United States
   Environmental Protection
   Agency
   Research and Development
   National Risk Management
   Research Laboratory
   Cincinnati, OH 45268
                                      EPA/600/S-95/014     August 1995
   Project Summary

   Pollution   Prevention  Opportunity
   Assessments  of U.S. Army
   Corps  of  Engineers Civil Works
   Facilities
   The Pollution Prevention Opportunity
  Assessments (PPOA) summarized here
  were conducted at the following repre-
  fn2^!=f U^ Army CorPs of Engineers
  (USAGE) Civil Works facilities? Pitts-
  burgh Engineering Warehouse and Re-
  pair Station (PEWARS) and Emsworth
  Locks and Dams in Pittsburgh, PA; Gar-
  rison Dam Hydroelectric Powerplant in
  Riverdale, ND; and John H. Kerr Dam
  and Reservoir  in Boydton, VA.  The
  PPOAs were conducted under the U S
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  Waste Reduction Evaluations At Fed-
 eral Sites (WREAFS) Program and were
 funded by the Department of Defense
 Strategic Environmental Research and
 Development Program (SERDP)
   Although the facilities studied were
 efficiently designed and employees
 have established numerous on-site pro-
 cedures resulting in the reduction of
 waste  generation,  opportunities were
 identified for further action. The PPOA
 reports identify and discuss the eco-
 nomic  and technical  feasibility of  po-
 tential source reduction and recycling
 opportunities at  the facilities studied
 The alternatives  presented  in the re-
 ports have application to similar Fed-
 eral,  non-Federal and private sector
 facilities.
  This Project Summary was developed
 by EPA's National Risk Management
 Research Laboratory, Cincinnati,  OH,
 to announce key findings of the  re-
search project that is fully documented
in three separate reports (see Project
Report ordering information at back).
  Introduction
    This project summary describes three
  Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assess-
  ments conducted at U.S. Army Corps of
  Engineers Civil Works facilities under the
  Waste Reduction Evaluations At Federal
  Sites (WREAFS) Program. The purposes
  of the WREAFS Program are to  identify
  new technologies and techniques for re-
  ducing wastes from industrial processes
  at Federal sites, and to enhance the imple-
  mentation of pollution prevention through
  technology transfer. New techniques and
  technologies for reducing waste genera-
  tion are identified through  pollution pre-
  vention opportunity assessments (PPOA)
  and may be further evaluated through joint
  research, development, and demonstra-
 tion projects.
   The assessments were conducted us-
 ing the procedures outlined in EPA's Fa-
 cility Pollution Prevention Guide (EPA/600/
 R-92/088). The assessments had two ma-
 jor phases. The first phase quantified
 waste generation and management prac-
 tices. The second phase  identified and
 evaluated the feasibility of  opportunities
 and techniques to eliminate, reduce  or
 recycle wastes.
  The facilities studied in the PPOAs were-
 a navigation  lock and dam; a warehouse
 and a maintenance and  repair facility; a
 hydroelectric power plant; and a flood con-
 trol dam and reservoir with associated pub-
 lic  recreation areas. Other Federal
 agencies, such as the Bureau of Recla-
 mation and the Tennessee Valley Author-
 ity havei similar functions and facilities as
do states and the private sector. Thus
                                               Printed on Recycled Paper

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the results of the PPOAs described in the
three full reports have  applicability  to  a
broad audience.

Results and Discussion

Garrison Dam Hydroelectric
Power Plant
   The Garrison Dam Hydroelectric Power
Plant (GDHP) Is located on the Missouri
River 55 miles northwest of Bismarck, ND.
For the  most part the GDHP can serve as
a model  for a  well-run, clean industrial
facility,  but there are two areas in which
the GDHP can potentially reduce waste
 generation: (1) wicket gate lubrication; and
 (2) antifreeze and bubbler system opera-
 tions. In addition, there are several less
 significant areas of potential improvement,
 such as oil sampling, parts cleaning, and
 recycling.

