POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH
STRATEGIC PLAN
Draft Report
March 1991
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
Printed on Recycled Piper
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1-1
Background 1-1
What is Pollution Prevention? 1-1
The Pollution Prevention Act 1-3
EPA's Pollution Prevention Initiative 1-5
The SAB's Reducing Risk Report 1-6
EPA's Pollution Prevention Strategy 1-10
Pollution Prevention Research 1-13
Pollution Prevention Research Plan Report to Congress 1-14
Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan 1-17
Overview of the Research Strategic Plan 1-18
2. PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES 2-1
Risk-Based Evaluation of Environmental Problems 2-1
Comparative Assessment of Environmental Problems 2-1
Selection of Priority Environmental Problems 2-3
Identification of Priority Research Issues for the
Strategic Plan 2-4
Prioritization of the Research Approaches 2-7
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Pollution Prevention Efforts 2-8
Measuring Pollution Prevention at the Organization Level 2-9
Measuring Pollution Prevention at the National Level 2-10
Research Needs for Measurement and Evaluation of
Pollution Prevention Efforts 2-10
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
3. STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN 3-1
Pollution Prevention Research Areas 3-1
Product Research 3-1
Process Research 3-3
Recycling/Reuse Research 3-5
Socioeconomic and Institutional Research 3-5
Anticipatory Research 3-8
Technology Transfer/Technical Assistance 3-10
4. PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH 4-1
Indoor Air Pollutants 4-12
Criteria Air Pollutants 4-19
Ozone Depleting Substances — Halons 4-27
Ozone Depleting Substances — Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 4-34
Greenhouse Gases/Global Climate Change 4-39
Toxic Air Pollutants 4-47
Pesticides Application 4-56
Nonpoint Source Water Discharges 4-63
Hazardous Waste 4-69
Production, Use, and Disposal of Consumer Products 4-76
Municipal Solid Waste 4-84
5. ONGOING RESEARCH ACTTVITIES 5-1
Pollution Prevention Research Projects 5-7
2% Set-Aside Pollution Prevention Projects 5-78
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POLLUTION PREVENTION STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
During the past two decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made
considerable progress in improving environmental quality, but these efforts have focused largely on
treating and controlling pollutants that have already been generated. EPA's "end-of-the-pipe"
approaches have achieved significant reductions in the discharge of pollutants, but additional gains
in treatment and control will, in most cases, be much more costly and difficult to achieve. The U.S.
currently spends nearly $115 billion each year (about 2 percent of the U.S. gross national product)
on environmental protection. Although this amount has been increasing, national environmental
pollution control expenditures are just one-third of the amount spent on national defense, one-third
of the cost of medical care, and one-fifth of the cost for housing. Despite the increasing
expenditures for pollution control, many environmental problems remain and complex new problems
have arisen that pose serious environmental and health risks. Many of the problems we now face are
not amenable to the end-of-the-pipe treatment approaches that we have used in the past. The old
tools in the environmental toolkit are no longer adequate to address these problems. We need creative
new strategies for reducing environmental risk. Further strides in protecting the environment will
require preventing problems by reducing or eliminating the generation of pollutants in the first place.
Pollution prevention holds the key to future gains in environmental protection.
What is Pollution Prevention?
Pollution prevention is, very simply, any activity undertaken to reduce or eliminate pollution
or waste or to reduce its toxicity. It involves the use of processes, practices, or products that reduce
or eliminate the generation of pollutants and wastes, or that protect natural resources through
conservation or more efficient utilization. The application of pollution prevention techniques varies
depending on the economic sector in which they are used. For example, there are three basic
approaches to preventing pollution in the manufacturing sector
may substitute non-toxic for toxic feedstocks in making a product.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
• £haneine processes to reduce the amount and toxicitv of waste generated. The production
process may be altered to reduce the volume of materials released to the environment and/or
the toxicity of these materials; in addition to avoiding waste management costs, these
changes often improve efficiency by reducing raw material losses and conserving water.
Process changes may include equipment modifications or less expensive maintenance and
housekeeping measures, as well as in-process, closed-loop recycling that returns waste
materials directly to production as raw materials.
• Chontinf outputs to reduce reliance on toxic or environmentally harmful products. The
manufacturers or users of products may switch to non-toxic (or less toxic) or less polluting
substitutes.
In the agricultural sector, pollution may be prevented by developing and adopting low input
sustainable agricultural practices that eliminate the wasteful use of inputs^ such as water, fertilizers,
and pesticides. In addition, soil conservation and land management practices that prevent sediment
erosion and the runoff of pesticides and fertilizers also prevent pollution. In the energy and
transportation sectors, pollution from energy consumption can be prevented by increasing efficiency
to reduce the generation of pollutants associated with extraction, refining, and use of fuels; and by
increasing reliance on clean, renewable energy sources or alternative, less polluting fuels.
While recycling (other than closed loop processes), reuse, and reclamation are not included in
the Agency's definition of pollution prevention, EPA recognizes the important role they play in
reducing the amount of waste generated that requires subsequent treatment and disposal. The Office
of Solid Waste (OSW) in its The Solid Waste Dilemma: An Agenda for Action, published in February
1989, established a national goal of 25 percent source reduction and recycling by the end of 1992.
The Agenda for Action also identified activities that EPA could undertake to facilitate achievement
of this goal and the objectives outlined in the Agenda. OSW is currently updating the Agenda with
a report entitled, The Solid Waste Dilemma: Solutions for the 90's, which addresses the progress that
the Agency has made since setting the agenda and future plans for furthering this progress. The
update focuses on the issues and needs concerning the solid waste problem and activities that can be
undertaken by federal, state, and local governments, industry, manufacturers, distributors, retailers,
citizens, and public interest groups to achieve the national goal for source reduction and recycling.
In a 1988 report to EPA entitled, Future Risk: Research Strategies for the 1990s, the Science
Advisory Board (SAB) recommended that prevention or reduction of environmental risk should be
a primary long-term goal for the Agency. The report advised EPA to shift the focus of its
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CHAPTER I-1NTRODUCTION
environmental protection strategy from "end-of-pipe" treatment to preventing pollution. The SAB
defined a hierarchy for risk reduction research to help in setting priorities and in achieving the
Agency's overall goal of protecting human health and the environment. The hierarchy clearly
indicates that pollution prevention should consistently be the first option for reducing risks. In
addition, the SAB recommended that EPA plan, implement, and sustain a long-term research
program to support the new strategy of preventing pollution.
Recognizing the importance of pollution prevention in furthering the Agency's progress in
protecting human health and the environment, EPA established the Pollution Prevention Office (PPO)
in the Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation in 1988. The PPO is charged with promoting an
integrated environmental ethic stressing the prevention of pollution. This office is the focal point
for the Agency's pollution prevention activities and a major impetus behind an integrated, cross-
media approach to pollution prevention.
On January 26, 1989, EPA published a proposed policy statement that established pollution
prevention as the Agency's preferred approach for protecting human health and the environment.
EPA has already begun to incorporate this policy into the Agency's decision processes. For example,
the Agency has established a comprehensive four-year strategic planning process as a means of
integrating important pollution prevention policy themes into how the Agency conducts its business.
Strategic planning will allow EPA to give more deliberate attention to pollution prevention in key
research and budgeting decisions.
The Pollution Prevention Act
The American public has become increasingly aware of the potential health and environmental
risks associated with pollution. The information reporting requirements of Title in of the Superf und
Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) have made the public more aware of the massive
amounts of pollution that are released by industry each year. Congress, recognizing the public's
growing concern and the importance of preventing further damage to the environment, drafted
legislation that established a national pollution prevention policy in the U.S.
On October 27, 1990, Congress passed the Pollution Prevention Act. Enactment of this
legislation will strengthen and accelerate efforts to promote pollution prevention throughout the
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Nation. The Act declares the national policy of the United States to be that pollution should be
prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible; and it establishes source reduction as the first
priority in the pollution prevention hierarchy, followed by recycling, treatment, and proper disposal.
Source reduction, as defined in the Act, is any "practice which reduces the amount of any hazardous
substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the
environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal; and reduces the hazards to public health and
the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants."
The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 requires EPA to establish an office, independent of the
media offices, to carry out its functions under this Act, and develop and implement a strategy to
promote pollution prevention within the public and private sectors. As part of the strategy, the EPA
Administrator will
• Coordinate pollution prevention activities in each Agency office and promote similar
practices in other federal agencies and industry.
• Establish standard methods for measuring source reduction; and develop, test, and
disseminate model source reduction auditing procedures.
• Establish a training program on pollution prevention opportunities.
• Make recommendations to Congress to eliminate barriers to pollution prevention and
identify opportunities to use federal procurement to encourage source reduction.
• Establish a source reduction clearinghouse containing information on management,
technical, and operational approaches to source reduction; and develop improved methods
for providing public access to data collected under federal environmental statutes.
• Establish an advisory panel of technical experts to advise the EPA Administrator on ways
to improve the collection and dissemination of data.
• Provide grants to states for programs to promote pollution prevention by local businesses.
• Identify research needs relating to pollution prevention and set priorities for research to
target the most promising opportunities for source reduction.
The Act also requires facilities reporting under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) provisions
of Section 313 of SARA to provide information on pollution prevention and recycling activities with
each annual filing.
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>\2snim;ion,D.C. 20460 CHAPTER I-INTRODUCTION
(202)382-3041 ^^
ollution Preven
Even before the Pollution Prevention Act was passed, EPA started work on establishing an
Agencywide pollution prevention program and had initiated concurrent strategic planning efforts to
assist the Agency in developing, implementing, and prioritizing various components of this program.
As part of these planning efforts, EPA has recently prepared several reports that are intended to
focus EPA's environmental protection efforts on reducing risk by targeting priority environmental
problems and pollution prevention approaches to address these problems.
One of these reports, Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental
Protection, was published in September 1990. It was prepared by the Science Advisory Board (SAB)
at the request of EPA Administrator William Reilly. This report, together with its three appendices
pertaining to ecological and welfare risks, human health risks, and strategic options for reducing
risks, respectively, identifies steps that EPA could take to improve the Agency's efforts in reducing
the risks associated with priority environmental problems. The SAB recommended that EPA take
the necessary steps to ensure that the nation used all of the tools at its disposal in an integrated,
targeted approach to protecting human health, welfare, and the ecosystem.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pollution Prevention Strategy prepared by PPO was
released in January 1991. This document presents EPA's blueprint for an integrated, Agencywide,
cross-media strategy for pollution prevention. The Pollution Prevention Strategy is designed to
serve two purposes— (1) to provide guidance and direction for efforts to incorporate pollution
prevention within EPA's existing regulatory and non-regulatory programs, and (2) to set forth a
program that will achieve specific objectives in pollution prevention within a reasonable timeframe.
Both the Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection and the
Pollution Prevention Strategy helped shape and define the strategic plan for pollution prevention
research presented in this report. ORD's Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan is congruous
with the strategies and approaches recommended in these reports which are briefly described below.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
The SAB's Reducing Riyk Report
Shortly after he took office in early 1989, EPA Administrator William Reilly asked the SAB to
review EPA's 1987 report on relative environmental risk—Unfinished Business: A Comparative
Assessment of Environmental Problems—to advise him broadly on new directions for reduction of
environmental risks. The results of the SAB's review were published in Reducing Risk: Setting
Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection. The purpose of the SAB review was to
evaluate the relative risks posed by different environmental problems based on the best possible
technical and scientific knowledge available. The SAB was also charged with identifying options to
reduce those risks.
To accomplish this, the SAB established a special committee, the Relative Risk Reduction
Strategies Committee. The charge to the Committee was to:
• Provide a critical review of the report, Unfinished Business: A Comparative Assessment of
Environmental Problems, that reflects any significant new information that bears on the
evaluation of the risks associated with specific environmental problems.
• Provide, to the extent possible, merged evaluations of cancer and non-cancer risks (i.e.,
health risks) and ecological and welfare risks (i.e., environmental risks).
• Provide optional strategies for reducing the major risks.
• Develop a long-term strategy for improving the methodology for assessing and ranking risks
to human health and the environment and for assessing the alternative approaches for
reducing risks.
The Committee generally agreed with the priority rankings of the 31 environmental problems
included in Unfinished Business. In view of time and resource constraints, the Strategic Options
Subcommittee of the Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee decided that it could not develop
risk reduction options for all 31 problems. Initially, 10 problems—those posing the greatest health
and ecological risk according to Unfinished Business rankings—were selected for analysis. One of
these problems, worker exposure to toxic chemicals, was later dropped without the Subcommittee
making judgments about risks and strategy options. Two additional problems were selected by the
Subcommittee—hazardous waste and municipal solid waste—to include problems from another
environmental medium and because of the large amounts of resources and the public interest devoted
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CHAPTER 1-1NTRODUCTION
to them. Two more problems--habitat alteration and wetlands—were added after it became apparent
that the Ecological and Welfare Subcommittee of the Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee
was likely to rank them as particularly important. The resulting list of 13 problems analyzed by the
Subcommittee is presented in Exhibit i along with the top 10 priority problems from Unfinished
Business.
The Reducing Risk report recommended that EPA target its environmental protection efforts
on the basis of opportunities for the greatest risk reduction. It also recommended that EPA
emphasize pollution prevention as the preferred option for reducing environmental risks over the
long term:
"A fundamental restructuring of the way the Agency approaches risk reduction is in
order; the Agency's primary focus should be to prevent the creation of risks, as opposed
to trying to control such risks once created."
The SAB cited seven reasons for focusing on pollution prevention to reduce risk:
• For some environmental problems, such as stratospheric ozone depletion and global climate
change, pollution prevention is the only solution.
• Pollution prevention is often the most effective solution. For instance, in the case of lead,
asbestos, PCBs, and certain pesticides, the most effective solution has been to ban their use.
• There can be a tremendous cost benefit for pollution prevention in terms of avoiding costs
of control, cleanup, and liability; and in terms of decreasing costs by increasing efficiency
and productivity.
• Pollution prevention is the key to sustainable development. In many areas, the U.S. is
approaching or even exceeding the capacity of the environment to absorb pollutants. It is
clear that economic and industrial strategies for the future that minimize pollution and the
consumption of resources are more likely to be sustainable.
• Pollution prevention often prevents the solution to one environmental problem from re-
emerging as another kind of environmental problem in another medium, sometime in the
future or in another place.
• Pollution prevention can help improve international relations in two ways—first, it can
help developing countries avoid the environmental problems that we had in the U.S. by
moving directly to low polluting, low waste technology; second, because it reduces the
worldwide impact of U.S. generation of pollution and consumption of resources.
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EXHIBIT 1
PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
PROBLEMS TARGETED BY THE SAB RELATIVE
RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES COMMITTEE
• Criteria Air Pollutants
• Radon
* Ozone Depleting Substances
• Nonpoint Source Discharges
• Estuaries and Coastal Waters
• Hazardous Waste/Toxics
• Pesticides
• Toxic Air Pollutants
• Indoor Air Pollution
• CO2 and Global Warming
• Wetlands
• Habitat Alteration
• Municipal Solid Waste
00
TOP RANKED PROBLEMS IN UNFINISHED BUSINESS
• Criteria Air Pollutants
• Radon
• Ozone Depleting Substances
• Nonpoint Source Discharges
• Estuaries and Coastal Waters
Pesticides
Toxic Air Pollutants
Indoor Air Pollution
CO2 and Global Warming
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
EPA's Pollution Prevention Strategy
EPA recognized that a clear and coordinated federal strategy for pollution prevention was
needed to remove obstacles to preventing pollution and to foster preventive initiatives in the future.
EPA believes that its environmental protection goals will be best served in the long run by a
comprehensive pollution prevention strategy that proposes roles for industry, agriculture, the energy
and transportation sectors, the American public, and the international community. The PPO has
recently prepared such a strategy. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pollution Prevention
Strategy reflects EPA's belief that for pollution prevention to succeed, it must be a central part of
the Agency's mission of protecting human health and the environment. One of the goals of the
strategy is to incorporate prevention into every aspect of the Agency's operations in Program and
Regional Offices.
The strategy focuses on cooperative efforts between EPA, industry, and state and local
governments, as well as other departments and agencies such as the Departments of Energy,
Transportation, and Agriculture to forge specific initiatives which address key environmental threats.
For each sector, EPA will target projects which offer the potential to achieve specific reductions of
emissions which pose a significant risk to human health or the environment. For example, the
Industrial Toxics Project outlined in the strategy, targets high risk chemicals in the manufacturing
sector that offer opportunities for prevention. This project focuses on reducing the environmental
releases of 17 high-priority toxic pollutants (see Exhibit 2). Over a billion pounds of these chemicals
are released into the environment each year. The Industrial Toxics Project involves the development
of focused prevention strategies for each of the 17 chemicals and sets a voluntary goal of reducing
total environmental releases of these chemicals by 33 percent by the end of 1992, and at least SO
percent by the end of 1995. EPA has developed this list of targeted chemicals, drawn from
recommendations by Program Offices, based upon five criteria—(I) high levels of emissions, (2)
technical or economic opportunities for pollution prevention, (3) potential for health and ecological
risk, (4) potential for multiple exposures or cross-media contamination, and (5) limitations of
treatment technologies. Most of the 17 pollutants targeted by the Pollution Prevention Strategy are
slated for even greater regulatory controls under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, but the
controls would not go into effect until 1995.
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CHAPTER I-USTRODUCTION
Pollution prevention protects the natural resources on the planet for future generations by
reducing the amount of destruction caused by excessive pollution and slowing the depletion
of resources.
From their study of the 13 priority environmental problems, the SAB Subcommittee identified
a substantial number of strategy options which involve pollution prevention approaches. Upon
reviewing these options the Subcommittee identified several cross-cutting themes:
• EPA's pollution prevention program should be directed broadly to address products and
many productive sectors, not just industrial production processes. EPA should promote
pollution prevention in all sectors, from manufacturing to agriculture to construction.
• EPA and other federal agencies should go beyond problem-by-problem pollution prevention
to focus on comprehensive multiproblem solutions, such as toxics use reduction, energy
efficiency and conservation, and on altering specific technologies of production or products
which contribute to multiple problems, such as the automobile.
• Federal agencies should identify and eliminate standards, subsidies, activities or approvals
that promote polluting or damaging activities or technologies, and instead promote non-
polluting activities, technologies, and products, through incentives, research, technical
assistance, procurement, and other means.
