United States Environmental Protection Agency Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory Cincinnati, OH 45268 Research and Development EPA/600/SR-95/061 April 1995 vvEPA Project Summary Pollution Prevention Research Within the Federal Community N. T. Hoagland, J. S. Bridges, and TRC Environmental Corporation This project summary describes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal Sites (WREAFS) program to support pollution prevention (P2) re- search throughout the Federal commu- nity, and the current status on all projects as of September 1994 is given. Under the WREAFS program, new tech- niques and technologies for reducing waste generation are identified through joint research, development, and dem- onstration (RD&D) projects. The WREAFS program has cooperatively supported pollution prevention projects at facilities within 10 of the Federal Government's major departments, agencies, or offices. The full report de- scribes each WREAFS project com- pleted as of September 1994 and provides brief synopses of projects on- going or completed from September 1994 to March 1995. This Project Summary was developed by EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering 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 Since 1988, the EPA's Office of Re- search and Development, Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) in Cincin- nati, OH, has conducted P2 opportunity assessments (PPOAs) and technology evaluations or demonstrations, or both at Federal facilities through its WREAFS pro- gram. The WREAFS program identifies new technologies and techniques for reducing wastes from industrial and other processes performed by Federal agencies and en- hances the adoption of P2 through tech- nology transfer. Under the WREAFS Program, new techniques and technolo- gies for reducing waste generation are identified through RD&D projects. The full report describes each project conducted under the WREAFS program with a brief description of the facility, the processes addressed, P2 options identi- fied, needed research, and the status of implementation of the recommended op- tions (as of September 1994). Completed Pollution Prevention Projects From its inception to September 1994, the WREAFS program completed 18 joint efforts: Department of Defense (8); De- partment of Veteran's Affairs (1); Depart- ment of Transportation (2); Department of Energy (1); Department of Agriculture (1); Department of Interior (1); U.S. Postal Ser- vice (1); White House Complex (1); De- partment of Treasury (1) and a multiple-project interagency effort involv- ing the EPA, Air Force, Army, Navy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration. Many of the WREAFS projects for the Departments of Defense and Energy were funded under the Stra- tegic Environmental Research and Devel- opment Program (SERDP). Other projects were funded by the Federal agency or EPA or both. These projects identified the processes and waste streams and then identified re- ------- search opportunities to implement P2 for a range of military and industrial opera- tions including metal cleaning, solvent degreasing, spray painting, vehicle and battery repair, ship bilge cleaning, torpedo overhaul, buoy restoration, lens grinding, hospital operations, laboratory analysis, and mail processing. Over 130 recommended P2 options have been identified as a result of these project, and these options can be readily adapted to similar processes used by other Federal facilities or by the private sector. Table 1 illustrates some of the sites, pro- cesses, and waste streams addressed in the WREAFS program. Each project is discussed in more detail in the full report. In addition to the completed WREAFS projects, several new projects are under- way or have been completed since Sep- tember 1994. These are summarized in Table 2. Other pollution prevention re- search projects involving Federal agen- cies are shown in Table 3. Conclusions A number of WREAFS RD&D projects are completed and a number of efforts are ongoing. Perhaps the most important impact, however, will come from any re- sulting cultural change brought about by conducing a PPOA or reading an RD&D report. All Federal agencies must take an active role in P2 and set examples for others. The SERDP/WREAFS combina- tion is an excellent illustration of the op- portunities available for Federal agencies to wisely use funding and manpower to attain the goal of pollution prevention. The full report was submitted in partial fulfillment of contract number 68-D2-0181 by TRC Environmental, Inc. under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency. ------- Table 1. Waste Reduction Evaluation At Federal Sites (WREAFS) Site Process Summary of Completed Projects1 Waste Streams Sample P2 Options Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport Div Tinker AFB Scott AFB AF Plant #6 Ft. Riley Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center Painting, derusting Design, test, maintain torpedoes Repair, maintenance Aircraft maintenance, printed circuit board manufacture Steel, aluminum parts preparation Battery repair, auto sub- assembly rebuilding Eyeglass lens manufacturing Paint solids, citric acid, TEA Waste Otto fuel II, oil, plating