 Wicket Gate Lubrication
    The  GDHP has five turbines, each  lo-
 cated in a penstock and powering a gen-
 erator.  In the normal operation of a turbine,
 the wicket gates, which are inside the
 penstock directly above the turbines, con-
 trol water flow passing from the penstock
 to the  turbine. The bronze-coated  wicket
                      gate bearings, on which the wicket gates
                      pivot, must be continuously lubricated.
                        The GDHP uses approximately 3,200
                      Ib/yr of a  grease called  Multifak EP2 to
                      lubricate its wicket gate bearings. Essen-
                      tially  all of this grease escapes into the
                      water flowing past the wicket gates.
                         Synthetic  bearing systems have been
                      installed in powerplant wicket gate bear-
                      ings, as well as turbine main bearings and
                      other bearings in turbine/wicket gate sys-
                      tem.  One  system studied uses a bronzed
                       bearing with a coating  of a material called
                       Thordon,  which functions as a lubricant-
                       impregnated spongelike matrix. Thordon
                       systems have been used since the early
                       1970s and appear to have an excellent
                       reliability  record. Most of the installations
                       have been in Canadian facilities; however,
                       similar systems have  also been installed
                       in one of the wicket gate systems at Tim's
                       Ford Hydroelectric Powerplant, a Tennes-
                       see  Valley Authority (TVA) facility.
                          A second system, the Lubron  system,
                       manufactured by Lubron Bearing Systems,
                       uses a teflon base in  a bronze substrate.
                       The Teflon  has lubrication in its matrix,
                       and additional lubricant can be deposited
                       in machined recesses in the bearings.
                        Lubron is being used at the Tim's Ford
                                       TVA plant in the shift ring for the wicket
                                       gate  arms. The Lubron system  was in-
                                       stalled at the same time as the Thordon
                                       bearings, and has likewise performed with-
                                       out problems.
                                          A  general comparison  of the bronze
                                       greased  lubrication bearing  system  and
                                       the non-grease lubricated systems is in-
                                       cluded in the report.

                                        Chemical Antifreeze Use
                                           Ice  formation  on the  spillway tainter
                                        gates prevents their proper working in case
                                        of an emergency  discharge,  and might
                                        damage the gates or cause them to fail.
                                        To keep ice formation  from  reaching the
                                        gates, the GDHP spillway was  built with
                                        an underwater bubbler system. To supple-
                                        ment  the  bubbler  system and  clear the
                                        bubbler  lines of  ice, the GDHP employs
                                        chemical antifreeze treatment  in the bub-
                                        bler lines. Vaporized Frosto (mostly metha-
                                        nol)  is injected into the  compressed  air
                                        bubbler lines running near the tainter gates.
                                           Table 1 contains a summary of the pos-
                                         sible alternative  methods of reducing pol-
                                         lution from tainter gate deicing.
                                           Table 2 contains a summary of the most
                                         significant waste  streams generated by
  Table 1. Options to Reduce Methanol Use at the Tainter Gates
  Option to
  Reduce
  Methanol
  Use

  Bubbler system
  repair
   Operational
   readiness
   evaluation
   Physical Ice
   reduction
   options (heater
   system, water
   mixer)

   Alternate
   chemical use
    Pulse rate
    reduction
Requirements for
Introducing Option
               •
Dredge lake bottom;
stabilize lake banks;
overhaul bubbler system
Internal evaluation by
the USAGE
 Evaluation of the tainter
 gates preceded by install-
 ation of system
 Assessment of applicabil-
 ity in current system; might
 require extensive equip-
 ment modifications
 Determine lowest reasonable
 level of chemical injection;
 make minor equipment
 modifications
    Estimated
      Costs
$1.5 million
Facilities would bear no
direct costs if a USAGE
research group performed
the evaluation

Equipment cost is about
$20,000 per gate; electric-
ity costs are hard to pre-
dict, but costs would likely
be around $4,000 per gate

 Equipment modification costs
 are not predictable-they could
 be minimal or run into many
 thousands of dollars; chemical
 costs would be similar to
 current chemical costs

 Total costs would likely not
 exceed $1,000 per unit; some
 units allow pulse reduction by
 simply changing their settings
    Advantages

The repair would allow
bubbler to operate effect-
ively; would reduce erosion
of banks ensuring future op-
eration of bubbler

No additional equipment or
chemicals required; only
procedural changes
 Once installed, units would
 generate little pollution and
 allow less antifreeze to be
 consumed
 Toxicity of chemicals intro?
 duced to the environment
 would be reduced
 Simple, low cost pollution
 prevention measure
       Disadvantages

