United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Risk Reduction Engineering
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/S2-90/031 Aug. 1990
Project Summary
Waste Minimization
Opportunity Assessment:
Fort Riley, Kansas
The Waste Reduction Evaluations
at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program
consists of a series of demonstration
and evaluation projects for waste
reduction conducted cooperatively
by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and various parts of the
Department of Defense (DOD),
Department of Energy (DOE), and
other federal agencies. The WREAFS
program focuses on waste minimiza-
tion research opportunities and tech-
nical assessments at federal sites.
The objectives of the WREAFS
Program include: (1) conducting
waste minimization workshops; (2)
performing waste minimization
opportunity assessments; (3)
demonstrating waste minimization
techniques or technologies at federal
facilities; and (4) enhancing waste
minimization benefits within the
federal community.
Fort Riley, Kansas, was a WREAF
site chosen for a waste reduction
assessment. Maintenance operations
carried out at one of the U.S. Army
Forces Command (FORSCOM) Fort
Riley facilities generates waste
battery acid and metals-contaminated
alkaline wastewaters. Acid from car
and truck batteries requiring
maintenance or disposal is currently
collected in drums and shipped from
Building 8100 to the Defense
Reutilization and Marketing Office
(DRMO) at the installation for
disposal as hazardous waste (DOO2,
DOO6, D008). The metal-contaminated
waste detergent solution results as
automotive parts are cleaned with hot
aqueous alkaline detergent in a batch
washer at the installation. This waste,
currently being reclassified as RCRA,
DOO7, and DOO8, is drained to an
onsite nonhazardous waste
evaporation pond.
The waste minimzation asseess-
ment at Ft. Riley developed the
following recycling options for these
RCRA wastes:
1. Filtering, restrengthening, and
recycling waste battery acid as a
replacement for virgin battery acid.
2. Purifying and reusing alkaline
detergent solution for further
automotive parts cleaning.
This Project Summary was
developed by EPA's Risk Reduction
Engineering Research Laboratory,
Cincinnati, OH, to announce key
findings of the research project that is
fully documented in a separate report
of the same title (see Project Report
ordering information at back).
Introduction
Results of the Fort Riley, Kansas,
waste minimization assessment identified
two waste reduction opportunities in a
multipurpose building (Building 8100)
used for automotive subassembly
rebuilding, lead acid battery repair, and a
number of other Army maintenance
operations. The two waste reduction
opportunities are summarized below.
Waste Battery Acid
Battery acid (32% to 37% sulfuric
acid) containing trace concentrations of
lead and cadmium is currently drained
from both dead batteries and batteries
requiring repairs (e.g., replacement of
battery terminals) and shipped in 15-gal.
drums to the DRMO storage facility at the
installation for ultimate disposal as a
hazardous waste. The WREAFS Program
instead proposed that the waste acid be
gathered in a holding tank, filtered to
remove any particulates, and adjusted in
concentration to 37% sulfuric acid (using
60° Baume commercial sulfuric acid) as
needed for reuse in reconditioned or new
batteries. To prevent buildup of dissolved
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metal impurities in this recycling system,
part of the acid would be purged from the
system. This assessment assumes that
25% of the acid would be purged and
75% reused. The acid being purged
would be neutralized, treated to remove
trace heavy metal, and disposed of onsite
to a lagoon as a nonhazardous waste.
Figure 1 presents a schematic of the
proposed equipment for this waste
reduction option.
Automotive Parts Washer
Wastewater
The dirty aqueous alkaline detergent
solution that results from cleaning
automotive parts contains trace
concentrations of lead, chromium, and
cadmium at a pH > 12 as well as the oils,
grease, and dirt removed from the
automotive parts. Currently, the solution
is drained to an onsite nonhazardous
waste evaporation pond. This waste,
heretofore regarded as nonhazardous, is
being reclassified as a RCRA hazardous
waste because of its characteristics
(DOO7, D008). When reclassified, it will
have to be disposed of as a hazardous
waste through DRMO. The proposed
waste minimization option for this stream
would involve using equipment external
to the automotive parts washer, as shown
in Figure 2. The proposed process would
include emulsion breaking to cause
emulsified oils to float, removal of de-
emulsified oils and other tramp oils and
grease by skimming, filtration to remove
particulates in an inline cartridge filter,
and addition of fresh alkaline detergent
as necessary. The cleaned washwater
would then be recirculated to the
automotive parts cleaner. Buildup of
impurities in the recycled washwater
would be prevented by purging 25% of
the used alkaline detergent and recycling
75%. The material being purged would
be neutralized with an appropriate
amount of waste battery acid (in the
equipment shown in Figure 2), treated to
remove precipitated trace heavy metal
impurities, and disposed of as a
nonhazardous waste.