• EPA should actively work with representatives of many interests to promote better
understanding of pollution prevention. Collaborative research, education, and technology
development and transfer with industry, state agencies, organized labor, and public interest
groups should be considered.
• Community right-to-know and other related programs should be given special attention and
possibly expanded. These possibilities include having more producers and users of toxic
chemicals and pesticides report publicly on such production and usage.
• In the long run, economic incentives and disincentives need to promote pollution prevention.
Energy policy should encourage conservation, tax policy should encourage recycling and
reuse, etc.
The environmental problems identified in the Subcommittee's report were used as input for
selection of the environmental problems on which to focus the pollution prevention research strategy.
Nine of the 10 environmental problems targeted in this strategic plan were included in the
Subcommittee's report. The pollution prevention strategic options proposed by the Subcommittee
provided background material for identifying research and information needs that must be addressed
to implement some of the options. In addition, the cross-cutting themes for pollution prevention
identified in the SAB report were used to help shape the research program outlined in Chapter 4 of
this strategic plan.
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EXHIBIT 2
PRIORITY CHEMICALS TARGETED IN THE INDUSTRIAL TOXICS PROJECT
OF THE POLLUTION PREVENTION STRATEGY
HIGH-PRIORITY CHEMICALS TARGETED IN THE INDUSTRIAL TOXICS PROJECT
Benzene
Cadmium
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chloroform
Chromium
Cyanide
Dichloromethane
Lead
Mercury
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Methyl Isobutyl Ketone
Nickel
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
Trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Xylene
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
EPA is seeking voluntary, measurable commitments from major industrial sources of these
contaminants to reduce environmental releases through prevention. Beginning in early 1991, EPA
sent letters to 600 corporate polluters asking them to help achieve the Agency's goal of substantially
reducing releases of the 17 chemicals over the next four years. EPA asked these companies to make
commitments to the project and to develop prevention plans to carry them out. EPA will rely on
data from the TRI to track reductions in releases of targeted contaminants from industrial facilities,
and will develop more appropriate indicators for sources not covered by the TRI.
The Industrial Toxics Project is only the first step. EPA recognizes that there are abundant
opportunities to promote pollution prevention in other sectors, such as agriculture, energy,
transportation, municipal water and wastewater, and EPA is working with other federal agencies
to develop specific strategies for these sectors.
Specific targets will be modified if subsequent detailed analyses suggest economic or technical
obstacles to prevention, or point to more promising alternative opportunities. Where applicable, the
TRI data will be used to identify industrial sources of targeted contaminants from manufacturing
facilities, and geographic regions where releases are particularly high. Specific projects in the
agricultural sector will be directed to regions experiencing groundwater, surface water, or ecosystem
impacts due to farming practices; and projects in the energy sector will focus on efficiency and
conservation.
The targeting exercise offers the benefit of focusing scarce federal dollars on key problems with
a significant potential for payoff. At the same time, it will provide EPA with a solid base of
practical experience from which pollution prevention can be expanded throughout the Agency. The
strategy also addresses the institutional biases resulting from the single-media focus of EPA's
programs by forming cross-media work groups organized around specific contaminants or their
sources. These work groups will be charged with developing multimedia strategies that reduce the
release of targeted contaminants to the total ecosystem, rather than arrange for their temporary
transfer from one part to another. The Pollution Prevention Office will be charged with providing
analyses and supporting data to assist in the development of these work group strategies.
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CHAPTER 1-EVTRODUCTION
In the long run, EPA hopes to promote a "cultural change" both within the Agency and
throughout society, in which pollution prevention will be woven into the fabric of public programs
and private activities. In the short term, the strategy provides a methodology for selecting targets
of opportunity based on one or more criteria, including: (1) risk to human health and the
environment, (2) technical or economic potential for prevention, (3) lack of adequate treatment
capacity, (4) threats to attainment of environmental standards for air or water, and (5) problems that
persist across more than one media or economic sector.
The Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan presented in this report utilizes an approach
similar to that of the Pollution Prevention Strategy by focusing the pollution prevention research
program on targeted priority environmental problems. Similar to the Pollution Prevention Strategy,
the Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan focuses on eliminating or reducing the sources of
environmental problems. For example, the hazardous waste and toxic air pollutants problems
targeted by the Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan will address issues that affect the
manufacturing sector in a manner analogous to the Industrial Toxics Project. Research on pesticides
and non-point source pollution problems will address issues affecting pollution prevention
opportunities in the agricultural sector; and research focused on criteria air pollutants, greenhouse
gases, ozone depleting substances, and non-point source pollution address important pollution
prevention issues in the energy and transportation sectors.
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH
In 1987, ORD initiated the Waste Minimization Research program designed to encourage the
identification, development, and demonstration of processes and techniques that result in a reduction
or prevention of pollution. In 1989, ORD significantly expanded its pollution prevention research
efforts to support the Agency's pollution prevention policy and in response to recommendations by
the SAB. ORD's overall plan for expanding the Agency's pollution prevention research program
was described in a Report to Congress published in March 1990.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Pollution Prevention Research Plan; Report to Congress
The Pollution Prevention Research Plan: Report to Congress is a three-year plan that addresses
the critical research elements needed to support an Agencywide multimedia pollution prevention
initiative. This plan described a comprehensive program that includes both technological and non-
technological research to address a broad range of pollution prevention issues. Preparation of the
Pollution Prevention Research Plan was the first step in developing the research component of EPA's
pollution prevention initiative.
The report to Congress was founded on the premise that pollution prevention should be a
guiding principle for all environmental protection efforts and general human activities. We have
learned that it can be enormously costly to clean up and dispose of pollutants after they have been
generated. End-of-pipe controls and waste disposal should be the last line of defense, rather than
the front line. Preventing pollution at the source offers great environmental and health benefits, and
is almost certain to be the most economical approach in the long run.
The report to Congress identified six fundamental goals for the pollution prevention research
program:
Stimulate the development and use of products that result in reduced pollution—research
is needed on methods for conducting product assessments and identifying pollution
prevention opportunities, development and use of less polluting products, and the impacts
of products on the environment at each stage of their life cycle.
Stimulate the development and Implementation of technologies and processes that result
in redt|ced polluting—research is needed to identify and evaluate those aspects of
production, use, maintenance, repair, and disposal processes that generate pollutants and
waste. Research is also needed to assess pollution prevention opportunities, to develop less
polluting processes, and to transfer these techniques to other industries.
Expand the reusability and recvclabiHtv of wastes and products and the demand for
recycled materials—research is needed on ways to improve the reusability and recyclability
of wastes and products and to increase the capacity and demand for recycled materials in
production processes.
Identify and promote the implementation of effective socioeconomic and institutional
approaches to pollution prevention--research is needed to understand the socioeconomic
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CHAPTER 1-INTRODUCTION
and institutional factors that motivate behavior and foster changes in behavior, as they relate
to incentives for adopting pollution prevention techniques; and the impact of these factors
on the effectiveness of pollution prevention programs.
Establish a program of research that will anticipate and address future environmental
problems and pollution prevention opportunities—research is needed to assist EPA in
anticipating and responding to emerging environmental issues and in evaluating new
technologies that may significantly alter the status of pollution prevention programs in the
future.
Conduct a vigorous technology transfer and technical assistance program that facilitates
pollution prevention strategies and technologies—it is imperative that the results of research
investigations conducted under this program or by industry and academia are communicated
expeditiously to appropriate audiences.
Each of these six goals corresponds to a research area that ORD needed to address in its
comprehensive pollution prevention research program. These areas are summarized in Exhibit 3.
Although recycling (other than closed loop) is not included in the Agency's definition of pollution
prevention, ORD included recycling and reuse in the Pollution Prevention Research Program because
of its importance in minimizing waste that requires subsequent treatment and disposal. The six
research program areas defined in the report to Congress formed the framework of the pollution
prevention component of the Agency's Risk Reduction Core Research Strategy. The Core Research
Strategy focused on research projects designed to generate knowledge essential to all areas of
environmental decision-making, as well as for the immediate regulatory needs of EPA's program
offices.
The report to Congress formed the foundation of EPA's pollution prevention research efforts,
but it did not delineate specific themes for future research efforts and did not define the projects
to be undertaken. The report to Congress provided representative examples of the types of research
projects that EPA expected to conduct, but an implementation strategy was necessary to clearly
delineate themes for future research efforts and projects that could be conducted to achieve the goals
and objectives of the program.
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EXHIBIT 3
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH PLAN
REPORT TO CONGRESS: MARCH 1990
1
GOALS
CLEAN PRODUCTS
Production Life Assessments
Case Studies
Safe Substitutes
CLEAN PROCESSES
• Technology Evaluations
• Waste Minimization
• Demonstrations
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
• Information Clearinghouse
• Technology Transfer Reports
• Technical Assistance
• Conferences
SOCIOECONOMIC
Consumer Preferences
Incentives
Measure Effectiveness
REUSABILITY/RECYCLABILITY
• New Uses
• Expand Markets
• Evaluations
ANTICIPATORY RESEARCH
• New Technology Impacts
• Emerging Resource Uses
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CHAPTER 1-INTRODUCT1ON
Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan
Although the Pollution Prevention Research Plan: Report to Congress identified six research
goals and the six major research programs corresponding to each of the goals, it did not specify the
high priority environmental problems that should be addressed by the pollution prevention research
program, nor the specific research projects to be undertaken. The report to Congress only provided
descriptions of sample projects that were representative of the type of research projects that EPA
expected to conduct. Now that the foundation of the pollution prevention research program has
been laid, the Agency is ready to begin building the framework of the program. The next step in
implementing the pollution prevention research initiative is to prepare a planning document that
clearly delineates specific themes for future pollution prevention research efforts. The Pollution
Prevention Research Strategic Plan is intended to serve as this planning document. It builds on the
foundation laid by the Report to Congress and is intended to serve as the framework for the
Agency's pollution prevention research initiative.
The strategic plan provides the "blue print" for the pollution prevention research program by
focusing the Agency's research efforts on high priority environmental problems and the pollution
prevention research projects that address these problems. By identifying and selecting priority
environmental problems on which to focus the strategic plan, EPA is optimizing the use of limited
resources and increasing the potential for significant impact in reducing the risks associated with
these priority problems. In addition, the Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan bridges the
economic sector approach utilized in the Pollution Prevention Strategy and the source
reduction/recycling approach in OSW's Agenda for Action and the Solutions for the 90's.
In addition to providing a focus for future pollution prevention research efforts, the research
strategy enables the Agency to investigate a variety of tools that could potentially impact more than
one environmental problem, and priority can be given to the research projects that impact multiple
problems. For example, socioeconomic tools such as market incentives could be effective for several
problems including criteria air pollutants, municipal solid waste, and consumer products. In addition,
pollution prevention approaches in one sector can impact a variety of environmental problems. For
example, the manufacturing and use of paints containing toxic solvents can contribute to multiple
1-17
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
environmental problems such as criteria and toxic air pollutants, indoor air pollution, nonpoint source
pollution, hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, and worker/consumer exposure. Therefore, a
project investigating alternate formulations eliminating the toxic solvents could beneficially impact
all of these environmental problems.
Overview of the Research Strategic Man
This Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan identifies 10 high priority environmental
problems that will be used to focus ORD's pollution prevention research efforts over the next five
years (FY 91-95). It describes the various research approaches that will be employed to meet the
research needs associated with the 10 high priority problems. Chapter 2 of the strategic plan
identifies the 10 priority environmental problems targeted in this strategic plan. Chapter 2 also
discusses the process used to identify and prioritize the problems based on the relative risk posed by
those problems and the potential success of reducing the risk through pollution prevention. The
criteria that was used by the work group to select and prioritize the environmental problems are
also outlined in Chapter 2.
Chapter 3 of the strategic plan presents the overall structure of the pollution prevention research
program and briefly describes each of the six research program areas. In addition, the research areas
are prioritized for each targeted environmental problem to quickly identify the most important
research areas to be pursued to address that problem. Chapter 3 also identifies the pollution
prevention research approaches used in each of the research areas to address the priority
environmental problems targeted in the plan.
Chapter 4 describes a proposed research project to address each of the 10 high priority
environmental problem areas: criteria air pollutants, toxic air pollutants, indoor air pollution, ozone
depleting substances, greenhouse gases/global climate change, nonpoint source water discharges,
hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, pesticides application, and the production, use, and disposal
of consumer products. Each research project to address one of the environmental problems includes
a technological research component (product, process, and recycling/reuse), non-technological
1-18
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CHAPTER 1-INTRODUCTION
component (socioeconomic/institutional), and technology transfer component. Some of the projects
include an anticipatory research component.
Chapter 5 discusses current pollution prevention research initiatives that are being performed
or funded by ORD. These project descriptions indicate the progress achieved to date in the pollution
prevention research program; and some of the research projects proposed in this strategic plan are
intended to build on these current research activities. The information reporting requirements of
Title III of SARA have made the public more aware of the massive amounts of pollution that are
released by industry each year. Congress, recognizing the public's growing concern and the
importance of preventing further damage to the environment, passed legislation that established a
national pollution prevention policy in the U.S.
Through the pollution prevention research program and the efforts of the Pollution Prevention
Office and the Office of Solid Waste, EPA is attempting to establish pollution prevention as a
cornerstone of national environmental protection strategies, to communicate the message to all
members of the environmental protection community, and to assist that community in implementing
pollution prevention programs. The Agency recognizes the significant role that pollution prevention
can play in preserving and protecting human health and the environment since it is applicable to a
broad array of environmental problems and can be implemented through a variety of approaches and
tools. Preparation of the Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan, the Pollution Prevention
Strategy, the Agenda for Action, and Solutions for the 90's are important steps in institutionalizing
pollution prevention at EPA and throughout society.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
CHAPTER!
PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES
In a world of limited resources and multiple environmental problems, EPA must make the best
possible choices about where and how to invest its R&D resources. Good choices require sound
scientific and technical information and a capability to sift through the options and select those that
offer the most promise in terms of long-term protection of health and the environment. In selecting
high priority environmental problems for research, careful consideration of the degree of risk
associated with the problem and the potential effectiveness of pollution prevention strategies is
essential. By identifying and targeting priority environmental problems, the Agency will have a
sound basis for focusing future pollution prevention research efforts and maximizing beneficial
results.
RISK-BASED EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
EPA has established a general policy that decision-makers should focus on actions that will be
effective in reducing environmental risks. Just as successful businesses seek to garner the greatest
financial returns over an appropriate timeframe, protectors of the environment must identify sources
of environmental risk and make sound decisions about which actions will provide high payoff in
reducing current and long-term risks. While any problem may merit attention, some problems pose
greater risk and thus demand immediate attention. Therefore, EPA research programs should assist
decisionmakers in understanding the risks associated with these problems, and the most effective
actions to be undertaken to prevent, reduce, or eliminate these risks.
Comparative Assessment of Egyiro^pental Problems
Identifying and ranking environmental problems in an effort to focus EPA resources and
maximize beneficial results is not a new concept to the Agency. Several years ago, the EPA
Administrator organized a task force of about 75 senior managers and staff to compare the relative
risks of a number of environmental problems and to rank these problems in order of priority of
concern. In early 1987, the task force released a report entitled Unfinished Business: A Comparative
Assessment of Environmental Problems. The report ranked 31 environmental problems within four
broad categories of types of risk: (1) cancer risk, (2) non-cancer health risk, (3) ecological risk, and
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CHAPTER 2-PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES
(4) welfare risk. Unfinished Business provided some important insights for EPA management and
others interested in environmental problems. For the first time, the many environmental problems
addressed by EPA were systematically compared to one another using common denominators of risk.
The report noted that some environmental problems which posed significant risks were not receiving
a commensurate level of attention, while other problems were receiving a seemingly disproportionate
level of public attention and resources. While highlighting the difficulty of evaluating the different
categories of risks posed by environmental problems, the report also suggested the value of pursuing
further efforts to evaluate and compare risks.
The Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee of the SAB reviewed the Unfinished
Business report to develop strategic options for reducing the risks associated with high priority
problems. In conducting its review, the Committee noted that the 31 environmental problems ranked
in the report were based on statutory mandates and EPA's program structure. The Committee
recommended that EPA take a broader approach to identifying and defining priority problems. They
stressed the importance of considering health, ecological, and welfare effects, as well as those
activities and pollutants that contribute to or cause the effects. There are a variety of ways to
identify and define environmental problems, including:
• Human activities which cause stress or insults to the environment (e.g., pesticides application
and other activities which cause nonpoint source discharges).
• Agents or pollutants which cause stress or insults to the environment (e.g., lead, radon,
ozone depleting substances).
• Media which represent routes of exposure to sources of environmental risk (e.g., drinking
water, indoor air).
• Targets or receptors which are affected by stresses (e.g., wetland ecosystems).
• Effects of stresses (e.g., specific health or environmental effects such as cancer and global
wanning).
• Legislative and program definitions, which usually combine two or more of the above.
The importance of viewing the universe of environmental problems from all of these different
perspectives was recognized in preparation of the Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan. This
research strategy targets priority issues that cut across the definitions cited above. For example, the
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
priorities include pesticides application (human activities causing environmental stress), toxic air
pollutants and ozone depleting substances (agents which cause environmental stress), and global
climate change (the effects of stresses). This approach was used to ensure selection of a variety of
problems that are not focused on a single media or EPA program which pose the highest health and
environmental risks.
SELECTION OF PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
In preparation of the Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan, ORD held several meetings
with EPA staff from the OEETD laboratories, the Pollution Prevention Office, the Office of
Regulatory Management and Evaluation (Science, Economics, and Statistics Division), and the Office
of Technology Transfer and Regulatory Support to solicit ideas and comments for the strategic plan,
as well as descriptions of specific research projects that could be initiated as early as next fiscal year.
A planning meeting was held on June 4, 1990 at the University of Cincinnati to discuss the structure
and content of the strategic plan.
The work group was charged with establishing criteria for identifying and prioritizing 10 to 32
environmental problems whose risks could be reduced or eliminated through a pollution prevention
approach. To initiate the identification and selection process, the work group started by discussing
the top 13 environmental problems identified by the Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee.
During the discussion, seven additional environmental problems were identified for
consideration by the work group. By applying the following criteria, the work group narrowed the
list down to 10 priority environmental problems on which to focus the Pollution Prevention Research
Strategic Plan:
• Risk to human health and the environment--those problems that pose the greatest risk
relative to other environmental problems when taking into account the risk of cancer,
chronic non-cancer health effects, reproductive, developmental, and neurotoxic risks, and
the potential for ecological damage as well as the risk for multiple exposures.