Very expensive repair; chemical
use might not be markedly decreased
Evaluation may take time; USAGE
may feel operational readiness can
not be compromised
Data on systems only from 1991
forward, so reliability is not
confirmed; increased elec-
tricity consumption
 Total chemical consumption might
 not markedly change; feasibility
 of modifying equipment must be
 assessed
 If chemicals are reduced too much,
 ice might form at tainter gates

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   Table 2.
          Summary of Significant Waste Streams Generated by the GDHP and Recommended Options for the Waste Stream
                                                          Reduction or Modification
Wastefs) Generated
Frosto (mostly methanol)



Multifak EP2
Lubricant, transformer, and
OCB oil
Lubricant, transformer, and
OCB oil: ft'/ters- nil aluHna
Source of Waste
Generation
Bubbler system
operation



Wicket gate
lubrication
Oil testing
Oil transfer and recycling
Amount of Waste
Generation
Approximately
1,6SOgal/yr



Approximately
1,500gal/yr
Approximately
30gal/yr
Less than 20 gal/yr
Recommended Options
1. Repair bubbler system
2.. Add heating elements
3. Use alternate antifreeze
4. Lower antifreeze injection pulse rate to bubbler
5. Reassess need for fully operational spillway year-round
Install non-grease lubricated bearings in
wicket gate system
1. Reduce sampling volumes to lowest levels possible
2. Reduce sampling frequency to lowest reasonable levels
1. Use caution during transfers
  Mineral Spirits
                               Parts washing
           oil; less than 100 to
           of filter waste; less than
           30 gal/yr sludge

           Approximately
           55 gal/yr
                                                                           2. Reduce recycling frequencies if feasible
                                                                           1. Use ultrasonic cleaners instead of solvent bath
                                                                           2. Locate acceptable alternate solvent with preferable
                                                                            environmental characteristics
 the GDHP, and options recommended for
 those streams.

 Pittsburgh Engineer Warehouse
 and Repair Station (PEWARS)
 and Emsworth Locks and Dams
   The Pittsburgh Engineer Warehouse and
 Repair Station (PEWARS) is located on
 Neville Island between the main and back
 channels of the  Ohio River near the town
 of Emsworth, PA. Operations performed
 at the  two facilities are related, in  that
 PEWARS performs painting, depainting,
 storage, and routine  and major mainte^
 nance operations for all flood control and
 navigation projects in the USAGE Pitts-
 burgh District, including Emsworth;  how-
 ever, normal operations are quite different
 at the two facilities.
   The Emsworth Locks and Dams  Sys-
 tem is  located  on the  Ohio River,  6.2
 miles downstream  of Pittsburgh, PA. The
 main portion of  the project consisting of
 two  locks and a gated dam, located on
 the  main channel. The second portion,
 which consists of a single gated dam, is
 located  on the back channel of the river.
 The dams are created to maintain a chan-
 nel depth that will accommodate large ves-
 sels,  such as commercial barges.  The
 locks enable vessels to be raised or  low-
ered to  the water  levels created by the
dams.
  Both Emsworth Locks and Dams  and
PEWARS have areas  of operations  that
could benefit from the following pollution
prevention initiatives.

  1.   Installation of non-grease lubri-
      cated bearings,  chains, gears,
      and other components in the lock
      and dam system where possible.
      A major task involved during rou-
      tine maintenance activities  con-
      ducted  on the  lock-operating
      machinery is ensuring that a proper
      amount of lubricant is present on
      all bearings and other parts requir-
      ing lubrication.  Synthetic systems
      have been used in water contain-
      ing relatively high concentrations of
      undissolved solids, as might be
      found  in lock  and dam  systems;
      however, there is no proven history
      of the  application  of synthetic ma-
     terials in lock and dam systems. Its
     use in  this situation could be stud-
     ied and demonstrated.
 2.   Replacement of the current cen-
     tralized hydraulic system with lo-
     calized  units  incorporating
     accessible oil flow lines. Hydrau-
     lic pressure is  used  in the  daily
     operation of the Emsworth Locks
     and Dams to open and close the
     lock gates and  butterfly valves in
     the lock system. If a break occurs
     in one of the hydraulic lines, a sig-
     nificant spill could occur in a short
     period of time. It would be  environ-
     mentally preferable to install a sys-
     tem with localized hydraulic oil units,
     like the system currently used at
     Emsworth to operate the tow haul-
     age and retriever system.
 3.   Substitution  of the  current
     depainting  method with a lower-
     waste generating alternative.
     PEWARS utilizes a product called
     Black  Beauty (made up  of bitumi-
     nous coal) applied with a Chemco
     sandblaster for paint removal. Once
     a gate is depainted, the blast mate-
     rial is tested for lead content. If the
     lead content is greater than 5 ppm,
     the waste must be disposed of as
   :  hazardous waste. The possible sub-
     stitutes for the current depainting
     method at PEWARS are: (1) open
     abrasive blast cleaning with recy-
     clable abrasives; (2) high  pressure
     water jetting  with  abrasives; and
     (3) ultra-high pressure water jetting
    with abrasives. Table 3 contains a
    direct comparison  of these  three
    methods.
4.  Substitution of the current paint
    and  application method with  a
    lower  VOC-emitting system
    PEWARS has  already undertaken
    major steps to reduce pollution gen-
    erated by painting.  The use of an
    airless  spray  system with epoxy
    paint complies with requirements for
    VOC levels in  paints, which must

