chemical
content of the bath, it reduced treat-
ment to once every six months, cutting
waste levels by 80 percent.
These and other changes reduced the
company's wastewater generation from
5,000 gallons per week to about 800 gallons
and reduced its use of chemicals by 75
percent. Since 1994, Rainier has
saved more than $200,000 on
treatment costs alone.
Can other companies do as
well? Washington's Department
of Ecology thinks so. It sponsors
a Toxics Reduction Engineer
Exchange (TREE) which offers small and
medium sized businesses free engineering
assistance and a survey of relevant
technology options.
For more information, contact Michael
Johnson, Washington Dept. of Ecology, P.O.
Box 47600, Olympia, WA; tel: 360-407-
6338, e-mail: mjoh461@ecy.iua.gov/.
To view the report on
the Internet, go to
www.wa.gov/cted/
su«ess2/.
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12 Pollution Prevention News
April-May-June 1998
Calendar
DATE/SITE EVENT
July ] Federal Facility Environmental
Was, TX Seminar on Indoor Environment
July 2 Federal Facility Environmental
Date, TX Seminar on the Clean Air Act
July 7-1 0 4* International Interdisciplinary
Washington, DC Conference on the Environment
July 1 6-1 7 ISO 1 4000 Environmental Management
Hilton Head, SC Standards: How To Develop an EMS That
Meets the Standards
July 27 - August 1 First International Week for
Basel, Swrlierland a Sustainable Energy Future
August 3-5 Energy '98: Breaking the Barriers-
Beflewe, WA "You Have the Power* ,
August 23-28 1 998 ACEEE Summer Study on
Pacific Grove, CA Energy Efficiency
August 25-28 Third Annual Joint Service Pollution
Son Antonio, TX Prevention Conference and Exhibition
September 14-15 European Environment Conference
beds, England ' " : """"
October 28-30 European Roundtable on Cleaner
Ihbon, Portugal Production & Pre-Conference For
African Countries
Hovember 15-18 Partnership and Leadership: 7th
Rome, Holy International Conference of the
Greening of Industry Network
Moving? Please enclose mailing label!
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EPA Region VI
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Government Institutes
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ACEEE, NYSERDA, EPA, DOE
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Environmental Excellence, National
Defense Industrial Association
(formerly ADPVNSIA)
ERP Environment
ERCP, INETI-1TA
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and Environmental Policy
CONTACT
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