• Amenability to pollution prevention solutions and limitations of other solutions-the
potential contribution of a pollution prevention approach to solution or elimination of the
environmental problem, particularly when pollution controls, treatment, and disposal options
are limited or relatively ineffective in reducing the associated risks.
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CHAPTER 2-PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES
• Probable benefits and costs of reducing risks—the expected benefits (economical and
environmental) of preventing the generation of sources contributing to the environmental
problem outweigh the costs associated with implementing a pollution prevention approach.
• Decree to which the problem Is addressed and funded by programs other than pollution
prevention—environmental problems which are already being effectively addressed through
other programs should not be priority targets of the pollution prevention program.
Subsequent to the June meeting, the work group members were individually asked to rank the
10 problems in order of priority using the criteria listed above. This, of course, is a subjective
ranking based on the knowledge and experience of those involved, as little data are available on
which to base objective rankings. The 10 high priority problems selected by the work group are
presented in ranked order of priority in Exhibit 4. The ranking is a reasonable consensus of the
individual inputs. While these ranking results are simply a rational composite of the individual
ratings, logical conclusions have emerged to support the rankings. For example, air related problems
emerged as the highest priorities based on the rating criteria. The air issues are characterized by
relatively wide exposure and a general lack of amenability to end-of-pipe controls due to very large
numbers of sources or the nonpoint source nature of the problems.
IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN
Once the priority problems were selected, the work group "brainstormed" to identify possible
pollution prevention approaches to address these problems. Similar to the approach used by the SAB
Subcommittee in preparing the Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental
Protection, the work group found it extremely useful to analyze the environmental problems from
alternative perspectives—for example, as pollutants (e.g., criteria air pollutants, toxic air pollutants),
sources of the problem (e.g., automobiles, power plants), the effects of the problem (e.g., increased
respiratory diseases, global climate change), and the sectors affecting the problem (e.g., energy,
transportation, and agriculture). Analysis of the environmental problems in each of these distinct
ways suggests different pollution prevention approaches. Only after taking such a multifaceted,
comprehensive look at problems and potential solutions is it appropriate to develop a strategic plan
for research to be conducted to assist the Agency in achieving the pollution prevention solutions to
these problems.
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EXHIBIT 4
PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS TARGETED IN THE
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
PROBLEMS SELECTED BY POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH
STRATEGIC PLAN WORK GROUP
(In Order of Priority Ranking)
I
I*
Pesticides Application
Nonpoint Source Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste/Toxics
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Indoor Air Pollutants (includes Radon)
Criteria Air Pollutants
Ozone Depleting Substances
Greenhouse Gases/Global Climate Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
-------
CHAPTER 2-PR1ORTTY RESEARCH ISSUES
The work group then identified the data gaps and research needs associated with each of the
pollution prevention approaches. Research projects that could be conducted to bridge these data gaps
and enable the Agency to address the priority environmental problems with a pollution prevention
approach were designed by the work group members.
To aid in the identification of various approaches, the work group focused on the six research
areas identified in the Pollution Prevention Research Plan: Report to Congress—products, processes,
recycling/reuse, socioeconomic and institutional research, anticipatory research, and technology
transfer/technical assistance. With this structure in mind, the work group identified pollution
prevention approaches to address each of the 10 priority environmental problems, and the associated
research needs. This cross-cutting perspective ensures that the Agency pursues both technological
and non-technological pollution prevention approaches to each environmental problem. For example,
to address indoor air pollution problems, we are proposing the following research efforts focusing
on source (building materials, carpets, paints, consumer products, etc.) management as the most
effective mechanism for reducing or eliminating indoor air pollutants:
• Product Research—Development of low cost source test methods to encourage wide
application by manufacturers. Expansion of source emissions data base and evaluation of
building materials to ensure selection consistent with good IAQ practices and minimum
product life cycle environmental impacts.
• Process Research—Develop IAQ model and perform test house studies to investigate the
use of aerosol products, the effect of application mass for waxes, polishes, etc., and the
impact of air fresheners and room deodorizers.
• Socioeconomic Research--Analyze the effectiveness of mandatory radon disclosure
requirements on remediation, and the usefulness of current risk communication techniques
to homeowners for radon and other indoor air pollutants. Evaluate the influence of
consumer product labelling regarding indoor air pollutants on buying habits.
• Anticipatory Research—Expansion of response-based testing to determine biological
(microbial, animal, human) responses to emissions from indoor sources and to evaluate the
feasibility of radon standards for new buildings.
• Technology Transfer—Perform cooperative/interlaboratory evaluations of test methods to
develop EPA and/or ASTM "standard methods."
In identifying potential pollution prevention approaches and research needs, the work group
members considered the nature and controllability of the risks associated with the priority problem
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
areas. For example, risks associated with individual lifestyle choices may be more effectively
reduced through market incentives and risk communication than through conventional regulatory
approaches. The work group gave the greatest emphasis to approaches which concurrently address
multiple risks; for example, pollution prevention initiatives to reduce fossil fuel use in the energy
sector would help to address human health risks posed by criteria and toxic air pollution from fossil
energy powerplants, and ecological risks posed by the threat of global climate change resulting from
the emission of greenhouse gases.
of fre Research Approaches
The work group devoted considerable thought to methods for prioritizing the research
approaches associated with the 10 priority environmental problems. The work group was attempting
to determine, for example, whether or not the problem of pesticides application could best be
addressed through technology transfer or product research. The work group established the following
criteria for prioritizing the pollution prevention research projects:
Contribution of Pollution Prevention Research In Reducing Risks—the potential
contribution of the research project in preventing, reducing, or eliminating the risks
associated with the environmental problem.
Value Added bv EPA Research—the necessity of EPA conducting the research because of
information needs that others are not addressing, and the importance of this research in
implementing pollution prevention approaches to the problem.
Impact on Multiple Environmental Problems—the contribution of the research results to
better understanding of and capability to implement pollution prevention approaches that
address multiple priority environmental problems.
Cost Effectiveness—the cost of the research relative to the absolute amount of expected
environmental improvements.
The work group recommended that the research priorities be reviewed and updated periodically
as new problem areas emerge and as new information leads to revised evaluations of the risks
associated with existing and new problem areas.
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CHAPTER 2-PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES
EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLLUTION PREVENTION EFFORTS
The work group discussions included ways to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of
pollution prevention efforts as a means of measuring progress in impacting targeted environmental
problems. As a public policy goal, pollution prevention requires definition and measurement not
only at the level of the individual waste generator or manager (business firm or operation, household
or institution, urban jurisdiction, etc.), but also across the aggregate of human processes of materials
and energy extraction, conversion, transportation, use, and disposal. Without serious attention to this
broader perspective, pollution prevention initiatives might simply rearrange existing environmental
management problems, without ensuring that the overall result is a reduction in the pollution burden.
For certain chemicals or categories of chemicals, the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data annual
reporting required by SARA Section 313 may be able to be used as a gross indicator of pollution
prevention progress. Because releases can be reduced by a variety of activities (ranging from end-
of-pipe controls to delisting), reporting by industry on pollution prevention activities is more useful
in gauging pollution prevention progress in this sector. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990
requires EPA to establish standard methods of measuring source reduction, as well as the means by
which to measure progress in meeting source reduction goals. The Act also requires those facilities
that are required to report toxic chemical releases annually under the TRI provisions of Section 313
of SARA, to provide information on pollution prevention and recycling activities with each annual
filing. The facilities are required to provide data on: (I) the quantity of the chemical released into
the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal; (2) the amount of the chemical that is
recycled, the percentage change from the previous year, and the recycling process used; (3) the
source reduction practices used for the chemical during that year; (4) the percentage change in
emissions and recycling activities expected in the next two years; (5) the techniques which were used
to identify source reduction opportunities; and (6) the amount of the chemical treated and the
percentage change from the previous year. This data will provide important information about the
types of pollution prevention activities being utilized and their effectiveness over time.
ORD is currently conducting a research project to develop a single measurement methodology
for hazardous and non-hazardous multimedia pollution prevention. Pollution prevention
measurement research being developed under this strategy considers the availability and use of TRI
data and proposed changes affecting that data base in the future.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Measuring Pollution Prevention Progress at thg QrgflniEfltional Level
At the level of the individual organization, the measurements needed are those that will permit
managers to incorporate pollution prevention effectively to pursue organizational goals as well as to
meet government reporting requirements. These measurements include, in general, what materials
and energy are generated, identified by amounts and by the process and product from which they
arise; what their environmental and associated legal, regulatory, and business risks are; what could
be done to reduce them, including options for substitute materials, processes, products, and other
ways of reducing them, each with its own associated costs and risks; and what the relevant
manufacturing standards are, including efficiency measures and the full costs (including disposal and
liability) associated with each course of action.
Even at this level, however, measuring pollution prevention presents important challenges. One
problem concerns how to define baselines and normalize measurements—for instance, waste
generated (or reduced) on an absolute basis (in physical units), per unit of input materials or output
products (by weight or volume), or in economic units such as dollar value of sales. A second problem
concerns how to account for displacement—reducing wastes by sending them to an off-site recycler,
or even by incorporating them more efficiently into products on site, might or might not reduce the
health and environmental impacts over the material's life cycle. Similar issues are raised by
transformation and substitution effects—reducing one waste stream by substituting an alternative
chemical or process will produce different waste streams, which may or may not be preferable to,
or even commensurate with, the old ones.
Additionally, much of the information on pollution prevention to date has addressed
incremental changes in existing facilities or practices. Many important decisions affecting waste
generation, however, take place in decisions about capital investment in new plants and processes.
Such decisions involve additional, and in some cases, different measurement challenges, such as
accounting for nonexistent wastes that would otherwise have been produced (i.e., wastes avoided
rather than reduced), allocating joint costs and benefits involved in co-location of complementary
facilities, and others. Given the influence of such investment decisions on waste streams far into the
future, these measurement questions have considerable practical as well as theoretical importance.
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CHAPTER 2-PRIORITY RESEARCH ISSUES
Measuring Pollution. Prevention Progress at the National Level
From the broader perspective of public policy, additional measurement challenges arise. If we
limit our attention to the perspectives of particular firms—or particular industrial, commercial, or
institutional activities—or to wastes as a preconceived category, we are likely to see faulty priorities
and to miscount as pollution prevention actions those that merely displace potential pollutants from
one location or process to another. Measurement research must also be directed to the aggregate
waste effects of society's material- and energy-use patterns as a whole. For example, a large and
growing proportion of the total waste stream is attributable to disposable or non-durable products
as wastes rather than the wastes resulting from manufacturing processes, especially given the
considerable economic incentives that already exist to incorporate materials efficiently into products.
In the absence of effective measurement and allocation of the costs of product waste disposal,
market forces tend toward increasingly wasteful product characteristics--proliferation of more and
more differentiated or specialized products, disposable rather than durable products, heterogeneous
rather than pure materials, complex sealed and unrepairable component assemblies, smaller and
smaller unit sizes of products (with associated increases in packaging wastes), and cosmetic
specifications for product characteristics (e.g., paper brightness standards) that unnecessarily increase
waste generation and disposal problems, as well as reduce recycle and reuse opportunities.
Research Needs for Measurement and Evaluation of Pollution Prevention Efforts
Research is sorely needed on criteria and methods for measuring progress in achieving pollution
prevention objectives because of the following:
• Most of the published work in the field has been anecdotal. While many of the available
case examples demonstrate spectacular successes in reducing waste generation at the source,
with excellent return on investment characteristics, the effect on reducing total waste
generation has been too small to be measurable.
• Many of the State Capacity Assurance Plans assume very significant reductions in the
quantities of hazardous waste seeking off-site treatment and disposal. Yet few states
provide substantive data on the degree of reduction possible or how it is to be achieved.
• No tested and validated methodology exists to even begin to assemble information that could
eventually lead to the establishment of measurable objectives.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Some of the questions concerning the measurement of pollution prevention progress that need
to be addressed by research include:
What are the most useful indicators and measurement units for measuring pollution
prevention at the source? Answers are necessary in order to develop uniform strategies for
pollution prevention across the full spectrum of materials and energy transformation
activities.
Can the same indicators and units be used across different industry types and sectors?
What differences must be taken into account, and how do these differences affect attempts
to measure net or aggregate pollution prevention?
Similarly, how should we measure pollution prevention in sectors other than manufacturing,
such as minerals extraction and processing, agriculture and forestry, energy and
transportation, commercial and institutional use, and households?
How may one measure the post-production waste implications of products as incipient
wastes over their life cycles? Relevant considerations include increases or decreases in
usable life span, recyclability, environmental impacts compared to their substitutes, and
perhaps others.
How can one measure the pollution prevention effects of complex capital investment
decisions, such as future pollution that is avoided (as opposed to present wastes that are
reduced), allocation of pollution prevention benefits among multiple products and processes,
and commensurabiliry across qualitative changes in types of waste streams?
What are the full life cycle implications of major commodity chemicals? Studies could be
undertaken on pollution prevention for five to ten priority chemicals throughout their useful
life cycles, including industrial and nonindustrial uses. Such studies would serve to refine
measurement approaches and, more important, to identify the most important waste sources
and pathways for high-priority environmental contaminants. Important issues include such
questions as how to select the most important chemicals and how to collect quantitative data
on chemical uses and losses (especially dissipative uses).
What products are environmentally friendly? Comparative studies would be useful to
illustrate the environmental impacts of selected products and their alternatives throughout
their life cycles, from fabrication through ultimate disposal (e.g., paper versus foam cups,
paper versus plastic grocery bags), and to demonstrate methodologically the full range of
factors that should be examined to make such determinations.
What are the relationships between plant-level measurements of pollution prevention and
the combined effects of pollution prevention by multiple sectors at regional and national
scales?
How can one estimate more accurately the quantities of waste that might prove reducible,
as well as the time and risk implications associated with such reduction? Also, how do these
estimates compare with the public's definitions and goals for acceptable progress in pollution
prevention?
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CHAPTER 3-STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH PLAN
CHAPTERS
STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
The Pollution Prevention Research Strategic Plan focuses on 10 priority environmental problems
that can and should be addressed with a pollution prevention approach, because it is often the most
beneficial and cost effective method of reducing environmental risks. The work group identified
pollution prevention approaches to address each of these 10 environmental problems, and the
associated research needs. The research projects are organized into the six major pollution
prevention research program areas identified in the report to Congress: products, processes,
recycling/reuse, socioeconomic and institutional research, anticipatory research, and technology
transfer/technical assistance. The priorities for pollution prevention research approaches for each
targeted environmental problem identified by the work group are presented in Exhibit 5. The
priority rankings are the result of aggregate scores assigned by work group members to the research
areas for each problem. Each research area is, in effect, a program eligible for funding based on its
priority and availability of funds on a year-to-year basis. The projects identified by the work group
and described in Chapter 4 of this strategic plan are examples of the projects that could be pursued,
but they would be reviewed annually to determine yearly program directions.
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH AREAS
EPA's pollution prevention research strategy is to address each of the 10 priority environmental
problems with research in the six research areas defined in the Pollution Prevention Research Plan:
Report to Congress. Each of the six areas is described below.
Product Research
The product research area is oriented toward understanding the polluting characteristics and
life-long pollution generating attributes of products. This component of the pollution prevention
research program focuses on establishing standardized methods for assessing products and their use
patterns, and using these standard methods to identify and evaluate the pollution burdens that are
represented by various products. In addition, this research area involves stimulating private sector
development and use of environmentally preferable products. Products assessed under this
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EXHIBIT 5
PRIORITIZATION OF POLLUTION PREVENTION APPROACHES
FOR TARGETED ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
^^X^ APPROACH
PROBLEM ^"^X.
Indoor Air Pollutant*
Criteria Air Pollutant*
Ozone Depleting Substances
Greenhouse Qases/QC Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
Pesticides Application
Nonpolnt Source Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
Product Research
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
MEDIUM
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
Process Research
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
LOW
HIGH
LOW
LOW
Recycling/Reuse
Research
LOW
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
LOW
LOW
LOW
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
HIGH
HIGH
Socioeconomlc
Research
HIGH
LOW
LOW
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Anticipatory
Research
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
LOW
LOW
LOW
LOW
LOW
Technology
Transfer/Technical
Assistance
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
HIGH
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
-------
CHAPTER 3-STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH PLAN
component of the research program may range from simple chemical compounds to complex
manufactured items comprising numerous potential sources of pollution.
There are a variety of approaches that can be employed in conducting product research efforts.
Product research could involve investigating product modifications and product substitutes that
would result in products that are environmentally preferable—less toxic and/or less polluting. This
research could also include studying functional alternatives to the product. Further, product test
methods need to be developed and employed to evaluate the environmental impacts of specific
products. Two additional approaches for product research are life cycle analysis and utilization
management. Life cycle analysis is a study of the pollution generation characteristics and the
opportunities for pollution prevention associated with the entire life cycle of the product. A
product's life cycle includes its design, manufacture, use, maintenance and repair, and final disposal,
including potential reuse or recycling options. The research projects described in Chapter 4 of this
strategic plan that utilize some of these various approaches are highlighted by a check mark in
Exhibit 6. For example, halons are ozone depleting substances with 3 to 10 times the depletion
potential of CFCs. Research is proposed to identify chemical substitutes for halons that pose less risk
to the ozone layer.
Process Research
The process research area is oriented toward identifying and evaluating those aspects of
production, use, maintenance and repair, and disposal processes that generate pollutants and waste;
and to facilitating and evaluating alternative, environmentally preferable processes. Process research
focuses on establishing standardized methods to identify and assess pollution and waste generation
associated with these processes. This research is intended to encourage private sector innovation in
adopting "environmentally friendly" processes and technologies.
The general approaches employed in process research are process modification, alternative
feedstocks, and alternative processes. Modifications can be implemented at specific points in the
process to reduce or eliminate generated waste. Similarly, alternative feedstocks can be used to
reduce the toxicity or volume of waste. Alternative processes, designed to reduce and prevent
pollution, need to be developed, demonstrated, and evaluated to promote use of these alternatives
in the private and public sectors. For example, surface coatings is a major contributor to
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EXHIBIT 6
POLLUTION PREVENTION PRODUCT RESEARCH APPROACHES
-u
^***"*»XX(^ Approach
Problem ^^^^^^^
Indoor Air Pollutants
Criteria Air Pollutants
Ozone Depleting
Substances
Greenhouse Gases/
GC Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
Pesticides Application
Nonpoint Source
Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste/
Toxics
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
Modification
/
/
/
Substitution
/
/
^
/
Functional
Alternative*
/
/
/
/
Product Test
Methodology
and Testing
/
/
/
/
/
Utilization
Management
/
/
/
/
/
Life Cycle
Analysis
/
' /
-------
CHAPTER 3-STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH PLAN
uncontrolled volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. A research project is proposed to identify
and demonstrate alternative coatings materials and processes to reduce the emissions of VOCs,
Another process research approach is to investigate methods of testing and evaluating processes and
their environmental impacts. These different approaches are used to address seven of the 10 priority
problems as depicted in Exhibit 7. The proposed projects utilizing these process approaches are
described in Chapter 4.