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TaWa 3. Comparison of Recommended Alternative Paint Removal Methods
Method
Number
Method
Name
Open abrasive blast
cleaning with recycl-
able abrasive

High pressure water
Jetting with abrasive
injection
Ultra-high pressure
water jetting with
abrasive injection
Equipment
INvestment
Very
expensive

Expensive
Very
expensive
Removal
Efficiency
Excellent in all
areas

Good to
excellent in
all areas
Good to
excellent in
all areas
Production
Speed
Very high

Moderate
to high
High
Environmental
Advantages
Recycling of abrasive
results In lowest vol-
ume of waste gener-
ation of tested meth-
ods
Much less debris
than current method
Much less debris
than current method
Environmental
Disadvantages
Waste may be hazardous
due to potential for in-
creased lead concen-
trations

More debris than method
2; waste may be hazardous
due to potential tor in-
creased lead concentrations
More debris than method
2; waste may be hazardous
due to potential tor increased
lead concentrations
       contain  less than 2.8 Ib/gal.  This
       system  is also  easily applied and
       has  shown  reasonable durability.
       However, there are alternative sys-
       tems being developed which  may
       prove to be reliable and  reduce
       waste generation. These alterna-
       tives are shown in Table 4. Any of
       these three methods would produce
       significantly less solid waste  than
       the current operations at PEWARS.
    5.  Further implementing the central-
       ization of and tracking system
       for the Inventory control process.
       This would  help  prevent purchas-
       ing  duplicate materials, and there-
       fore reduce shelf-life losses.

    Of the five Initiatives given above, Num-
  bers 1  and 2 are applicable to any lock
  and dam site. Numbers 3, 4 and 5 would
  apply to any  facility that performs major
  maintenance  or storage.  Number 3 ap-
  pears to be an excellent candidate for a
  demonstration project.  Initiative 4  could
  also prove beneficial if powder or 100%
  solid coatings progress to the point where
  they are suitable for conditions such as
  those found  at PEWARS  and Emsworth
  Locks and Dams.
    Table 5 provides a list of waste streams
  generated at Emsworth and PEWARS, and
  options recommended for those waste
  streams.
John H. Ken Dam and
Reservoir
  The John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir is
located on the Roanoke River 55  miles
north of Raleigh, NC and 100 miles south-
west of Richmond, VA.  The project was
authorized by the Flood Control Act  of
1944, and was constructed  for flood con-
trol and  aquatic recreation  needs.  Addi-
tional purposes of the  project  include
domestic water supply,  water supply for
hydroelectric power generation, water qual-
ity control, wildlife management, and navi-
gation.
  The facilities discussed in the full  report
are:  (1)  North Bend  Park  maintenance
facility,  spray irrigation water treatment
system,  marina, and campground, all op-
erated by USAGE; (2)  Longwood  Park,
operated by USAGE; (3) the pump station
at Island Creek Dam, operated by USAGE;
(4) Satterwhite Point State  Park mainte-
nance facility and wastewater treatment
system,  operated under lease by the State
of  North Carolina  Department of  Parks
 and  Recreation;  and (5) the Clarksville
 Marina,  a privately owned concession un-
 der lease.
   There has been substantial cooperation
 between these Federal, state, local, and
 private  organizations.  However,  several
 specific areas were identified which could
 benefit  from  pollution  prevention  efforts.
 These areas are summarized in Table 6.
Conclusion
  For the most part, the majority of envi-
ronmental effects from USAGE Civil Works
facilities occur during  construction. Less
pollution is generated  as a result of the
operation, maintenance, replacement or
repair of these facilities; however, several
areas can be targeted  for pollution reduc-
tion.  At Garrison  Dam  Hydroelectric
Powerplant, the six areas identified for the
greatest potential reduction in waste gen-
erations were wicket gate lubrication,
tainter gate maintenance, oil sampling and
recycling,  parts washing, consumer prod-
uct recycling, and inventory control. The
greatest potential for pollution reduction at
PEWARS and Emsworth Locks and Dams
were lubrication and the hydraulic system
used to transport the oils;  painting and
depainting, and inventory control practices.
At John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir, the
areas of greatest pollution prevention po-
tential were expanding the use  of recycled
 plastic timbers instead  of creosoted rail-
 road ties,  oily rag  generation,  antifreeze
 for toilets and piping, parts washing and
 degreasing,  solid waste  separation and
 recycling, and inventory control.
   The full reports were submitted in fulfill-
 ment of Contract No. 68-D2-0181, Work
 Assignment  No. 1-011  by TRC Environ-
 mental Corporation under  the sponsorship
 of the U.S. Environmental  Protection
 Agency.

