United States Environmental Protection Agency Research and Development Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory Cincinnati, OH 45268 EPA/600/S2-91/031 Oct. 1991 EPA Project Summary Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment: Optical Fabrication Laboratory, Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Denver, Colorado Marvin Drabkin and Edwin Rissmann The Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program con- sists of a series of demonstration and evaluation projects for waste reduction* conducted cooperatively by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various parts of the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and other Federal agencies. The WREAFS program focuses on waste minimization research opportunities and technical assessments at Federal sites. The ob- jectives of the WREAFS Program include (1) conducting waste minImization work- shops, (2) performing waste minimiza- tion opportunity assessments, (3) dem- onstrating waste minimization tech- niques or technologies at Federal facili- ties, and (4) enhancing waste minimiza- tion benefits within the Federal commu- nity. One of the sites chosen for perfor- mance of a waste minimization opportu- nity assessment (WMOA) under the WREAFS Program is the Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center Optical Fabrica- tion Laboratory (FAMC/OFL) in Denver, Colorado. Glass lens fabrication opera- tions at the OFL generate three RCRA hazardous wastes (waste lead-bearing lens blocking alloy (RCRA D008), alka- line washwater from ground and pol- ished lens cleaning and deblocking op- erations (D002), and spent Stoddard sol- *The terms "reduction" and "minimization" are used interchangeably in this EPA Project Summary. vent from the tool cleaning operations (D001)) and one nonhazardous waste (ground glass fines from lens grinding and polishing operations). The waste lead-bearing blocking alloy particulates are reclaimed and recycled atthe OFL (to the extent possible); the alkaline washwater is discharged to the waste- water treatment plant and ultimately used on the FAMC grounds for irrigation; and spent Stoddard solvent is recycled off site through a Safety-Kleen, Inc., operation. The nonhazardous ground glass fines are collected from the present onsite grinding coolant filtration operations and disposed of at a local sanitary landfill. The present WMOA at the OFL was concerned with two of these RCRA haz- ardous wastes, first, the residual lead- bearing glass lens blocking alloy and the alkaline washwaterfromlensdeblocking/ cleaning operations, second, and the nonhazardous ground glass from lens grinding operations. A waste minimiza- tion option was developed for each of these wastes, as summarized below. (1) Filtration of the alkaline washwater from glass lens deblocking/wash- ing operations to recover and re- cycle residual lead-bearing block- ing alloy particulates contained in this washwater. Potentially, as much as 500 Ib/yr of lead-bearing alloy is reclaimable. (2) Substitution of lead-free glass lens blocking alloy for the lead-bearing material presently in use. (3) Offsite recycling of the nonhazardous fine glass particulate waste gener- Printed on Recycled Paper ------- ated in the lens grinding operation and currently disposed of in a sani- tary landfill. This Project Summary was developed by EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, to announce key findings of the waste reduction assessment that is fully docu- mented in a separate report of the same title (see Project Report ordering infor- mation at back). Introduction To promote waste minimization activities in accordance with the national policy ob- jectives established under the 1984 Haz- ardous and Solid Waste Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) of the USEPA Office of Research and Develop- ment is supporting the WREAFS Program, which consists of a series of demonstration and evaluation projects for waste reduction conducted cooperatively by EPA and vari- ous parts of the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and other Federal agencies. The WREAFS Program focuses on waste minimization research opportuni- ties and technical assessments at Federal sites. The present project focused on a waste minimization opportunity assessment (WMOA) conducted at the Frtzsimmons Army Medical Center (FAMC) Optical Fab- rication Laboratory (OFL) in Denver, Colo- rado. Results of the WMOA conducted at the OFL identified three waste minimization opportunities involving materials in use at the OFL. These options are summarized below. Waste Minimization Opportunities Waste Alkaline Washwater Alkaline washwater from the glass lens cleaning/deblocking operation is currently discharged from the OFL after passing through a trap to collect large particulates of the lead-bearing lens blocking alloy. This wastewater is discharged periodically from the glass lens washing machines at the rate of approximately 200 gal/mo, at a pH of about 13 to 14, and is drained to the FAMC onsite central water treatment facility. Al- though this waste is not discharged offsite, it is ultimately used as part of the FAMC grounds irrigation water at the site and could be ultimately discharging lead (both as dissolved lead and submicron particu- lates) to the groundwater under the site. It is proposed that this possibility be avoided in one of two ways: (1) Use of a source reduction technique— the substitution of a non-lead-bearing blocking alloy. (2) Use of a recycling technique—introduc- ing a cartridge filter in the line leaving the trap from the lens washing/deblocking operation in order to catch the submi- cron-size alloy particulates. This tech- nique could recover up to 500 Ib/yr of particulate material that would ultimately be recycled to the lens blocking opera- tion. Glass Fines from the Glass Lens Grinding Operation