Recycling/Reus^ Research
The recycling and reuse research area focuses on evaluating waste streams, production
feedstocks, and capacities for inclusion of reclaimed materials in production processes and products.
In addition, the effectiveness of recycling/reuse programs needs to be evaluated. Recovery,
reuse.and recycling are important options within the overall integrated pollution prevention approach
for reducing the volume of waste generated. Community recycling programs usually involve
segregation of recyclable municipal waste products for delivery to local recycling centers. Within
industry, recycling programs involve numerous methods for reclaiming feedstock and waste materials
for direct reuse within production processes, for recycling, or for exchanging wastes as input stocks
for other industries.
The approaches investigated in recycling and reuse research include capture and recovery
techniques, reclamation processing options, utilization options, and specification requirements.
These approaches are used in the recycling/reuse research projects to address four of the priority
environmental problems targeted in the strategic plan (see Exhibit 8). For example, significant
environmental problems can occur when unwanted or unused chemicals are simply discarded.
Research is proposed which would study the collection and reuse potential of unwanted pesticides
and containers.
Socioeconomic il Research
The socioeconomic and institutional research area focuses on identifying and evaluating non-
technological factors that affect pollution prevention implementation opportunities. This research
area also involves research to understand and overcome institutional, social, and economic obstacles
to pollution prevention. It includes research in sociology, economics, and human behavior, as well
3-5
-------
EXHIBIT 7
POLLUTION PREVENTION PROCESS RESEARCH APPROACHES
^*"***^11Nii^ Approach
Problem ^^***'**-*«^11^>^
Indoor Air Pollutants
Criteria Air Pollutants
Ozone Depleting
Substances
Greenhouse Gases/
GC Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
Pesticides Application
Nonpoint Source
Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste/Toxics
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
Process
Modification
S
/
/
/
/
Emission and
Efficiency
Testing
/
/
Alternative
Feedstocks
Alternative
Processes
/
/
/
/
-------
EXHIBIT 8
POLLUTION PREVENTION RECYCLING AND REUSE RESEARCH APPROACHES
I
—I
^^"^^•w^^ Approach
Problem ^^**^**^<>|<^
Indoor Air Pollutants
Criteria Air Pollutants
Ozone Depleting
Substances
Greenhouse Gases/
GC Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
Pesticides Application
Nonpoint Source
Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste/Toxics
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
Capture and
Recovery
/
/
Specification
Requirements
/
/
/
Reclamation
Processing
Options
/
/
Utilization
Options
/
/
/
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
as studies of institutional conditions that favor or inhibit implementation of effective pollution
prevention programs.
There is a broad range of approaches that can be utilized in socioeconomic and institutional
research. These approaches include information and communication, market incentives, regulations,
enforcement, and other means of modifying human behavior. Within each of these approaches is a
number of techniques that can be investigated to determine their potential impact on the targeted
environmental problem. For example, market incentives include such techniques as marketable
permits, deposit/refund systems, fees and taxes for pollution, and subsidies and tax credits for
preventing pollution. Any one or several of these market incentive techniques can be applied to a
myriad of environmental problems. The various approaches to socioeconomic and institutional
research for each targeted environmental problem are identified in Exhibit 9. An example of the
proposed socioeconomic and institutional research involves investigating creative ways of
incorporating prevention into settlements. Historically, EPA has not emphasized pollution prevention
practices in its regulations governing hazardous waste.
Anticipatory Research
The anticipatory research area allows the Agency to detect and respond to changing
environmental, industrial, and consumer conditions. This research area is intended to provide the
ability to pursue long-term research on emerging technologies or topics of concern, to enable EPA
to prevent future pollution problems. The anticipatory research area includes the analysis of
environmental trends and acquisition of comprehensive databases for ambient concentrations. This
element of the pollution prevention research program focuses on the need for improved methods for
acquisition of environmental monitoring data, as well as improved methods for statistical analysis.
The effective interpretation of environmental quality data requires a profound knowledge of
underlying processes and mechanisms, to provide properly formulated hypotheses to be used in the
design of environmental monitoring programs and the interpretation of their results. Accordingly,
transport and fate research is critical to foreseeing future problems and must be built into the
anticipatory research program area.
3-8
-------
EXHIBIT 9
POLLUTION PREVENTION SOCIOECONOMIC AND
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH APPROACHES
^^N^«%ll|(||^ Approach
Problem ^*'*^I*<«»N^^
Indoor Air Pollutants
Criteria Air Pollutants
Ozone Depleting
Substances
Greenhouse Gases/
GC Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
Pesticides Application
Nonpoint Source
Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste/
Toxics
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
Information /
Communication
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
Market
Incentives
S
/
S
/
/
/
/
/
/
Regulations
/
/
/
/
/
/
Enforcement
/
Other
/
/
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
There are several approaches to identifying future issues that can be applied to the priority
environmental problems targeted in the research strategic plan. These include:
• Gathering and analyzing ambient/ecological/health data for evidence of nascent problems.
• Developing and testing standards for product testing and evaluation.
• Analyzing societal/economic/technological trends and developing models that would predict
future problems and possible solutions.
• Investigating pollution prevention alternatives and their impacts on emerging problems.
• Using expert scientific judgment on a continuing basis to identify pollution prevention
needs, new potential problems, and means to address them.
These approaches will be pursued in the anticipatory research area to address seven of the
targeted environmental problems (see Exhibit 10). For example, a significant contributor to nonpoint
source pollution is urban runoff. Runoff of products such as fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and gasoline
all pose considerable threats to the environment. Research is proposed to identify and evaluate other
existing urban nonpoint pollution sources, and predict new sources that pose future threats.
rnsfer/Technical Assistance
The technology transfer/technical assistance research area supports each of the five research
program areas by providing the mechanism for rapid dissemination of information to potential users.
This component of the pollution prevention research program focuses on targeting research
deliverables to the appropriate audiences, developing the products that will best reach the
audience(s), and providing support services that facilitate the technology transfer process. This
overall strategy to technology transfer can be applied to any environmental problem.
The various activities for technology transfer include:
• Targeting research and products to the appropriate audience(s).
• Developing the products that best transfer the information to the audience(s).
• Providing information through various dissemination techniques.
3-10
-------
EXHIBIT 10
POLLUTION PREVENTION ANTICIPATORY RESEARCH APPROACHES
^^^*^^ Approach
Problem ^V*NX
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
• Supporting education and training to facilitate technology transfer.
• Providing direct technical assistance.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of technology transfer techniques and various products.
These technology transfer activities are used to address each of the 10 priority environmental
problems targeted in the strategic plan (see Exhibit 11). For example, as part of the hazardous waste
technology transfer efforts, it is proposed that PPO, OEETD, and OTTRS/CERI jointly co-sponsor
industrial pollution prevention trade shows, and/or conference exhibits, and provide pollution
prevention information. Also, with the help of EPA's university centers, these offices should
encourage educational institutions to incorporate pollution prevention assessment and evaluation
procedures into engineering curriculum.
3-12
-------
EXHIBIT 11
POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND
TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE RESEARCH
^^*N^**<>|^ Approach
Problem ^^**-»«.»^^
Indoor Air Pollutants
Criteria Air Pollutants
Ozone Depleting
Substances
Greenhouse Gases/
GO Change
Toxic Air Pollutants
Pesticides Application
Nonpolnt Source
Water Discharges
Hazardous Waste/Toxics
Consumer Products
Municipal Solid Waste
Research and
Product
Targeting
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
Information
Dissemination
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
Direct
Technical
Assistance
/
/
/
/
/
/
Education/
Training
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
Evaluation
/
/
/
/
s
s
/
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
CHAPTER 4
PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
The work group selected 10 priority environmental problems on which to focus this Strategic
Plan, given the need to develop a realistic and achievable plan and the resource constraints associated
with a finite budget. The 10 environmental problems identified by the work group are those that,
in the professional judgment of the work group and the SAB, pose the greatest health and ecological
risks. These problems include:
• Indoor air pollutants
• Criteria air pollutants
• Ozone depleting substances
• Greenhouse gases/global climate change
• Toxic air pollutants
• Pesticides application
• Nonpoint source water discharges
• Hazardous waste
• Production, vise, and disposal of consumer products
• Municipal solid waste.
An overview of the research projects proposed to address each of these 10 environmental
problems is presented in Exhibit 12. More detailed descriptions of the environmental problems,
along with the proposed research projects associated with the problems, are presented in the
remainder of this chapter. The resource requirements included in this strategic plan are only
estimates, including those for FY 1991 since the budgetary decisions were not completed at the time
of publication of this report.
4-1
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH
Priority Recycling Socioeconomic' .... Technology
Environmental Product Process Reuse Institutional Anticipatory Transfer/
Problems Research Research Research Research Research Technical
Assistance
••^^••MMMMOTi^^^MMPM^^H
l_-4— -,
inooor
Air Polutanti
^••^••^^•^•^^•••^^^••^^•••^•^••o
• 0«v«topm«nt ol tow-cod
teKnwthod*
• Perform cooperative/
•Uora d IMI method*
• Exp*rak>n d Bouroe
• S*bcUon ol bidding
m»l»rt«J§»orn»wEPA
buUngt
Expansion ol IAQ model
and lest house studies
• Improving communica-
tion ol indoor ar
pollution risks
• Communicating
technical pollution
prevention information
• Evaluating impact ol
labeling products
• Evaluating stale
requirements lor radon
testing
• Expansion ol response
based testing
• Research (he leastoikly ol
radon standards lor new
buildings
• large) research arid
product deliverables
• Develop, publish, and
research rvsuls
• Advertise availability of
OR I) research
information and
guidance documents
• Conduct workshops/
conferences to transfer
research results and
provide technical
asSrslance/liainmg
ness ol the indoor air
pollutants research
etlorts
• Transit!) technical
irrformation to stale
and local government
and professional
groups
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Priority
Environmental
Problems
Criteria Air
Pollutants
(Ozorw non-attalrumnt)
Product
Research
• Demonstrate the reduc-
tion ot VOC emleelons
through ««efnm«ve
coating pracMaM
• Wertly and evaluate
consumer product
prevention options
•nd sources ol VOC
emissions
• Identify methods of
reducing emJMkins from
Process
Research
• Demonstrate the reduc-
tion of VOC emissions
through aBemalrve
coating processes
• Identify methods of
reducing emissions from
sources
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Socioeconomic
Institutional
Research
• Assess incentive effect
on behavior modification
• Investigate effectiveness
of presentation
• Develop incentive
approaches to remove
high emission cars
• Research energy
conservation incentives
• Conduct research on
market incentives to
reduce emissions
• Study the link between
capital turnover and air
pollution
• Determine effects of
reducing fossil fuel use
Technology
Anticipatory Transfer
Research Technical
Assistance
• Target research and
product delrvembtes
• Provide technology
transfer to slale and local
environmental officials.
small businesses, and
researchers
• Develop, publish, and
disseminate research
results
• Advertise availability ot
ORD research
information and guidance
documents
• Evaluate the
effectiveness o) the
criteria au poHulams
research efforts
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Priority
Environmental
Problems
SubttaneM
Product
Research
• Aaseea properties d
CFCa and tMlrproper-
potartW iMkm and CFC«
• Peflonn amal-and
hvpe-ecate Uetlng ol
•oodtag agents
Process
Research
Evaluate the best means
tor ultimate destruction'
conversion oJ unwanted
haJons
Evaluate technologies to
eliminate UM d CFC«
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Assess the status of
baton recydng
Research incentives lor
recydno/reus* o» CFCa
Collect non-essential
reservoirs ol batons and
develop a plan to recycle
or destroy them
Socioeconomic
Institutional
Research
Develop an acceptabil-
ity testing lor new
agents
Assess effectiveness ot
consumer product
labeling
Anticipatory
Research
Develop a conceptual
plan for reallocatlon ol Ihe
existing bank of halons lo
essential uses
Technology
Transfer
Technical
Assistance
Target research and
product delrverabtos
• Develop, publBh, and
disseminate OHO
research reaula
Advertise availability ot
OHO research intorma
lion and guidance docu
mem s
Conduct workshops/
oonterences to transfer
research resula and
provide technical
assistance/training as
needed
•Evaluate the
effectiveness ol Ihe
ozone depleting
substances research
e (torts
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Priority
Environmental
Problems
GrMnhouM Gam/
GtotalCttmto
Chang*
41
I
Product
Research
Evaluate. develop, and
conduct pwtonnanc*
tMInQ pfOQGQIKVa
Pwtorrn ooeta/twrwtl*
analy«fefor««ici*nl
Ightfc? tocrrotogto*
ConMfua and d*va4op
•otar hydrogen produc-
Process
Research
Develop • detailed
research plan lor
performance tasting ol
Innovative motor control
methodology
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Socioeconomic
Institutional
Research
Anticipatory
Research
Research motivation ol
behavkxal changes
through messages
Study energy conserva-
tion incentives
Develop practical
alemative approaches to
correct lor subsidies lor
and damages from loss*
fuel use
Investigate relative
effectiveness ol commu-
nicating cumulative long-
term risks
Develop an operational
infrastructure to
support product testing
and evaluation
Technology
Transfer
Technical
Assistance
> Prepare an application
handbook lor the light
practitioners and
decuuonmakers
• Develop an outreach
program to provide a
comprehensive
organized up-to-date
source ol research-
based technical
information
> Target resea/ch and
product deliverables
• Conduct workshops/
conferences to transfer
research resuls and
provide technical
assistance/training
Evaluate the elledive-
ness ol the global
climate change
research eltorts
Advertise availability ol
ORD research
information and
guidance documents
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Priority
Environmental
Problems
Toxic Air
Pollutant*
Product
Research
• Evaluate tf» UM at
products «nttingftir
toxic*
• Develop raUrtte. low-
•mlMion wood Movo*
Process
Research
• Demonstrate the viability
at ak toxic emissions
reduction*
• Evaluate improved
techniques that eliminate
the UM ct lo»ic sotvarts
• W»nHy methods d
reducing amiutons
• 0«v«lop raHabto tow
•mtMkxt wood stoves
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Socioeconomic A . . , Technology
Institutional Ant.c.patory Transfer
Research Research Technical
Assistance
• Assess incentives lor use
at dean fuels
• Subsidize R4D on
nonioxic subslilules
• Evaluate pollution
prevention measures
• Evaluate the impact o)
marketing alternative
luete
• Provide technology
(ransler to state and
local environmental
ofliciate. smal busi-
nesses, and research
ers
• Target research and
product delivetabtes
• Develop, publish, and
disseminate ORO
research resuks
• Advertise availability ol
ORO research
inlormalion and
gudance documents
• Conduct workshops/
conferences to transfer
research resuls and
provide technical
assist anceAraining
• Evaluate 1 he elledive
ness ot the tonic air
pollutants research
efforts
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
.u
I
Pnorny Recycling Socio-economic , . Technology
Environmental Producl Process Reuse Institutional Anticipatory Transfer
Problems Research Research Research Research Research Technical
Assistance
PMtlcldM Application
• Evaluate container
1 1 • 1 ii mm •!! i • II n n •
OMtgn nKMHOMona
• Perform trwuport md
IrarwtormMion MudiM on
new or Btemrtiv*
pMUdM
• Evaluate pesticide
manulKluring
prows* modifications
• Demonstration ol
proces* modification
• Conduct a sludy and
demcxialrala rinsing
practice*
• Investigate recycling
method* kx dry product
container*
• Study the collection and
reuse o) pesticide
products and containers
• Provide H4D on
effectiveness o* labeling
• Evaluate a possible
pesticides oghl to-know
program
• Investigate incentives lor
integrated pest
management
• Evaluate other uses ol
USDA incentives
• Target research and
product delrvutables
• Develop, publish, and
disseminate ORD
research resuls
• Advertise availability ol
ORD research
information and
guidance documenls
• Conduct workshops/
conferences to transfer
research resuls and
provide technical
a ssislance /Training
• Evaluate 1 he effective-
ness of the pesticides
application research
efforts
• Develop training lor
farmers on pesticide
use. reuse, and
disposal
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Priority
Environmental
Problems
Product
Research
i
oe
Nonpolnt Swire* Water
Process
Research
Perform best manage
me r* practices
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Socioeconomic
Institutional
Research
Provide guidance on
inaUutionaf practices lo
control urban water
quality
Evaluate USDA
incentives lor reducing
non-point source runoll
Assess price effects on
fertilizer use
Investigate regulation of
land use
Anticipatory
Research
Evaluate urban polkjlion
sources
Technology
Transfer
Technical
Assistance
Develop urban runott
best management
practices guidance
document
1 Target resea/ch and
product delrverables
Develop, publish, and
disseminate ORD
research results
• Advertise availability of
ORD research
information and
guidance documents
Conduct workshops/
conferences to transfer
research resuls and
provide technical
assistance/training
Evaluate the effective
ness of the nonpoim
source pollution
research efforts
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Priority
Environmental
Problems
HuvdouiWuM
Product
Research
Process
Research
Develop methods lor
measuring poNuUon
prevention
Assets waste minima-
ttoo technologies
Develop surface*
cleaning methods
Develop models lor new
poNul Ion prevention
Industrial processes
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Socioeconomic
institutional
Research
Examine community
reaction to hazardous
waste lacttties
Determine (he role ol
insurance and
indemnity bonds in
sale disposal
Investigate regulations
and RCRA regulatory
MexbilMy to promote
pollution prevention
Determine methods to
conduct and promote
hazardous waste
audri*
Research the leasibiliy
ot product stewardship
Perform R&D on
product liability
Identify market
approaches lor lead
pollution prevention
Anticipatory
Research
Prepare a research
prioritizalion report
Perform risk modeling lor
Technology
Transfer
Technical
Assistance
Target research and
product delNerables
Develop, publish, and
disseminate ORD
research results
Advertise availability ol
ORD research
information and
guidance documents
Conduct workshops/
coherences to transfer
research resuls and
provide technical
assistance/training
Evaluate the effective
ness ol the hazardous
waste research efforts
Publish results from
demonstrations
-------
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
*-
1
o
Priority
Environmental
Problems
Production, UM, and
Disposal of Consurmr
Products
Product
Research
• Develop and etiabfah
cto*n product*
• Pr»p«<» MI akermUv*
document
Process
Research
Prepare a product and
proses* design guidance
manual
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Socioeconomic
Institutional
Research
• Evahiala programs lo
produce and market dean
products
• Provide R*D on
consumer product
labeling
• Research environmental
education as a way lo
achieve pollution
prevention
• Research incentives lo
reduce toxics in consumer
products
- Study the economics ol
production stage
Incentives/regulations
Anticipatory
Research
• Conduct life cycle
analysis workshops
• Conduct product -industry
specific workshops
• Assess dean products
RO&O needs
Technology
Transfer
Technical
Assistance
• Prepare a document on
dean products research
and implementation
• Develop a report lor
consumers and produc-
ers on comparative risks
of consumer products lor
pollution prevention
• Target research and
product delrverables
• Advertise availability ol
ORO research informa-
tion and guidance
documents
• Conduct workshops/
conferences lo transfer
research results and
provide technical
assist ance/i raining
• Evaluate the effective-
ness d (he consumer
produd&/use/disposal
research 8 Moris
• Provide on-sie technical
assistance
-------
Priority
Environmental
Problems
Municipal Sold Wuto
EXHIBIT 12
PROPOSED POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH (cont.)