Some mplant experimentation would
be needed to determine the type of filter
elements that are best suited for this
operation, whether multiple cartridge
filters are needed, how many cycles can
the recovered wastewater effectively
clean automotive parts, etc. The
uncertainty in the proposed procedure is
reflected in a 25% contingency in the
capital cost estimate.
Results of Waste Reduction
Audit
The results of the waste reduction
audit are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.
Observations and
Recommendations
The waste reduction options identified
in this study are recycle/reuse options.
Source reduction would require the
decreased use of motor vehicles by the
infantry division stationed at Fort Riley
and is not a realistic waste reduction
option.
Since the expected payback periods
for the two waste reduction options are
very short, it is recommended that these
options be implemented. It should be
noted that successful application of these
options at Ft. Riley creates the potential
for applying similar waste minimization
options in at least 10 other U.S. Army
FORSCOM installations.
The full report was submitted in
fulfillment of Contract 68-C8-0061 by
Versar, Inc., under the sponsorship of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Table 1. Summary of Fort Riley, Kansas, Building 8100 Waste Reduction Assessment
Source of Hazardous Waste
Stream
Battery repair shop
Automotive parts washing
Waste
7,200 gal/yr D002,
0006, 0008*
29,000 gal/yr 0007,
D008f
Current Disposal
Cost
$27,900/yr
$112,000/yrt
Current Raw
MaterialCost
$11,530/yr
<$100/yr
* D002--Corrosive waste (<2 pH > 12).
D006-Cadmium-containing RCRA characteristic hazardous waste.
D008--Lead-containing RCRA characteristic hazardous waste.
f D007'--Chromium-containing RCRA characteristic hazardous waste .
t Although this waste currently is drained to an onsite evaporation pond, if it were disposed of as a
RCRA hazardous waste via DRMO at the same cost per gallon as the waste battery acid , the costs
and savings would be as indicated
Table 2. Summary of Economic Analysis for Proposed Waste Minimization Options at Fort Riley, Kansas, Building 8100
Source of Hazardous
Waste Stream
Battery repair shop
Waste Reduction
Option
Recycle of
restrengthened
battery acid
Capital Investment
$15,200
Operating Cost
Saving, $/yr
$36,000
Payback, yr
0.42
Automotive parts washing
Recycle of purified
alkaline detergent
solution
$19,800
$107,100
0.18
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Explanation of Flowsheet Symbols
—txj— Block Valve
—\A- Check Valve
—Lp—x Hose Connection
In-Line Filter
(^ In-Line Strainer
Demineralizing Cartridge
PI ) Pressure Gauge
Tl ) Temperature Indicator
Batteries
Being Drained
YYY YYY .ZHX}
Existing Battery
Acid Drain Trough
20 GPM x 25
1/4 HP Motor
Figure 1. Proposed equipment for waste battery acid option.
1
•V v «;
£
?
N—O
Water
P-2/Manual
Drum Pump
Sewer Inlet
Draining to Lagoon
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Mart Tornado
Parts Washer
Explanation of Flowsheet Symbols
Block Valve
— |_p — x Hose Connection
In-Line Filter
Pressure Gauge
P-2/Manual
Drum Pump
P-1/50 GPM x 25
7/2 HP Motor
: 75 or
: 55 gal
: Drums
Figure 2. Proposed equipment for tornado parts washer wastewater option.
The authors are with Versar, Inc., Springfield, VA 22101.
James S. Bridges is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Waste Minimization
Opportunity Assessment: Fort Riley, Kansas," (Order No.
PB 90-250 176iAS; Cost: $23.00, subject to change) will
he available cnly trom:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/S2-90/031
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