The OFL presently generates about 37.5 ton/yr of a mixture of waste glass fines and water from the lens grinding operation. This material is not a hazardous waste under the RCRA definition. The OFL currently sends this waste to a local landfill, thereby incur- ring both the transportation and landfilling costs. These fines, when dry, could gener- ate particulate emissions, thus creating possible inhalation problems, during trans- portation rf they are transported in uncov- ered or improperly covered containers or at a landfill if they are improperly covered or managed. A potential use for this material is as feedstock in g lass or ceramic tile produc- tion by a local facility. It is assumed that this facility would use the OFL waste material, Table 1. Summary of FAMC/OFL Waste Minimization Assessment Results Raw material costs Stream under consideration Nonhazardous Waste Glass fines from glass lens rough grinding Hazardous Waste Mkaline washwater from deblocking and cleaning of glass lenses, containing small amounts of EP toxic metals, e.g., lead, as both particu- lates and dissolved metal. Volume consumed or generated RCRA characteristics 300 Ib/day (37.5 tons/yr) None 200 gal/mo Characteristic D002 corrosive and D008 lead waste Not applicable Alloy: $2.34Ab (or $1,150/yr based on metal loss if attri- butable to alkaline solution disposal). There are also costs of under $5,000/yr for the alkaline clean- ing solution. Current disposal costs Options considered Estimated at $50/ ton at a local municipal landfill (or$1,875/yr) Negligible since this waste stream is treated at the FAMC onsite bio- logical wastewater treatment plant. The stream con- stitutes less than 0.1% of the flow to the wastewater treatment plant. Proposed Recycle Option Send fines to local glass or ceramic tile production plant for use as a feed- stock in glass or ceramic tile fabrication. Proposed WM Option 1. Alloy substitutions to eliminate use of lead and cadmium (source reduction). 2. Installation of a filter in wastewater pipe from washing unit to reclaim additional alloy particu- lates (recycle/reuse). ------- Table2. Summary of Factors Determining Technical Feasibility of Three WMOptions Studied During the OFL Waste Minimization Study Factors determining technical feasibility Option number Waste and source Glass particles from lens grinding Cleaning and deblocking washwater from glass lens production Cleaning and deblock- ing washwater from glass lens production Sending waste to a glass or ceramic tile manufacturer for use as feedstock Substitution of a lead- and cadmium-free alloy for the alloy presently used for blocking Installation of a filter in the alkaline wastewer line Glass composition and compatibility of that composition with types of glass produced at a facility interested in accepting the particulates. Availability within a radius of 50 miles if a facility is interested in accepting the materials. Greater distances would increase transportation costs, thereby eliminating the economic benefit of this option. No technical factors are involved. The substitute alloy is known by facility personnel to be a technically viable alternative. How- ever, its higher cost may not be justified unless considered on environmental grounds. Particle size and concentration of fine alloy liquid droplets or particulates currently escaping in the discharged wastewater. Choice of alkali-resistant filtration equipment. Tables. Summary of Cost Analysis Data for Three WM Options Resulting from the OFL Waste Minimization Study Material of interest in this study Glass particulates from lens grinding Option 1. Sending to glass manufacturers for use as feedstock Capital investment None Net operating cost savings Upto$1,000/yr (dependent on local transportation cost) Payback period (years) 0 Cleaning and 2. Alloy substitution None deblocking washwater from glass lens production 3. Installation of Less than $500' filter in wastewater line None. Will increase operating cost by about $33,000/yr Upto$1,100/yr Indeterminate 1.5yr minimum and, consequently, the land disposal cost could be eliminated. Results of the Waste Minimization Assessment The results of the WMOA are summa- rized in Tables 1 through 3. Conclusions and Recommendations Of the three waste-related opportunities developed at the OFL by the WMOA, two represent waste reduction for RCRA haz- ardous wastes, while the remaining option represents an opportunity to reduce or elimi- nate nonhazardous waste. A review of Table 3 shows that none of these options represent substantial capital outlays or ap- preciable operating cost savings. In fact, one waste minimization option—substitut- ing a nonhazardous lens blocking alloy for the present hazardous material—represents a substantial operating cost increase. The only positive value of the option is the poten- tial elimination of an environmental pollu- tion problem if it can be shown at FAMC that a source of lead pollution in groundwater needs to be eliminated. The potential lead pollution problem also points out the need for R & D efforts to develop a lead-free lens blocking alloy. The full report was submitted in fulfillment of Contract No. 68-C8-0061, Work Assign- ment 2-24, by Versar, Inc., under the spon- sorship of the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency. •ffV.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1991 - 548-028/40082 ------- Marvin Drabkin and Edwin Rissmann are with Versar, Inc., Springfield, VA 22151. Kenneth R. Stone is the EPA Project Officer (see below). The complete report, entitled "Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment: Optical Fabrication Laboratory, Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Denver, Colorado," (Order No. PB91- 216 515/AS; Cost: $35.00, subject to change) will be available only from: 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/S2-91/031 ------- |