Product
Research
Prepare • document on
INcycbcMlMwIysfelor
consume* product*
Prepare* manual lor
wane-reducing product
Process
Research
PuUtah cte*n product
program* CM* ttudlM
Recycling
Reuse
Research
Prepare a summary ol
Innovative recycling
lechnologMt
Socioeconomic
Institutional
Research
Examine how communi-
cation/information
motivates pollution
prevention
1 Evaluate incentives lor
reducing quantities ol
household waste
Provide R&D on
disincentives to waste
reduction/recycling
Evaluate deposit/refund
market Incentives
Investigate market
expansion lor recovered
materials
Anticipatory
Research
Conduct six specialiied
workshops to idenUy
research needs
Technology
Transfer
Technical
Assistance
P'epare a guidance
document lor measuring
pollution prevention
Conduct several regional
source reduction/
recycling seminars
Target research end
product deliverables
Develop, publish, and
disseminate ORD
research resuls
Advertise availability ol
ORD research informa-
tion and guidance
documents
Evaluate I he effective-
ness ol the municipal
solid waste research
etlorts
Provide technical
assistance
-------
CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
Description
Recent studies (e.g., TEAM) have shown that exposure to indoor air pollution is the major
contributor to human health risk for a wide variety of environmental contaminants. In addition,
building occupant complaints (i.e., Sick Building Syndrome) resulting in lost productivity have risen
dramatically in the past few years. Thus, poor indoor air quality has adverse health and economic
impacts. With few exceptions (e.g., radon), indoor air pollutants arise from sources within the
indoor environment. Thus, while ventilation and air cleaning can be used to improve indoor air
quality, managing the sources is the most effective mechanism for reducing or eliminating indoor air
pollutants.
Agency studies on relative risk (e.g., Unfinished Business and Regional assessments) consistently
place indoor air pollution near the top of the list of environmental hazards. Congress also recognizes
the importance of the problem and has called on EPA to conduct R&D under SARA, Title IV- -The
Radon Gas and Indoor Air Quality Research Act. A wide variety of indoor sources emit pollutants
to the indoor environment, including: building materials, carpets, furnishings, paints, office
machines, consumer products, etc. To date, the manufacturers, architects, builders, building
managers, and homeowners have paid scant attention to how such products and materials impact
indoor air quality. Data on the emissions from indoor sources is extremely limited, as is guidance
on how to select and use products/materials to ensure adequate indoor air quality. The purpose of
this project is to develop the technical information needed to provide guidance on how to effectively
manage sources of indoor air pollutants. Proper use of this information will promote reduced
exposures to a wide variety of indoor air pollutants that are known, or are potential health hazards,
or contribute to Sick Building Syndrome.
This project will, develop information on "clean" products and materials and encourage their
design, production, and use in homes, offices, schools, and other public access buildings. Elimination
or reduction of pollutants from indoor sources represents pollution prevention in its purest form.
Such an information- based, marketplace-oriented approach to preventing pollution will also reduce
the need for more traditional command-and-control regulatory strategies.
4-12
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Research Needs
To effectively prevent and manage indoor sources, answers to the following questions are
needed: 1) What compounds are emitted? 2) What are their emission rates? 3) How does the emission
rate change over time? 4) What is the occupant response to the emissions (e.g., chronic, acute
toxicity, irritation)? 5) How should the product/material be used?
Current Activities
Current research by the Indoor Air Branch of AEERL/RTP on sources of indoor air pollutants
focuses on:
Emission Test Methods—Small chamber test methods have been developed to identify and
quantify the emissions of vapor phase organics from indoor sources. These methods are
being incorporated into an ASTM standard guide and are being used, to a limited extent,
by manufacturers of materials and products used indoors.
Source Emission Models--Simple first order decay source emissions models have been
developed based on small chamber testing. Work is underway to develop mass transfer
models accounting for evaporation, diffusion, and adsorption/desorption. This work
includes the evaluation of adsorption to and re-emission from indoor sinks.
Methods to Determine Biological (Microbial. Animal. Human) Responses to Emissions from
Indoor Sources—This research to develop source tests based on occupant responses is in
the planning stage. Such methods will be used to evaluate emissions from actual sources
rather than artificial mixtures. A cooperative project between EPA, Yale University, and
the University of Aarhus (Denmark) will be initiated in FY91.
Impact of Product Use on Indoor Air Quality (IAO)—An LAQ model has been developed
to predict pollutant concentrations and occupant exposures based on source emission
characteristics, indoor environmental conditions, and occupant activities. The model has
been validated for several sources based on LAQ test house studies. Limited evaluations
of the impact of increased ventilation (e.g., open windows, bathroom fans) on indoor
pollutant levels have been conducted.
Catalog of Indoor Sources and Emissions—A system for classifying indoor sources is being
developed, and data on source emissions are being collected. This information will be
compiled in a catalog for publication in FY91.
(Not*: The fint four project »reu above in funded out of the DM* program; the fifth project i» beinc funded with FY90
Pollution Prevention reeourcet.)
4-13
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
The existing research program on indoor sources is developing the tools needed to answer the
questions expressed in the Research Needs section. Application of testing methods and source
emissions models will provide information on compounds emitted, emission rates, and emission rate
changes. The new project on response-based test methods will begin to answer questions on how
occupants react to indoor sources, and will ultimately lead to better ways to evaluate materials and
products. The IAQ model and test house studies will provide information on how product usage
impacts indoor air quality. The catalog of sources and emissions will provide useful information
to user communities such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA), homebuilders, and product
manufacturers.
Relationship to Sectors Targeted in PPO's Pollution Prevention Strategy
This research effort focuses primarily on the industrial and consumer sectors with emphasis on
the problems associated with volatile organic compounds, and toxic air pollutants (such as
halogenated organics) associated with the indoor air environment. The constituents found in
consumer products and building materials (e.g., paints and coatings) also contribute to the ambient
air ozone non-attainment and air toxics problems. Cataloging of products, test methodologies,
emission data, and selection guidance is intended for many groups including industry
manufacturers/users, architectural designers, consumers, and others.
Proposed Te**hiifli?8K8F Research
A substantial expansion of the existing research program on indoor sources is needed to fully
develop the technical data necessary to provide guidance on selection and use of indoor materials
and products to ensure good indoor air quality. The currently modest in-house chamber and test
house facilities, which have been the core of our highly successful research on emissions from
sources and development of testing methods, will continue to be expanded over the next several
years. Development of response-based testing methods will complement and draw on research of
response mechanisms by the Health Effects Research Laboratory. In addition to continuation of the
present Pollution Prevention project, the following projects are proposed:
• Development of Low-Cost Test Methods—The existing emissions testing methods, while
acceptable for many applications, require a substantial capital investment and have relatively
high personnel costs. Simpler, low-cost methods are needed to encourage wide application
by manufacturers of indoor materials and products (Product Research).
4-14
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Coooerative/Interlaboratorv Evaluations of Test Methods—Since emissions testing of indodB
sources is still in its infancy, data on comparability of test results among laboratories is
limited. A project involving both public (government, universities) and private (testing
labs, manufacturers) organizations involved in product testing is needed to develop the
necessary information. Such information could be used in the development of EPA and/or
ASTM "standard methods* and to develop "certified test methods" (Product Research).
Expansion of Source Emissions Data Base—The existing data base on source emissions is
weak. A substantial expansion is needed across all categories of indoor sources. A dual
program involving manufacturer testing of their own products and EPA funded testing of
selected products would be developed. An example of an immediate use for such data is
inclusion in the American Institute of Architects' Environmental Resource Guide (Product
Research).
Selection of Materials for New EPA Buildings—Within the next few years, new EPA
buildings are anticipated for Washington, DC and Research Triangle Park, NC. A project
to ensure selection of building materials and furnishings consistent with good IAQ is
proposed. This project would be conducted cooperatively with the American Institute of
Architects and EPA's Facility Management staff. The project could also include a building
operations manual to ensure continued good IAQ by specifying appropriate ventilation and
maintenance practices (Product Research).
Product Usage Vis-a-Vjs IAO—IAQ model and test house studies will be expanded to
include evaluation of consumer actions that impact indoor air quality. Potential areas q
investigation include: (a) use of aerosol products under various ventilation strategies;
the effect of application mass (e.g., g/m2) for products such as waxes and polishes; and
impacts of air fresheners and room deodorizers (Process Research).
IV
I
Expansion of Response-Based Testing—The development of response-based tests, starting
in FY91, is expected to take several years. There are, however, existing techniques (e.g.,
Ranger's olf test, animal tests for irritancy) that should be evaluated more widely. This
work would be done in conjunction with the base program project (Anticipatory Research).
Radon Standards for New Buildings—Research the feasibility of establishing radon
standards for new buildings (Anticipatory Research).
Proposed Nop-Tff*?]tlff0^o0cal Research
Socioeconomic research is needed to better understand methods for communicating risks and
modifying human behavior. The following projects are proposed to address the indoor air pollutants
problem:
Improving Communication of Indoor Air Pollution Risks—Examine how to improve the
communication to homeowners, landlords, and other building managers about the risks
from radon and other indoor air pollutants. This research also investigates the effectivenifl
4-15
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECEFIC RESEARCH
of mandatory radon disclosure requirements on remediation. The goal would be to increase
the prevention of exposure, often by reducing the pollutants in the indoor environments.
• Communicating Technical Pollution Prevention Information — Investigate how to most
effectively communicate technical information about indoor air pollution prevention to state
and local governments and to professional groups. This project also examines the
effectivness of risk communication to homeowners for reducing the effects of radon and
other indoor air pollutants.
• Evaluating Impact qf Product Labeling—Examine the potential pollution prevention impact
from labeling consumer products that contribute to indoor pollution.
• Evaluating State Requirements for Radon Testing — Determine the effectiveness of
alternative radon testing requirements.
Prooed Tecriolv ^^'^ Assistance
Working cooperatively with OAR, ORD will expand its existing research on the sources of
indoor air pollution to develop guidance on the selection of indoor construction and surfacing
materials. The technology transfer plan for indoor air involves coordinating the following activities:
• Research and Product (Deliverable) Targeting — OTTRS technology transfer liaison will
monitor deliverable development, attend meetings, and assist the laboratories and the
program offices, where necessary, to assure preparation of quality ORD deliverables.
OTTRS will also advise the program offices, as needed, on the utilization of the research,
information, and other support services.
• Product Development— OTTRS/CERI will support publication of the reports and a catalog
of indoor air emissions sources, along with estimates of emissions from these sources based
on AEERL's research results.
• Information Dissemination— QTTRS/CERI will advertise the availability of information
through its Technology Transfer Newsletter and other vehicles reaching the target audiences.
OTTRS/CERI will also work closely with PPO and OAR to assist in adding the research
results to the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse.
• Education antj Traininy--OAR and ORD will conduct regional workshops to inform EPA,
state, and local government staff of the availability of information.
• Technical Assistance— Where commercialization of technology is at issue, OTTRS will
provide assistance.
• Evaluation—ORD and OAR will assess the effectiveness of the research in achieving its
intended results, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the program, products, and their
delivery. OTTRS will work with the program offices to support evaluation efforts.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAM
Proposed Outputs
Input of emissions data to AIA Environmental Resource Guide
Initial Catalog of Indoor Materials and Products
Selection of materials for new EPA buildings
Research and Product Targeting
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention information
products
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC
Dissemination of information and research results
Report on communicating risks from indoor air pollutants
Support for education/training workshops
Report on low-cost source test method
Report on transfer of information on indoor air pollutants
Report on chamber intercomparison study
Report on the impact of labeling consumer products
Updated Source Catalog with additional data
Report on consumer impact on IAQ
Report on response-based testing
Evaluation of effectiveness of research project
10/90
12/90
As Needed
Ongoing
01/91-94
01/91-96
Ongoing
12/91
As Needed
09/92
12/92
09/93
12/93
09/95
09/96
03/97
Ongoing
Particioatine Offices
Cooperation with the following offices/laboratories/institutions is anticipated:
OAR (Indoor Air Division). OPTS. OA--Compilation and publication of data from
expansion of source emissions data base project; OA selection of materials, with ORD,
OAR, OPTS input, on selection of materials for new EPA buildings project; guidance on
product usage, based on results from product usage vis-a-vis IAQ project.
HERL. ECAO—Collaboration on expansion of response-based testing project.
AIA. Other Private Sector Groups—Collaboration on the following projects: catalog of
indoor sources and emissions, development of low-cost test methods,
cooperative/interlaboratory evaluations of test methods, and expansion of source emissions
data base, with potential for joint funding.
QPPE - -Collaboration on the socioeconomic research projects.
OTTRS/CER1- -Collaboration on all technology transfer and technical assistance activities
4-17
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Resources
FTEs
S&E
R&D
TOTAL
FY91
0
0
300
300
FY92
0.5
200
500
700
FY93
($ thousands)
2
250
600
850
FY94
2
300
800
1100
FY95
2
300
600
900
(Note: Rewurcei do not include tfaote of putkipuiof office*. FY91 ruource requirement! include exuting pollution prevention projeet-
Ctulog of Indoor Emiiiioat Source*.)
Contacts
AEERL/RTP W. Gene Tucker FTS 629-2746
AEERL/RTP Bruce A. Tichenor FTS 629-2991
OTTRS Ron Slotkin FTS 382-7671
OPPE Derry Allen FTS 382-2747
4-18
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
CRITERIA AIR POLLUTANTS
Description
Attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone has been among the most
unyielding problems with which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has had to deal.
Reduction of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from anthropogenic sources is a key
component of the strategy to reduce ambient ozone concentrations. The primary objective of this
project is to better understand how to reduce these emissions. In particular, emissions from
stationary area sources, such as the use of coatings and consumer products, will be reduced via
demonstration of pollution prevention options. Since many VOCs are also air toxics, this points to
stationary area sources as a major source of air toxic emissions. Furthermore, these same sources
may be contributing to other global problems, such as global warming and stratospheric ozone
depletion.
Efforts to achieve extensive reductions in VOC emissions have not been successful partly
because of the difficulty of dealing with stationary area sources. This difficulty has left these
emissions largely uncontrolled. Area sources may contribute as much as 50 percent of national VOC
emissions, and the growth of emissions from such sources may be outpacing efforts to reduce the
diminishing base of uncontrolled point source emissions.
Add-on control devices are generally not economical for small, widely-distributed sources such
as consumer products and small coating operations. Hence, innovative pollution prevention options
are needed to achieve significant emission reductions. The successful application of pollution
prevention techniques to small area sources, for which controls are generally ineffective, will help
to generate support for the use of pollution prevention techniques in larger coating operations,
where the capture and control of emissions can be expensive, complex, and is, in some cases,
ineffective.
4-19
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Research Needs
Surface coatings and consumer products are two area source categories which make up a
significant portion of uncontrolled VOC emissions. Both are amenable to prevention via formulation,
application/packaging, and consumer usage pattern changes. Research is needed to characterize and
demonstrate the efficacy of these changes. There is also a need to reduce emissions on a
compound-specific basis. Hence, a top-down analysis to identify end-uses of solvents is needed in
order to identify those which are amenable to reduction via pollution prevention. Subsequent
research is needed to identify techniques to reduce these emissions. Information and data need to
be transferred in an efficient manner to potential users in the public and private sectors.
Current Activities
Current activities include research in both organic emissions prevention and control, and a
strong technology transfer effort through the Control Technology Center (CTC). AEERL has an
impressive history of evaluating developing control technologies for VOC control. Significant
research continues in this direction. However, planning for the FY91-92 2% Set-Aside Pollution
Prevention project and its subsequent completion will permit flexibility in organic emissions
reduction objectives, a research program balanced between prevention and control, and an enhanced
ability to provide technical support in the prevention area.
The 2% Set-Aside project includes research in alternative surface coatings and in consumer
products. Three efforts are proposed to prevent solvent emissions from coating operations. The
first two—Evaluation of Potential Coating Technologies and Surface-Coating-Free Materials
Workshop—will bring together information about prevention opportunities and will provide a basis
for anticipated demonstration efforts. The third project area consists of several demonstrations of
prevention options, including technology for wood furniture manufacturing and autobody
refinishing.
Two research areas are included under consumer product research. The first directly addresses
consumer products. This effort includes the development of test methods to evaluate the VOC
content of products and the development of low-polluting product options. A scoping study for test
method development research has been initiated during FY90. The second effort concerns pesticide
inerts. The primary purpose of this effort is to extend the current four category inerts approach,
4-20
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
which focuses on health- based concerns, to include ambient ozone, stratospheric ozone depletion
and greenhouse potential concerns.
AEERL has been active in the coatings and consumer products areas. Cooperative coatings
research continues with the Department of Defense. During 1989, AEERL and OAQPS co-sponsored
a symposium with extensive industry participation addressing the potential regulation of consumer
products. AEERL is working to expand New York's emissions estimate for the New York City
metropolitan area to the entire NESCAUM region. In addition, AEERL has completed studies of
VOC emissions from aerosol products and charcoal lighter fluid.