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Table 6.  Summary of Pollution Prevention Recommendations for John H. KerrDam and Reservoir Areas
   Site for
Implementation
      Activity
     Description
    Current Practice
                                 Recommended
                               Alternative Practice
                                      Benefits of
                                     Alternative
All locations
North Bend State Park-
Maintenance Facilities

North Bend State Park-
Maintenance Facilities,
Sattemhite Point State Park

North Bend State Park-
Maintenance Facilities,
Ctarksvilla Marina

North Bend State Park,
Sattenvhite Point State Park
 Island Creek Dam and
 Pump Station


 Clarksville Marina and
 other marinas
Railroad tie replacement   Wood, creosote, and recycled  Use recycled plastic ties as
Oily rag generation from
car oil changes

Antifreeze for toilets and
piping
Parts washing and
degreasing
Solid waste separation
Inventory control
 Human waste disposal
plastic tie replacements

Disposal in 55-gal drums
Ethylene glycol used as
an antifreeze
Mineral spirits used in
parts washer
 Many recyclable materials
 are disposed of as solid
 waste

 Materials are not always
 accounted for and can be
 allowed to expire

 Boaters must haul wastes
 up hill and pay fee
much as possible

Wringer system to recover oil
and allow reuse of rags

Use ofpropylene glycol instead
of ethylene glycol
Alternative solvent, such as
various DuPont® solvents
Encourage recycling, allow civic
groups to collect recyclables,
provide bins

Ensure adequate recordkeeping,
allow unneeded chemicals to be
distributed

Put sewer hookups near boats,
recoup fee in a less
direct method
Reduces use of virgin
materials

Reduces amount of
oil and rags consumed

Much lower toxicity
                                                                                      Reduced VOC emissions
Reduced solid waste
generation


Reduced solid and
hazardous waste
generation

Reduce unsanitary
waste disposal

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This Project Summary was authored by the staff of TRC Environmental
  Corporation, Chapel Hilt, NC, 26514.
Theresa Hoagland Is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
This Summary covers research documented in three separate reports:
   (1)  "Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment United States Army
       Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh Engineer Warehouse and Repair Station
       andEmsworth Locks and Dams, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania," (Order No.
       PB95-260261; Cost: $19.50, subject to change).
   (2)  "Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment of the United States
       Army Corps of Engineers Garrison Dam Hydroelectric Powerplant,
       Riverdale, North Dakota," (Order No. PB95-260253; Cost $27.00,

    (3) "Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment at the U.S. Army Corps
       of Engineers John H.Kerr Dam and Reservoir, Boydton, Virginia,"
       (Order No. PB95-260246; Cost: $17.50, subject to change).
 The above reports will be available only from:
         National Technical Information Service
         5285 Port Royal Road
         Spring field, VA 22161
         Telephone: 703-487-4650
 The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
         National Risk Management Research Laboratory
         U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
         Cincinnati, OH 45268
    United States
    Environmental Protection Agency
    Center for Environmental Research Information
    Cincinnati, OH 45268

    Official Business
    Penalty for Private Use
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