baths, paint, solvents, acids, pesticides, dye, detergent, chromate and cyanide salts CFCs, solvents, plating baths Penetrant, emulsion, developer, solvents, paint solids, VOCs, reducing agents TCE Battery acid, chromium and lead contaminated wastewater Solvents, glass fines, lead- bearing blocking compound, rinse water Training, dragout reduction, 2-stage rinsing Disposable cuffs, automated fuel tank draining, modify draining schedule, spent solvents recover/reuse Brush plating, MEK substitute, MEK recovery/reuse Alternate bath replacement, dry silica developer, plastic blasting media, dry paint booth, HVLP guns, substitute reducing agents Substitute water soluble emulsion cleaner for TCE Recycle battery acid, filter and recirculate wastewater Recycle glass fines in ceramics, substitute non-lead blocking alloy, filter wastewater VA Cm-Fort Thomas Medical Center USCG Support Center New York USCG Base Ketchikan DOE Sandia National Laboratories USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center DOI Bureau of Mines Albany Research Center Hospital operations Buoy and vessel maintenance and refurbishment Aids to navigation and vessel maintenance Geotech analysis, printed circuit boards made and repaired Agricultural research Metals and minerals research Disposable supplies Paint, contaminated blasting media, solvents Blasting wastes, solvents, waste paint, oil, bilge, coolant/antifreeze Solvent, lab trash, rinse water, lead scraps, potting compound wastes Hazardous wastes, acid, base wastes, solvents Solvents, combustibles, lead contaminated concrete, lab wastes Reuse disposables, substitute nondisposables HVLP paint guns, plastic blasting media, solvent recovery/reuse Nontoxic paint, floor collector, plastic blasting media, HVLP guns, solvent recycling, solvent substitution, filtration Test rinse water, eliminate steps, use both ends of swabs, eliminate sample bags Training, waste segregation, equipment/process mods, auto nitrogen analysis, less solvent in HPLC Inventory control, mod research design, distill and reuse solvents USPS Buffalo GMFand VMF White House Complex TIPPP (Ft Eustis, LangleyAFB, NASA Langley Research Ctr Naval Base Norfolk) NASA Langley Photo Labs General mail facility and vehicle maintenance Paint shop, grounds main- tenance, HVAC, office operations. All types of base and community functions Photoprocessing and X-ray operations Paper, plastic, oil, adhesives, paints, cafeteria wastes, cleaners, solvents Solvents, paint, paper, water use Chemical materials, land mgt, depainting, solvents, metal working, electroplating, solid and painting wastes Developers, fixers, bleaches, silver-bearing wastes, scrap film, photo paper Reusable containers, inventory, reusable food service materials, low VOC paints, aqueous cleaners Reduce/recycle solvents, exterior paint, moisture sensor, HVAC water recycler, use recycled paper Inventory control and tracking, pesticide mgt, product sub, waste segregation, equip/process modification One print per negative, electrolytic silver recovery with recovery cartridges ' The Department of Treasury project is not included. ------- Table 2. Summary of WREAFS Projects Ongoing or Completed after September 1994 Project Description Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity (NOSTRA) Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, FL U.S. Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) Fort Eustis Army Transportation Center U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Air Training Center, Mobile, AL USCG Technology Assessments DOE LCA Design Case Studies DOE LCA Research and Development Demonstration Bureau of Indian Affairs USPS Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessments EPA, with technical support from NOSTRA, worked with the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) and its member companies to reduce or eliminate process wastes such as MEK, acetone, methanol, toluene, xylene, TCE, and TCA. The technical evaluation was funded by the EPA's RREL. The results of the evaluation will be published in a journal article. Through the Naval Facilities Engineering Services Center (NFESC), implementation of fluid filtration, recovery, and reuse technologies and rag-use reduction techniques were evaluated for application to the Public Works Operations. Using the data from the PPOAs conducted at the OC-ALC, a lessons learned document has been developed for aircraft repair P2 assessments and demonstrations. The project was funded under SERDP. PPOAs were conducted at four USAGE facilities as models for future assessments at similar types of Corps facilities. The facilities included in the assessment were: a hydropower plant, a repair station, an operational lock and dam (with ongoing major maintenance occurring within the lock chamber), and a flood control project. The project was funded under SERDP. Under the TIPPP program, Fort Eustis has completed a base-wide P2 program plan, which identified a need to evaluate and upgrade painting, depainting, and corrosion control operations. Several improvements have been implemented. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of painting and depainting operations is being conducted, beginning with an inventory analysis of improved chemical agent resistant coating (CARC) painting and depainting operations to determine the resources used and environmental releases. An impact analysis will determine the environmental consequences associated with CARC operations, including corrosion control techniques. By evaluating the environmental consequences, the improvement analysis will identify opportunities which will be implemented and evaluated on-site. The project is being funded under SERDP. Joint assessments were conducted for P2 options in aircraft maintenance, aircraft fueling, flight simulators, and aircraft cleaning. This project was funded by EPA-RREL. A study was conducted to provide guidance for the USCG in choosing cost-effective parts cleaning chemicals that have minimum environmental and safety impacts. The three bases chosen for this study were: Aviation Training Center (ATC) Mobile, AL; Air Station Cape Cod (ASCC), Falmouth, MA; and Support Center NY (SCNY), Governors Island, NY. The project was jointly funded by USCG and EPA-RREL. As a follow-on to the joint Life Cycle Assessment Research and Development (LCA RD&D), cross-cutting pollution prevention technologies and methodologies at DOE laboratories are being developed and demonstrated. The project is jointly funded by SERDP and DOE. This will build on current DOE/EPA LCA work, which is developing a technical framework, Life Cycle Cost Assess- ment (LCCA) to be included within a life cycle assessment. This project will take the framework to the next phase of demonstration allowing for further development and refinement of DOE products and processes. The project will be jointly funded by SERDP and EPA-RREL. Based in part on the work being done by tribal pueblos, a Pollution Prevention Resource Guide and workshop will be developed to provide technical assistance on source reduction to Indian tribes and businesses operating on Indian lands. The project will be funded by RREL. PPOAs are being conducted at six types of postal facilities, including an engineering and research development center; a stamp distribution center; a bulk mail facility; an area supply depot; a forensics laboratory; and customer service centers (small, medium, and large post offices). The recommendations should have applicability to other similar postal facilities throughout the United States. Also, an evaluation was conducted for recycling opportunities between the USPS and Federal Prison Industries. The project is jointly funded by USPS and EPA-RREL. Tech- nology transfer will be in the form of project reports and an implementation workshop. ------- Table 2. (continued) Project Description Office of Federal Facility To assist Federal managers in reducing waste generation and emission rates in order to meet compliance objectives Enforcement (OFFE) - F2P2 by using P2 tools, a manual was produced by the WREAFS program titled, "Federal Facilities Pollution Prevention— Manual Tools for Compliance." The project was jointly funded by EPA-RREL and EPA-FFEO. Office of Federal Facility In a project jointly funded by FFEO and RREL, RREL is providing support to EPA Regions in developing Pollution Enforcement (OFFE) - Prevention Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPS) under the Federal Facilities Multi-Media Enforcement/ FMECI Support Compliance Initiative (FMECI). As requested, RREL will provide P2 solutions for violations and other identified areas of noncompliance at Federal sites. The first P2 SEP developed under this program was at Eielson Air Force Base. NASA Langley Research In performing its mission, LaRC develops composite materials for use in subsonic and supersonic aircraft applica Center - Dry Powder Towpreg tions. LaRC developed a new dry powder towpreg process to manufacture these composite materials. The process is a less hazardous way to impregnate carbon fibers with dry powder resin (towpreg) by using powdered polymers to coat fibers. The TIPPP project is demonstrating this innovative P2 technology and conducting a life-cycle analysis of its energy and environmental impacts. Final products are being compared with commercially produced products to determine comparable performance characteristics. The project is jointly funded by EPA and NASA. NASA Langley Research Under TIPPP, a base-wide assessment of NASA-LaRC operations was conducted and a Pollution Prevention Center - Pollution Prevention Program Plan for the facility was developed under the WREAFS program. WREAFS continues to support the Program Implementation implementation of selected projects from the Pollution Prevention Program Plan. ------- This Summary was authored by N. T. Hoagland, and J. S. Bridges with the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268, and staff of TRC Environmental Corporation, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. N. T. Hoagland is the EPA Project Officer (see below). The complete report, entitled "Pollution Prevention Research Within the Federal Community," (OrderNo. PB95-209623; Cost: $27.00, subject to change) will be available only from: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA22161 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 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 BULK RATE POSTAGE & FEES PAID EPA PERMIT No. G-35 EPA/600/SR-95/061 ------- |