Research in the development of innovative controls (e.g., corona destruction) and the
enhancement of existing controls (i.e., carbon adsorption and catalytic incineration) continues. Of
critical importance is the evaluation of the effectiveness of controls as operated in industry. If, as
suspected, the controls are not operated effectively, resulting in poor control efficiency, then
research will be undertaken to identify and recommend special permit conditions to regulators, to
provide guidance to industry, and to improve the robustness of control technology design and
operation.
Relationship to Sectors Targeted in PPO's Foliation Prevention Strategy
This pollution prevention research will address all sectors with emphasis on industry and
energy/transportation. Focus will be on dealing with volatile organics from a wide variety of area
and point sources. Special emphasis will be given to such areas as alternatives, substitutes, and
improved methodologies for consumer products, paints and coatings, and solvent usage. Prevention-
oriented upgrading of control technology effectiveness for point sources of VOCs will also be
addressed for these sectors. Reduction in ozone will provide benefits in the agricultural sector
through increased plant growth productivity, resulting in a need for less intensive fanning practices.
Research
The proposed technological research includes the following product and process research efforts:
• Alternative Coatings Materials and Processes- -Demonstrating the viability of VOC emissi
reduction through alternative coating materials and processes (Product and Proc
sions
through alternative coating materials and processes (Product and Pr
Research).
4-21
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CHAPTER 4-raOBLEM-SPECOTC RESEARCH
Consumer Product Pollution Prevention Options—Identifying and evaluating consumer
product prevention options, including development of in-house laboratory capability to
evaluate the environmentaJ claims (VOC content, reduced volume of product per
application, etc.) and the efficacy of improved products developed by industry (Product
Research).
Sources of VOC Emissions—Evaluating solvent usage via a top-down analysis of the
marketplace, thereby identifying possible unmitigated sources of VOC emissions (Product
Research).
Emissions Reduction from Sources—Performing research to identify methods of reducing
emissions from those sources creating the greatest health and welfare risk (Product Research
with potential Process components).
(Note: The firtt two effortiluted above have been funded durinf FY91 and FY92 at part of tb« Adminijtrator'i 2% Set-Aiide
Pollution Prevention Project!.)
Industrial partners will be sought for the demonstration of alternative coating materials. These
partners are needed to supply alternative coating formulations and/or equipment and to allow testing
of coatings under manufacturing conditions. AEERL will work with SCAQMD to identify industrial
partners during the initial stages of the program. A potential partner is Southern California Edison
which has established a research facility for coatings application in the Los Angeles area.
Proposed Non-T<^hno^ogical Research
Since Little is known about whether air pollution alerts lead to mitigating behavior by
individuals in the community or by the polluters, research is needed to evaluate incentives for
behavior modification. The following research projects are proposed:
• Incentive Effect on Behavior Modification—Examine the incentive effect of air pollution
alerts on both the general public and polluters, especially in terms of prevention of exposure
through reduced releases.
• Effectiveness of Message Presentation—Investigate the effectiveness of alternative ways of
presenting messages about individual pollution prevention actions that emphasize: (a) the
impact on personal risk, and (b) the impact on the general environment.
• Ipcentive Approaches to Remove High Emission Cars—Develop incentives designed to
encourage the elimination or repair of high emission vehicles.
• Energy Conservation Incentives—Examine a variety of energy conservation incentives for
mobile and stationary sources.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
• Market Incentives to Reduce Emissions- -Investigate the feasibility and determine the
effectiveness of marketable permits, energy/carbon taxes, and state permit taxes.
« Alternatives for Reducing Fossil Fuel Use — Provide an economic rationale and alternative
approaches for altering energy prices, indicating the effects on fossil fuel use,
environmental quality, economic impacts, and other advantages and disadvantages.
• Analyze Air Pollutant Alerts- -Assess whether air pollution alerts can be used as an effective
pollution prevention tool, and if so, how.
• Examine Trade-off Between Coating Emissions and Product Life — Assess the utility of
coatings in extending the useable life of a product and study the trade-off between coating
emissions and product life.
Proosed
The technology transfer plan for addressing the criteria air pollutants problem involves the
following activities:
• Research and Product (Deliverable") Targeting—OTTRS technology transfer liaison will
monitor deliverable development, attend meetings, and assist the laboratories and the
program offices, where necessary, to assure preparation of quality ORD deliverables.
OTTRS will also advise the program offices, as needed, on the utilization of the research,
information, and other support services.
• Product Development--OTTRS/CERI will support publication of ORD reports based on
AEERL's research results.
• Information Dissemination—Providing technology transfer to state and local environmental
officials, small businesses, and researchers through workshops and the use of the Control
Technology Center (CTC), the small business clearinghouse as proposed in the Clean Air
Act Amendments, and the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC).
OTTRS/CERI will advertise the availability of information through its Technology Transfer
Newsletter and other vehicles reaching the target audiences. OTTRS/CERI will also work
closely with PPO and OAR to assist in adding the research results to PPIC.
• Evaluation- - ORD and OAR will assess the effectiveness of the research in achieving its
intended results, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the program, products, and their
delivery.
Proposed Outputs
2% Set-Aside Projects
Surface-coating-free materials workshop 05/91
4-23
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIHC RESEARCH
Evaluation of potential coating technologies report
Coatings demonstration projects
Autobody refinishing
Wood furniture manufacture
Consumer product test method development
Prevention options availability report
Aerosol propellant/packaging changes
Develop an expanded technical basis for a
pesticide inerts strategy
Final Report
Interim Report
Interim Report
- Annual Report
- Annual Report
- Interim Report
Interim Report
Final Report
06/91
09/91
03/92
03/93
09/91
09/92
06/91
09/91
09/92
06/92
2% Set-Aside Follow-ons
Annual report on coatings demonstrations
Annual report on consumer products prevention
In-house consumer products prevention options
laboratory operational
09/93, 94, 95
09/93, 94, 95
03/94
Other Projects
Top-down solvent reduction strategy
- Opportunity Analysis for
VOC Reduction
- Annual Report on
VOC Reduction
Research and product targeting
Products development, publication, and dissemination
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC
Evaluation of effectiveness of research project
09/93
09/94, 95
Ongoing
Ongoing
01/91-96
Ongoing
4-24
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Partici
Cooperation with the following offices/laboratories/institutions is anticipated:
Pollution Prevention Office Annual Funding
• OPTS (OPP and OTS)- -Coordination on the technological and non-technological research
projects.
• OAR/OAOPS— Collaboration on the technological research efforts.
• EPA Region IX—Cooperation on technological research project.
• QUK5ZCJ£R1- -Collaboration on all technology transfer and technical assistance activities.
• OPPE- -Collaboration on socioeconomic and institutional research initiatives.
• Industrial Partners — Cooperation on and contribution of funds for technological research
efforts.
• SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) — Collaboration on and
contribution of funds for specific research efforts.
• NESCAUM (Northeast States for Coordinated Air tjgfi MSDflRCRKlU) — Collaboration on
research efforts.
• NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) — Collaboration on
research efforts.
• CARB (California Air Resources Board)— Collaboration on research efforts.
Resources
FY91 FY92 FY93 FY94 FY95
($ thousands)
FTEs 02222
S&E 0 200 300 250 250
R&D 680 700 750 750 900
TOTAL 680 900 1050 1000 1150
4-25
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECinC RESEARCH
Contacts
ORD/AEERL
OAR/OAQPS
OPTS/OPP
OPTS/OTS
EPA Region IX
SCAQMD
NESCAUM
NYSDEC
CARB
OTTRS
OPPE
Michael Kosusko
Brock M. Nicholson
Ferial S. Bishop
William Burch
Carl C. Kohnert, Jr.
Larry Watkins
Alan Van Arsdale
Ricky Leone
Peggy Vanicek
Ron Slotkin
Derry Allen
FTS 629-2734
FTS 629-5517
FTS 557-7700
FTS 382-3664
FTS 556-6415
(818) 572-6308
(617) 367-8540
(518)457-6379
(916) 322-8283
FTS 382-7671
FTS 382-2747
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES-Halons
Description
Halons are bromine-containing compounds that have found increased utilization as fire and
explosion suppressants in recent years. They also can be potent depleters of stratospheric ozone.
There are a number of applications where halons have important advantages over other fire
extinguishants. Such cases include protection of installations where electronic monitoring of
activities is vital to the safety of personnel (chemical production plants, air traffic control towers,
military surveillance and communication centers, etc.), and where explosive concentrations of
combustible gases can occur in occupied areas (e.g., gas charging rooms of aerosol plants and enclosed
oil production facilities such as exist on the Alaskan North Slope). Some uses, however, have
developed solely through convenience. Halons have long atmospheric lifetimes. This fact coupled
with their ultimate release of bromine atoms in the stratosphere makes the halons potent depleters
of stratospheric ozone. For this reason, the halons are already being limited in production and are
facing ultimate phaseout. Alternative fire protection agents or strategies must be found to take the
place of the halons in essential uses.
Rationale
The fully halogenated Halons-1211, -1301, and -2402 are currently regulated by the EPA (40
CFR Part 82; August 12, 1988) and are subjected to an escalating tax by the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1989. The EPA regulation implements the terms of the Montreal Protocol of
1987, which at present, allows the halons to continue to be produced but with production capped
at the 1986 level. Amendments to the protocol agreed to in June 1990, now call for the complete
phaseout of the halons by the year 2000.
As effective as the halons are in extinguishing fires and suppressing explosions, the ozone-
depleting capability of these chemicals is three to ten times the depleting potential of the CFCs. It
is generally recognized that while fires and explosions are undesirable, global ozone depletion is
catastrophic. Therefore, the risk posed by continued consumption and emissions of the halons is
unacceptable.
4-27
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Halons are stored in cylinders until needed. Emissions are, therefore, restricted to inadvertent
releases or intentional discharge for training, system servicing, or system readiness testing purposes.
Production emissions are negligible. The prevention approach is particularly pertinent to the
emissions of halons since such emissions are amenable to such techniques as temporary holding and
recycling halons during system servicing, use of alternative chemicals or methods to simulate halon
firefighting in training exercises, and elimination of use by substituting alternative fire suppressant
agents or fire protection strategies.
Research Needs
Halon emissions may be reduced in the near term by a number of means including:
(1) restricting halon use to essential applications, (2) improving servicing procedures to eliminate
unnecessary emissions, (3) reducing unnecessary discharges such as in the discharge testing of HaJon-
1301 systems, (4) using alternative methods of acceptance testing in halon systems (e.g., door fan
tests, puff tests, or alternative test gases), (5) reallocating the halon bank to essential uses, (6)
developing a destruction technology for unusable halons, and (7) establishing a system for recycling
halons. All of the above approaches require development for implementation by the fire protection
community.
To enable a complete phaseout of these ozone-depleting substances, however, alternative
methods or chemicals must be found and demonstrated to be acceptable in essential applications in
order for the fire protection community to proceed with their adoption.
Current Activities
AEERL is a participant in the Halon Alternatives Research Consortium (HARC). This is a
joint government-industry effort to search for alternative fire suppressant agents which combine the
desirable attributes of the halons (namely, rapid extinction of fire while personnel may still be in the
affected area and protection of property from fire and smoke without leaving a residue or without
damage from the extinguishant itself). Consortium members include in addition to AEERL:
Department of Defense (Air Force, Army, and Navy), National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Halon
Research Institute, halon producers, fire protection system manufacturers and distributors, and fire
insurers.
4-28
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
The HARC strategy is to conduct a program of closely-coordinated research, empirical testing
and analysis that is performed by experts in the critical technical areas. The technical effort is
guided and monitored by a Technical Committee in which AEERL is an active participant. Research
is currently underway to:
• Select trial chemicals and quick, relatively inexpensive performance screening tests to be
run on them.
• Identify fire types for which halons are currently deployed and the requirements of a
"drop-in" replacement agent.
* Identify the chemical, physical, and fluid mechanical properties of chemicals that would
be most effective, economical, and safe.
• Establish a systematic data base to aid analysis of all pertinent information in support of
the above.
In addition to assisting in the formation of the research strategy and in the oversight of HARC
research projects, EPA is sponsoring the synthesis and preliminary property determinations of a
subset of new chemicals which have been identified as possible halon replacements. These new
chemicals are brominated derivatives of dimethylfluoroethers. This work commenced in FY90 and
is being conducted by fluorine chemistry experts at the University of Tennessee. Samples of these
new chemicals are being submitted to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for
preliminary screening tests. This work has acquired special importance in view of the current U.S.
position that hydrogenated chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which comprise some of the leading
proposed halon alternatives, should be eliminated (probably within the time frame of 2020-2040).
Relationship to Sectors Targeted In PPO's Pollution Prevention Strategy
The ozone-depleting substances research effort will address the industrial, energy,
transportation, consumer, and government/military sectors. This is true because halons are used as
fire extinguishants in all sectors. Alternatives, substitutes, and recycling/reuse of these halogenated
organics (halons) will be developed and evaluated as a means for eliminating these extremely harmful
materials, which are active stratospheric ozone depletors and greenhouse gases.
4-29
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Proposed Technological Research
Technological research efforts will emphasize accelerating the commercialization of proposed
alternative chemicals for the halons. Recently, both DuPont and Great Lakes Chemicals have
announced candidate alternative chemicals. However, much work remains to be done to prove the
acceptability of these candidates in the various end-use applications. AEERL will be working with
the HARC Implementation Committee to determine the critical path and institutional and technical
barriers to the commercialization of these potential new fire extinguishants. For example, a
consensus plan needs to be developed which will allow demonstration of proposed new agents in a
manner which will be both timely and which will satisfy the potential end-user that the new agents
will be acceptable for his purposes. For example, the requirements for suppression of weaponry
explosions for the military will be different than the requirements for preventive inertion of gas
explosions in Alaskan North Slope oil production facilities, and these will be different than the
requirements for extinguishment of fires in electronic installations.
The consensus plan will need to incorporate input from the users regarding what constitutes
agent pass-fail criteria, and what tests are appropriate to measure agent performance against these
criteria. Products of pyrolysis of the new agents must be examined to determine if the agent itself
may add additional hazard to the fire scenario. The entire plan and test results should be published
to enable ready international as well as domestic acceptance.
In addition to constructing a consensus test plan and carrying out the actual tests on industry -
proposed new agents, work on potential fall-back agents needs to be continued. This will involve
completion of the work on brominated dimethylfluoroethers already underway at the University of
Tennessee plus investigation of the class of perfluorocarbons as total flooding agents. The latter
compounds have shown excellent fire extinguishment performance and very low toxicities in
preliminary tests to date. Further fire extinguishment tests at larger scale as well as explosion
suppression tests need to performed.
As new agents are found to replace the existing bank of halons, the need will arise to dispose
of the unused, unwanted, or waste halons in an environmentally acceptable manner. Therefore, safe,
effective means of destroying the halons or of converting them to other safer materials must be
found and made available.
4-30
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Until such time as new agents or alternative approaches can be put in place to completely
eliminate use of the halons, a mechanism needs to be established for the realignment recycling of the
current bank of the chemicals from non-essential to essential uses. This is needed to reduce
continued production of the halons to minimal levels. Investigation of purity acceptance
requirements, on-site purity testing, and possible institutional impediments to the transfer of recycled
halons will be needed.
The following technological research projects are proposed to address the halons problem:
• Chemical Replacements for Halons--Investigate properties of chemical replacements for
halons (Product Research).
• Properties of Halon Substitutes--Evaluate the properties of potential halon substitutes such
as brominated dimethylfiuoroethers (Product Research).
• Flooding Agents—Perform small- and large-scale testing of perfluorocarbons and/or
brominated dimethylfiuoroethers as total flooding agents (Product Research).
• Destruction of Halons--Evaluate the best means for ultimate destruction/conversion of
unwanted halons (Process Research).
• Halon Recycling—Assess the feasibility of and processes for recycling halons (Recycling
and Reuse Research).
• Collection of Non-essential Halons—Develop a plan to collect non-essential reservoirs of
halons (such as portable fire extinguishers in offices), and develop a plan to recycle or
destroy halons (Recycling and Reuse Research).
• Reallocation of Existing Bank of Kalons--Develop a conceptual plan for reallocation of the
existing bank of halons to essential uses (Anticipatory Research).
Proposed Non-TscllinQtotfcfll Research
The following socioeconomic research projects are proposed to address the problem of ozone
depleting substances:
• Acceptability Testing Plan for New Agents—Develop a consensus plan for acceptability
testing of announced new candidate agents.
• (Consumer Product Labeling—Assess the effectiveness of labeling consumer products that
contribute to ozone depletion. An emphasis of this project would be to allay any confusion
created by what seem to be conflicting messages: ozone in the ambient environment is.
harmful, but in the stratosphere it is good.
4-31
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Proi
Transfer/Technical
The technology transfer plan for addressing the ozone depleting substances problem involves
the following activities:
Research and Product (Deliverable) Targeting--OTTRS technology transfer liaison will
monitor deliverable development, attend meetings, and assist the laboratories and the
program offices, where necessary, to assure preparation of quality ORD deliverables.
OTTRS will also advise the program offices, as needed, on the utilization of the research,
information, and other support services.
Product Development--OTTRS/CERI will support publication of ORD reports based on
AEERL's research results.
Information Dissemination--OTTRS/CERI will advertise the availability of information
through its Technology Transfer Newsletter and other vehicles reaching the target audiences.
OTTRS/CERI will assist in adding the research results to PPIC.
Evaluation--ORD will assess the effectiveness of the research in achieving its intended
results, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the program, products, and their delivery.
Proposed Outputs
Progress report on properties of chemical replacements
for halons
Publish consensus plan for acceptability testing of announced
new candidate agents
Interim status report on halon recycling
Report on small-scale testing of perfluorocarbons as potential
total flooding fire extinguishaots and explosion suppressants
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention information products
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC
Development, publication, and dissemination of research results Ongoing
Report on properties of potential halon substitutes such as brominated
dimethylfluoroethers.
Progress report on acceptability testing of industry's announced
new agents
Conceptual plan for reallocation of existing bank of halons to
essential uses
09/91
09/91
10/91
12/91
01/91-94
01/91-96
09/92
10/92
09/93
4-32
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Report on large-scale testing of perfluorocarbons and/or
brominated dimethylfluoroethers as total flooding agents 12/93
Report on best means for ultimate destruction/conversion
of unwanted halons 12/94
Final report on acceptability of industry's announced Dew agents 04/95
Evaluation of effectiveness of research project Ongoing
Particioatiibz Offices
Cooperation with the following offices is anticipated:
• OAR/Global Change Division—Collaboration on the technological research efforts.
• OPPE--Collaboration on the socioeconomic research efforts.
• QJTRJi--Collaboration on the technology transfer/technical assistance activities.
Resources
FY91
FY92
FY93
(S thousands)
FY94
FY95
FTEs
S&E
R&D
TOTAL
0
0
200
200
1
60
250
310
1
60
300
360
1
60
300
360
1
60
150
210
Contacts
AEERL/RTP
OAR
OPPE
OTTRS
N. Dean Smith
Steven O. Anderson
Derry Allen
Ron Slotkin
FTS 629-2708
FTS 475-9403
FTS 382-2747
FTS 382-7671
4-33
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFlC RESEARCH
OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES-Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and 1,1,1-
TrichJoroethane
Description
CFCs and methyl chloroform (MCF or 1,1,1-trichloroethane are among the substances that are
to be phased out as per the Montreal Protocol amendments and the Clean Air Act amendments.
CFCs are used in food preservation, space cooling, insulation, and solvents applications. MCF is used
primarily as a solvent. The base program in stratospheric ozone protection emphasizes food
preservation aspects of refrigeration. A prevention program is needed both to find alternative
technologies or chemicals as a long-term solution and to ensure availability of chemicals (e.g.,
recycling) to allow utilization of existing capital equipment for its useful life.
The Montreal Protocol amendments and the House and Senate versions of the Clean Air Act
Amendments call for phaseout of the same ozone depleting chemicals. However, the time schedules
are different. Further, the current CFCs and many of their replacements (e.g., HCFCs) are also
greenhouse gases, and HCFCs could lead to energy penalties and, therefore, greater than necessary
generation of carbon dioxide. The percentage of control that could be achieved by add-on controls
is not adequate. Therefore, the only approach is one of prevention.
Research Needs
Needs exist in all major areas of pollution prevention including product research, process
research, recycling, socioeconomic research, anticipatory research, and technology transfer. Some
specific research examples are evaluation of alternative chemicals or technologies that might be used
in space cooling of buildings to replace the HCFCs that are intended for the next generation of
equipment, assistance to developing countries in determining how they can use their production
facilities of banned chemicals to produce chemicals which would be less harmful, evaluation of
alternative to MCF, and determination of techniques for evaluating whether Protocol chemicals are
contained in products that the U.S. imports or exports.
4-34
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Current Activities
EPA's Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory has developed expertise in
refrigeration technology. To date, this has been applied in domestic home refrigeration/freezers.
Preliminary work is being done in other refrigeration areas such as space cooling in order to better
define the needs. Industry is working on commercializing the HCFCs and some HFCs for space
cooling applications; however, HCFCs and some HFCs are generally detrimental to global climate
change (e.g., use of HFC-134a in mobile air-conditioning). In the solvents' area, there are several
MCF uses for which no current solutions are known. Since this chemical has just been added to the
phaseout schedule, little specific work has been done on these applications. It may be possible to
utilize a next generation solvent that is being presently evaluated for replacement of CFC-113.
Relationship to Sectors Targeted in PPO's Pollution Prevention Strategy
The ozone-depleting substances research effort will address the industrial, energy, consumer,
and government sectors. CFCs are used in refrigeration and air cooling systems, insulation, and
solvents applications. Alternative technologies or chemicals are needed for CFCs and MCF tc
eliminate the use of these ozone-depleting chemicals.
Proposed Technological Research
Space cooling exigencies exist in the areas of chillers, heat pumps, and mobile air-conditioning.
Alternative chemicals need to be evaluated as well as alternative technologies and technologies which
could be used to assist existing technologies to make them more effective. It is expected that the
work would be done partly in-house and partly via extramural efforts. Much work is needed to
assist developing countries in their efforts to avoid the problems which we have faced as a result of
our prior decisions in the use of CFCs. This work will fall into several categories from process
research to technology transfer. Even well-established technologies may have to be adapted to
operate in the sphere of the developing country (e.g., climate, operating conditions, maintenance,
expertise of operators, quality of manufacturing, support personnel). Developing countries use MCF
and even carbon tetrachloride as solvents. They will need help in finding and utilizing alternatives
applicable to their situations.
4-35
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
The following technological research projects are proposed to address the chlorofluorocarbons
and MCF problem:
• Alternatives to CFCs—Investigate chemicals that can be used as alternatives to CFCs and
MCF and evaluate their effectiveness and potential health and environmental impacts
(Product Research).
• Technologies to Eliminate Use of CFCs and MCF--Evaluate technologies that could
eliminate the use of CFCs and MCF or technologies that could be used to assist existing
technologies to make them more effective (Process Research).
• RecvclinR/Reuse of CFCs and MCF--Research the effectiveness of various incentives for
recycling/reuse of CFCs and MCF (Recycling and Reuse Research).
Proposed Non-Technological Research
The following socioeconomic research projects are proposed to address the problem of ozone
depleting substances:
• Acceptability Testing Plan for New Agents—Develop a consensus plan for acceptability
testing of announced new candidate agents, and prepare a report on acceptability testing
of industry's announced new agents.
• Consumer Product Labeling—Assess the effectiveness of labeling consumer products that
contribute to ozone depletion. An emphasis of this project would be to allay any confusion
created by what seem to be conflicting messages: ozone in the ambient environment is
harmful, but in the stratosphere it is good.
• Define Essential Uses— The Clean Air Act amendments require that non-essential uses be
learned. These must be defined.
TwJinnlfwv Transfer/Technical Assistance
The technology transfer plan for addressing the ozone depleting substances problem involves
the following activities:
• Research and Product (Deliverable) Targeting—OTTRS technology transfer liaison will
monitor deliverable development, attend meetings, and assist the laboratories and the
program offices, where necessary, to assure preparation of quality ORD deliverables.
OTTRS will also advise the program offices, as needed, on the utilization of the research,
information, and other support services.
4-36
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
• Product Development- -OTTRS/CERI will support publication of ORD reports based on
AEERL's research results.
• Information Dissemination— OTTRS/CERI will advertise the availability of information
through its Technology Transfer Newsletter and other vehicles reaching the target audiences.
OTTRS/CERI will assist in adding the research results, to PPIC.
• Evaluation--ORD will assess the effectiveness of the research in achieving its intended
results, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the program, products, and their delivery.
Proposed Outputs
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention information products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
Preparation, publication, and dissemination of reports on research results Ongoing
Evaluation of effectiveness of research project Ongoing
Additional outputs would be specifically determined after it is known when funds would be
made available. Generally, there would be at least one output per work area each year. The outputs
would range from research reports on evaluations of alternative concepts to testing of full-scale
replacement equipment.
Partici
Cooperation with the following offices is anticipated:
• OAR/Global Change Division — Collaboration on the technological research efforts.
• OPPE - -Collaboration on the socioeconomic research efforts.
• QTTRS/CERI— Collaboration on the technology transfer/technical assistance activities.
4-37
-------
CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Resources
FY91
FTEs 0
S&E 0
R&D 0
TOTAL 0
Contacts
AEERL/RTP
OAR/GCD
OPPE
OTTRS
FY92 FY93
($ thousands)
2 3
150 300
500 1000
650 1300
William J. Rhodes
Steven O. Anderson
Derry Allen
Ron Slotkin
FY94
3
250
2000
2250
FTS 629-2853
FTS 475-9403
FTS 382-2747
FTS 382-7671
FY95
3
250
2000
2250
4-38
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
GREENHOUSE GASES/GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
Description
The root causes of global warming are anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases resulting
from the activities of a rapidly expanding global population. Among this set of activities, fossil fuel
combustion will account for 50 percent of the problem in the form of CO, emissions by the year
2030. Deforestation and biomass combustion will account for approximately 25 percent more of the
problem. Methane releases from landfills, pipelines, coal mines, and agricultural/animal husbandry
activities will account for 15 percent.
Each of these problem areas is amenable to a partial engineering solution in the form of process
and product modification, or material/fuel substitution; biomass fuels can replace fossil fuels while
providing an incentive for reforestation; renewable sources of energy such as photovoltaic cells for
hydrogen or electricity production can replace fossil fuels; conservation can reduce energy demand;
and methane from landfills and coal mines can be recovered and used as a source of energy.
Conservation has been selected using several criteria. The first is that it addresses one of the
principle sources of greenhouse gases, and the research benefits are therefore potentially very large.
An equally important reason is that there is substantial uncertainty concerning the effects of global
warming and a prudent course of action should address areas which have other benefits. If, a decade
hence, it is found that the magnitude of the global wanning phenomena will not significantly affect
human health or the environment, nothing will have been lost if the policies and technologies
pursued conserve finite fossil fuel resources or reduce emissions of conventional pollutants. This is
the basis for the Administration's "no regrets" policy regarding climate change.
The final consideration is that this area is not being addressed in any substantive fashion by
other groups, particularly DOE. DOE does have a substantial program in the area of conservation,
but it is focused on the research and development of specific system components. Some important
system research for industry has been overlooked. Insufficient attention has been devoted to
component/system integration for advanced high efficiency lighting and to outreach programs for
lighting practitioners and the user population. Electric motors use two-thirds of all electric power
4-39
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECinC RESEARCH
generated, and each one percent improvement in their efficiency could save 17 billion kWh per year
of electric energy. The application of fuzzy logic control for adjustable speed drive motors has not
been extensively investigated in this country but is expected to yield large energy savings.
Modifications to specific processes and operations in the industrial sector have the potential for large
energy savings as do improvements in generic technologies.
Perhaps the overriding impetus for adopting a pollution prevention approach to the above area
is that it is the only one which makes economic sense. DOE established some time ago that CO,
control technologies are unaffordable and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Pollution
prevention/conservation is the nearest term and most cost effective approach to reduce energy
utilization. In the longer run, the necessary energy can be produced from non-fossil technologies,
to the extent practicable.
The growing use of fossil fuels worldwide will not be ultimately sustainable, either from a
standpoint of energy availability or environmental acceptability. Solar technology is already making
some modest inroads throughout the world in displacing fossil fuel usage. However, the potential
environmental benefits of solar technologies warrant a more proactive EPA research emphasis.
Within the solar area, the specific area of solar photovoltaic is of substantial import as it relates to
the environment. This technology holds the promise of providing two very clean forms of
transportable energy, namely electricity and hydrogen. Two key requirements exist for accelerating
the progress in application of such technology. One requirement is that an environmental
engineering technology transfer program be established that will start to factor the solar choices into
everyday pollution control/permitting decisions on new and modified construction. The second
requirement is that the research, development, and demonstration of such technology be expanded
with a definite joint, proactive involvement from the environmental engineering research community.
A responsible prevention research position does not include standing on the sidelines during painfully
slow evolution of this highly prevention-oriented technology.
Research Needs
Three major areas in conservation need to be addressed—commercial and residential lighting,
industrial processes, and motors. Although DOE has researched lighting components extensively,
research on systems evaluation and testing methods is required, as is the transfer of this information
to practical application. Industry-specific research in the areas of membrane separation technology
4-40
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
(a lower cost method than distillation for segregating liquids), recycling, electrification, anJ
construction technology will be pursued, as will the use of fuzzy logic programming to control
adjustable speed drive motors for enhanced energy efficiency. Fuzzy logic control applies a set
theory and measurement theory which allows control of dynamic systems which are non-linear, too
complex, ill-defined, or have data uncertainties which preclude conventional modern binary control.
Since the growing world demand for fossil fuels is known to be unsustainable in the long term,
it would be prudent to begin developing viable alternatives. Solar photovoltaic cells have found
modest applications, but additional research could allow them to become economic, non-polluting
sources of both hydrogen fuel and electricity.
Current Activities
A project to develop methods for testing and evaluating lighting systems using pollution
prevention funds has been initiated. The approach includes the identification of those products and
technologies that will be the most important in quickly improving lighting efficiency, the evaluation
and development of a consistent set of standards to be used to test and evaluate the identified
products, and the identification and certification of laboratories which can perform the testing.
Generic studies on industrial boilers, process heaters, cogeneration, adjustable speed drive motors,
lighting, and recycling have been completed. Application and cost/benefit studies have shown room
for significant improvements in these areas. Motors, for example, operate most efficiently at full
load, but are usually not required to do so. As a result, average energy losses of 20-25 percent occur.
Intelligent control will significantly reduce these losses, but hardware and software development is
necessary. In the solar photovoltaic area, the current rate of advance in the crystalline silicon and
thin film allow predictions of electricity prices of $0.020 to $0.035 per kWh by the turn of the
century.
EflattoflSfrlp to Sectors Targeted in PPO's Pollution Prevention Strategy
The pollution prevention research addressing the greenhouse gases/global climate change
problem will deal with all sectors with emphasis on the industry, consumer, and
energy/transportation sectors. Reduction in fossil energy use is the primary objective. Reduction
of carbon dioxide from fossil energy usage is the primary focus, but reductions in use of coal and
petroleum result in many other benefits including reduction of volatile organics (ozone non
4-41
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
attainment, air toxics) and PM- 10. Conservation-related aspects will focus on the top priority energy
use areas (such as electric motors and lighting) where substantial progress can be made in both
advancing technology and technology transfer into the environmental regulatory sector. Renewable
energy aspects focus on getting use of solar photovoltaic alternatives built into the environmental
regulatory structure through technology transfer. This will then allow consideration of offsets or
tradeoffs on criteria- pollutant fossil fuel sources. Where solar options can be used, both criteria
pollutants and global climate benefits will be achieved.
Proos Tnological Research
The primary emphasis in lighting will be to identify and test systems to determine optimal
energy efficiency. The information must then be effectively transferred to the design and
construction industry to achieve market penetration. Industrial process research will focus initially
on improved membrane separation technology, recycling, and approaches to electrification. Cost
effectiveness of each of the improvements will be documented. In developing adjustable speed drive
motors the emphasis will focus on fuzzy logic rather than the usual binary system. The energy
efficiency of these systems will then be demonstrated.
There are four topics of interest in the solar area. The first is the construction and testing of
a high efficiency photovoltaic module (1 to 5 kWh) to determine long- term reliability and
performance. The second project would couple the best available commercial photovoltaic module
to an electrolyzer for hydrogen production. Thirdly, the potential of a semiconductor septum
electrochemical photovoltaic cell for direct production of hydrogen would be investigated. Finally,
the potential for encouraging the use of solar technology through various environmental
permitting/allowance procedures and technology transfer will be expanded.
Effort needs to be applied to the engineering analysis of a multitude of applications where the
solar alternative can be made a preferred or acceptable alternative. Preliminary steps have been
taken by DOE's Solar Energy Research Institute to inform potential users of the availability and
applications of certain types of photovoltaic products. The basts for a much expanded parallel effort
needs to be developed by environmental engineering applications research relevant to many of the
permitting and regulatory options the Agency has direct or indirect control of or at least influences.
Guidelines and demonstrations need to be developed which will get the information and visibility
4-42
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
down to a regional, state, and local level. Solar choices will not be available as an alternative unless
this quantification and familiarization process is given adequate emphasis.
The following technological research projects are proposed to address the greenhouse
gases/global climate change problem:
• Performance Testing Procedures—Evaluate, develop, and conduct performance testing
procedures for selected efficient lighting components and systems (Product Research).
• Costs and Benefits Analysis for Efficient Lighting Technologies--Determine life cycle costs
and evaluate energy and environmental impacts of efficiency lighting technologies (Product
Research).
• Solar Hvdroaen Production Systems—Construct and develop two solar hydrogen production
systems, and evaluate their effectiveness (Product Research).
• Performance Testing of Innovative Motor Control Methodology—Develop a detailed research
plan, design and develop a prototype, and conduct laboratory- and full-scale testing of an
innovative motor control methodology (Process Research).
• Infrastructure to Support Product Testing and Evaluation—Develop an operational
infrastructure to support continued product testing and evaluation of energy efficient-
technologies (Anticipatory Research).
Prooosed Non-Technolosical Research
The following socioeconomic and institutional research projects are proposed to address the
greenhouse gases/global climate change problem:
• Communication of Cumulative Lone-Term Risks- -Investigate the relative effectiveness of
traditional factual messages compared with affective (i.e., emotional) messages containing the
same factual content. Two formats will be developed: one to stress health risk and the other
to stress ecological risk.
• Motivation of Behavioral Changes Through Messages--Examine how to tailor messages about
the effects of global wanning to different groups. A particular focus of the research would
be how to motivate changes in individual behavior to prevent the generation of greenhouse
gases.
• Incentives for Energy Conservation—Examine various incentives to promote energy
conservation in both the public and private sectors, as well as the general public.
4-43
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
• Correction of Subsidies for and Damages from Fossil Fuel Use—Develop practical alternative
approaches for reducing fossil use by correcting for subsidies for and damages from fossil
fuel use.
Proposed Technology Transfer/T^tmical Assistance
The technology transfer plan for addressing the greenhouse gases/global climate change problem
involves the following activities:
• Research and Product (Deliverable) Targeting—OTTRS will work closely with OEETD to
transfer research conservation/pollution prevention information to the energy industry.
ORD's technology transfer staff will monitor deliverable development, attend meetings, and
advise and assist the laboratories, where necessary, to assure delivery of high quality products.
• Product Development--OTTRS/CERI will assist OEETD in preparing reports and fact sheets
relating energy research findings and program direction. OTTRS/CERI will support
publication of reports and handbooks resulting from AEERL's research. OEETD will develop
an application handbook for the light practitioners and decisionmakers to support continued
product testing and evaluation of lighting technology assessment.
• Information Dissemination—OTTRS/CERI will assist OEETD with the preparation and
distribution of technology transfer documents derived from ORD research, OTTRS/CERI
will promote the availability of the products through its Technology Transfer Newsletter and
other vehicles. OTTRS will also assist in building an effective outreach program. Working
closely with OEETD, OTTRS/CERI will explore the development of a prototype Energy
Efficiency Newsletter as a regular outreach vehicle and use PPIC to exchange information
as it is developed.
• Education/Training—OEETD and OTTRS/CERJ will co-sponsor an energy efficient products
trade show and conference. In addition, a series of workshops for industrial process and
product designers and manufacturers will be held prior to the trade show.
* Technical Assistance—Development of an outreach program to provide a comprehensive
organized up-to-date source of research-based technical programs. In addition, OEETD
will support development of an operational infrastructure to support continued product
testing and evaluation of lighting technologies.
• Evaluation—ORD and PPO will assess the effectiveness of the research in achieving its
intended results, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the research program, products,
and their delivery. OTTRS will work with the program offices to support evaluation efforts.
Proposed Outputs
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention information products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
4-44
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Report on small-scale testing and development of recommended
prototype designs for two solar hydrogen production processes 09/91
Report on the conceptual design, cost, and evaluation of a high
efficiency photovoltaic module 09/91
Final report on performance and reliability of high efficiency
photovoltaic module 09/93
Handbook for light practitioners and decisionmakers 09/94
Final report on cost, performance, and reliability of two solar
hydrogen production systems 09/95
Evaluation of effectiveness of research project Ongoing
Partici
Cooperation with the following offices is anticipated:
• OAR- -Collaboration to support the utilization and application of high efficiency motors
and adjustable speed drivers.
• OPPE — Collaboration to develop and evaluate policy strategies considering the potential
impacts (costs and benefits) of utilizing energy-efficient lighting and motor drive
technologies.
• QHESZCEE1— Collaboration on all technology transfer and technical assistance activities.
Resources
FTEs
S&E
R&D
TOTAL
FY91
0
0
0
0
FY92
2
150
500
650
FY93
($ thousands)
2
150
1000
1150
FY94
2
150
1000
1150
FY95
2
150
1000
1150
4-45
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Contacts
AEERL/RTP Jeffrey Chappel FTS 629-3738
AEERL/RTP Ronald Spiegel FTS 629-7542
AEERL/RTP Richard Stern FTS 629-2973
OAR Robert Kwartin FTS 382-4992
OPPE Paul Schwengels FTS 382-5504
OTTRS RonSlotkin FTS 382-7671
4-46
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS
Description
Hundreds of toxic air pollutants are emitted to the atmosphere in large quantities from
thousands of sources throughout the United States. The Clean Air Act mandates the establishment
of National Emissions Standards for hazardous air pollutants. The new Clean Air Act Amendments
(CAAA) of 1989 specify 191 pollutants or pollutant categories whose emissions to the environment
must be curtailed on a stringent schedule, and the Administrator of EM has singled out 17 air toxics
for accelerated research and regulatory attention. Reducing the emissions of toxic air pollutants is
one of the most difficult problems with which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has had
to deal because there is a large number of pollutants emitted from a myriad of sources, some of
which are very small. However, when taken collectively, the many small sources contribute to a
serious and worsening air toxics problem in the U.S. Reduction of emissions of toxic air pollutants
through prevention and control approaches is a key component of the strategy to reduce human
exposure and subsequently the adverse effects of these pollutants.
The primary objective of this project is to assess existing methods for reducing these emissions
and to develop innovative techniques for preventing the formation and/or release of the pollutants
to the atmosphere. Stationary sources are a major focus of prevention research since these sources
are large emitters of toxic air pollutants. In particular, emissions from methyl chloroform usage,
paint stripping, and woodstoves will be reduced via demonstration of pollution prevention options.
The importance of this work is further emphasized by the fact that these same sources may be
contributing to other global problems, such as global wanning, stratospheric ozone depletion, rising
tropospheric ozone concentrations, and multimedia effects.
Rationale
According to the Agency's latest figures from the Toxics Release Inventory, more than 2.4
billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the air in 1988. The emissions to the air
constituted more than SO percent of total emissions to all environmental media. Emissions in 1989
and 1990 are expected to be at approximately the same levels. Reductions in toxic pollutant
emissions have not been achieved because of the absence of regulatory incentives, the difficulty of
dealing with the many and varied sources of air toxics, and the frequently failure of existing contra
4-47
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
technologies on large point sources to achieve, the degree of control required for each source. It is
essential that a strategy combining the best efforts of a pollution prevention approach and the use
of control techniques as necessary be implemented to achieve the necessary reductions of emissions.
Add-on control devices are not likely to be effective nor economical small, widely-distributed
sources such as woodstoves and paint stripping operations. Hence, innovative pollution prevention
options are needed to achieve significant emission reductions. The successful application of pollution
prevention techniques and control technology, as needed, will help to significantly reduce air toxic
emissions.
Research Needs
Research needs include the development and demonstration of innovative prevention approaches
involving changes in the formulation, application, and commercial/consumer usage of products and
materials containing or emitting air toxics. Research is needed to characterize and demonstrate the
efficacy of these changes. There is a need to reduce emissions on a compound-specific basis as
required by the CAAA of 1989. Hence, a top-down analysis to identify end-uses of air toxics,
including inorganic materials and organic solvents, is needed in order to identify those which are
amenable to reduction via pollution prevention. Subsequent research is needed to identify viable
techniques to reduce these emissions. Existing and planned pollution prevention programs in AEERL
will include a focus on the list of 17 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemicals highlighted by the
Administrator. To do so, AEERL will apply prevention R&D approaches which have proven
successful in other programs and will actively seek new, innovative prevention approaches for
reducing the emissions of these and other pollutants. Sources will be identified and ranked in
priority order for assessment and for the application and demonstration of prevention approaches.
Current prevention options being considered include: (1) the development of substitutes for chemical
raw materials and products; (2) the modification of manufacturing, production, handling, and storage
processes and procedures; (3)a capture and recycle/reuse; (4) automated solvent management; and
(5) the elimination of the need for products which cause emissions in their manufacture, use, and
disposal.
AEERL will also apply the prevention R&D know-how gained in the highly successful effort
underway on CFCs to the problem of eliminating the top OAR-targe ted chlorinated organic air
toxics. Means for source reduction and recycle will be focused on these targeted compounds,
including trichloroethylene, chloroform, and methylene chloride. All sources will be screened and
4-48
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
ranked for priority setting, including degreasing, dry cleaning, surface preparation, solvenr
applications, and consumer products. Some of the prevention options are: (1) eliminating the need,
(2) chemical/product substitutes, (3) process modifications/control, (4) high-capture recycle, and (5)
computerized solvent management. In the substitutes area, emphasis will be placed on alternative
agents found naturally in the environment, e.g., supercritical CO2. As a starting point, the body of
existing information on prevention related to these compounds (such as recent work by OAQPS, other
Program Offices, and the Source Reduction Research Partnership) will be analyzed thoroughly, along
with the latest information on developments in the AEERL CFC and VOC prevention programs.
Information and data need to be transferred in an efficient manner to potential users in the public
and private sectors.
Current Activities
AEERL has an impressive history of evaluating and developing prevention options and
technologies for controlling toxic air pollutants, VOCs, and other pollutants. Significant research
in the areas continues. Current activities include research in both emissions prevention and control.
In both areas, the research is focusing on the enhancement of existing approaches and the
development of new, innovative approaches. The research program also includes a strong technology
transfer component through the Control Technology Center (CTC). Current planning to aid Agency
regulators in the implementation of the CAAA of 1989, Title IE-Air Toxics, will permit flexibility
in organic and inorganic emissions reduction objectives, a research program balanced between
prevention and control, and an enhanced ability to provide technical support in the prevention area.
AEERL's current prevention activity for emissions of toxic air pollutants has focused on co-
control of air toxics and VOCs from coatings and consumer products. Cooperative coatings research
continues with the Department of Defense. During 1989, AEERL and OAQPS co-sponsored a
symposium addressing the regulation of consumer products. Studies of emissions and emission
reduction options for aerosol products, small engines, and charcoal lighter fluid are essentially
complete. Research in alternative coatings and consumer products will be continued in the FY91-
92 2% Set-Aside Pollution Prevention Project, "Demonstration of Emerging Area-Source Prevention
Options for Volatile Organics," which is included in the 5-year research plan for Ozone Non-
Attainment. The active relationship between this research project and the list of 17 chemicals
designated by the Administrator is shown in Exhibit 13.
4-49
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EXHIBIT 13
LIST OF 17 TRI CHEMICALS: COORDINATION WITH
"DEMONSTRATION OF EMERGING AREA SOURCE
PREVENTION OPTIONS FOR VOLATILE ORGANICS"
TRI Chemical Coatings
Chromium
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene
Chloroform
1,1, 1 -Trichloroethane
Cadmium
Methyiene Chloride
Cyanide
Lead
Mercury
Nickel
Carbon Tetrachloride
Methyl Isobufyl Ketone
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Toluene
Benzene
Xylenes
NF
S
S
S
S
NF
S
NF
NF
S
L
L
L
S
L
Evaluation of
Coat- Free
Materials Wood Auto
L
+/- s
+/- s
S S
s s
L
+/- s
+/-
L
L
+/- s
L L L
+/- L L
L L L
S S S
L L L
Evaluation of
Consumer Products
Methods Options Aerosol Inerts
S
S
S
s
s
s
L
L
L
S
L
S
S
S
S
S
S
L
L
L
S
L
NF S
NF S
NF S
NF S
NF S
S
L L
L L
L L
S S
L L
Key:
L - Direct, significant impact on emissions
S - Direct, small impact on emissions
NF - Not a project focus, could decrease emissions
+/> • Could increase or decrease emissions
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Research to complement the pollution prevention efforts is continuing through the development
of innovative controls. For example, corona destruction, a promising technology for control of low
concentration organic emission streams, is undergoing evaluation at the bench and semi-pilot scales.
Research to reduce air toxic emissions from woodstoves continues. Innovative woodstove and
woodstove catalyst designs are being investigated.
The enhancement of existing controls (e.g., carbon adsorption and catalytic incineration) is also
an active area. Ongoing efforts at the University of Texas will enhance modeling techniques for
carbon adsorption, providing a tool for improved adsorber design and operation. Xylene, one of the
190 CAAA air toxics, will be used as a surrogate material in this study. Cooperative research with
the University of Akron and the U.S. Air Force has identified several potential catalyst systems for
the destruction of halogenated hydrocarbons.
Of critical importance is the evaluation of the effectiveness of controls as operated in industry.
If, as suspected, the controls are not operated effectively, resulting in poor control efficiency, then
research will be undertaken to identify and recommend special permit conditions to regulators, to
provide guidance to industry, and to improve the overall effectiveness of existing control technology
designs.
Relationship fo Sectors Targeted in PPO's Pollution Prevention Strategy
The pollution prevention research addressing toxic air pollutants will focus primarily on the
industry and consumer sectors; to a limited extent the agricultural sector is also addressed. Focus will
be on dealing with reductions in organic and inorganic toxics. Special emphasis will be given to
fugitive sources of air toxics such as chlorinated solvents usage in such applications as solvent
degreasers, dry cleaning (methyl chloroform included as a stratospheric ozone depletor). Emphasis
will also cover SOCMI facilities and transportation, fuel handling, and storage. Also included are
toxic organic aerosols responsible for PM-10 problems. Novel biomass combustion technologies and
other prevention means for dealing with biomass smoke will be addressed. Worldwide, biomass
smoke increases tropospheric ozone, contributing to global wanning.
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Proposed Technological Research
The proposed technological research includes the following product and process research
initiatives:
• Evaluate Use of Products Emitting Air Toxics — Evaluate the usage of potential air toxic
emitting products via a top-down analysis of the marketplace as requested by OAQPS,
thereby identifying possible unmitigated sources of inorganic and organic toxic emissions
(Product Research).
• Identify Methods of Reducing Emissions— Perform research to identify methods of reducing
emissions from those sources creating the greatest health and welfare risks (Process Research).
• Evaluate Improved Techniques that Eliminate the Use of Toxic Sol vents --Perform research
to identify methods of eliminating methyl chloroform usage and of improving paint stripping
techniques without increasing the use of substitute solvents and other materials which are a
potential hazard to the air and other media (Product and Process Research).
• Develop Low-Emission Woodstoves--DeveloD low-emission woodstoves whose emissions
are intrinsically less toxic than current emissions and whose operation is more reliable than
traditional woodstoves (Product and Process Research).
• Coordinate Process Research with RREL— Establish coordination with RREL to provide
AEERL's expertise in air issues to enhance pollution prevention process research and to
participate in future industry evaluations, as appropriate (Process Research).
• Evaluate Air Emissions from Alternative Fuels- -Evaluate the impact on air toxic emissions
resulting from alternative fuels marketing and provide research to identify methods to
prevent emissions or to improve control devices and operating procedures, as appropriate
(Anticipatory and Process Research).
Proposed Nop-T^f^pnlogjcal Research
The following socioeconomic and institutional research efforts are proposed to address the toxic
air pollutants problem:
• Incentives for Use of Clean Fuels—Assess the effectiveness of various incentives for the
use of clean fuel alternatives. Particular emphasis will be placed on the design of the message
in reaching different audiences.
• Nqn-Tpxic Substitutes—Provide subsidy incentives for RAD on non-toxic substitutes for
products emitting toxic air pollutants. This study will also evaluate the effectiveness of
these incentives.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
• Evaluate Pollution Prevention Measures—Collect and analyze data on the degree to which
firms have responded to their own TRI information by instituting their own pollution
prevention measures.
Proposed Technology Transfer/Technical Assistance
The technology transfer plan to address the toxic air pollutants problem includes the following
activities:
• Research and Product (Deliverable) Targeting--OTTRS staff will monitor deliverable
development, attend meetings, and assist the laboratories and the program offices, where
necessary, to assure quality ORD deliverables. OTTRS will also advise program office staff
on the utilization of research, information, and other support services.
• Product Development--OTTRS/CERI will assist with the preparation and publication of
research results, guidebooks, etc.
• Information Dissemination- -OTTRS/CERI will advertise the availability of ORD information
through its Technology Transfer Newsletter and other vehicles reaching the target audiences.
• Education/Training—Workshops will be conducted to inform EPA, state, and local
government staff, as well as industry, of the research results.
• Technical Assistance—Provide technology transfer to state and local environmental officials
small businesses, and researchers through workshops and the use of the Control Technology
Center (CTC), the small business clearinghouse as proposed in the Clean Air Act
Amendments, and PPIC.
• Evaluation--OTTRS will assist OEETD in assessing the effectiveness of the research in
achieving its intended goals and initiate any necessary adjustments to the program, products,
and their delivery.
Proposed Outputs
Top-down reduction of inorganic and organic air toxics
- Opportunity Analysis 09/91
- Annual Report on Toxics Reduction 09/92, 93, 94, 95
Methyl chloroform substitution
- Annual Report 09/92, 93, 94, 95
Improved paint stripping techniques report 09/95
Novel biomass technologies to substitute
for woodstoves 09/95
4-53
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Coordination with RREL to include air issues in pollution
prevention analyses
- Air included in Methodology 09/91
- Annual Report on Industry
Evaluations 09/92, 93, 94, 95
Prevention in alternative fuels marketing
- Annual Report 09/93, 94
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention research information
products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
Conduct workshops for training and information dissemination As Needed
Evaluation of effectiveness of research project Ongoing
Complete preliminary analysis of the viability of the corona
destruction process at semi- pilot scale 09/91
Particiti
Cooperation with the following offices is anticipated:
• ORD/RREL—Maintenance of close communication to provide air expertise to support
current and future RREL pollution prevention process research.
• OAR/OAPRS--Collaboration to obtain feedback on the direction of the top-down toxics
reduction project.
• O_£P_£--Coordination of the socioeconomic research efforts.
• OTTRS/CERI—Collaboration on all of the technology transfer and technical assistance
activities.
4-54
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Resource?
FY91
FTEs 0
S&E 0
R&D 300
TOTAL 300
Contacts
ORD/AEERL
ORD/RREL
OAR/OAQPS
OTTRS
OPPE
FY92 FY93
($ thousands)
2 3
150 250
900 1000
1050 1250
Wade H. Ponder
Harry M. Freeman
Robert E. Rosenstee!
Ron Slotkin
Berry Allen
FY94
3
250
1200
1450
FTS 629-28 18
FTS 684-7529
FTS 629-5608
FTS 382-7671
FTS 382-2747
FY95
3
250
1300
1550
4-55
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CHAPTER *-PROBLEM-SP£CIFIC RESEARCH
PESTICIDES APPLICATION
Description
About 1.1 billion pounds of conventional active pesticide ingredients are used in the United
States per year. Active ingredients in production number 850. About 75 percent of pesticide usage
is in the agricultural sector, 18 percent in the industrial, commercial, and government sectors, and
7 percent in homes and gardens. Pesticides present a health risk to applicators and farmworkers, and
to the general public through the food supply, and contamination of surface and groundwater. A
pesticide (herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide) by its very nature is toxic to some
organisms and thus can cause significant adverse human health problems and/or ecological damage.
EPA's Unfinished Business report ranks pesticide risks in the highest category as compared with
other environmental issues.
Rationale
Pollution prevention offers a major opportunity to reduce the environmental risk of pesticides
in three general areas: manufacturing of the raw product, formulation and packaging of the pesticide
products, and application of the end-use products. At the manufacturing and formulation/packaging
level, pollution prevention through reuse of liquids and solid streams would greatly minimize the
amount of pesticide active ingredient, diluents, and carrier agents discharged to wastewater treatment
plants. Wash-downs are critical for the formulators/packagers as a means of avoiding contaminating
one product with residue from a previous batch. Reuse of these rinsates is one potential cost
effective method to reduce discharges.
Reformulation of the pesticide to reduce its overall environmental risk, and to allow for more
easily cleaned containers and equipment is a potential pollution prevention possibility. However, this
approach a impeded by the cost and time a manufacturer encounters in having his product registered
by EPA.
In the end-use applications industries (fanners, crop dusters, and lawn care professionals),
pollution prevention can be accomplished through rinsate minimization and through the use of
reusable and/or refiilable and/or recyclable containers. At the home and garden use level, pollution
prevention includes the proper disposal of unwanted pesticides and their containers.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Research Needs
At the manufacturing level research and development is needed on new formulations that are
less toxic and persistent, recycling/reuse in the manufacturing process, and waste reduction to
minimize discharges.
In the pesticide formulation and packaging industries, research needs include investigating
equipment rinsing practices to reuse as much water or solvents as possible and to minimize the
volume of wastewater to be treated, and using reusable containers which could be returned to the
manufacturer.
In the applications industry, research into container design to allow for closed applications
systems, more efficient rinsing procedures to reduce the volume of rinsate, and using reusable and/or
refillable and/or recyclable containers are necessary.
Current Activities
In the pesticide manufacturing industry, research for the Office of Water Regulation and
Support has focused on treatment of the final effluent. The ORD base program has not focused on
pollution prevention to date because the primary purpose of this program is to collect data for
regulatory support in the establishment of effluent guidelines for this industry.
In the pesticide formulating and packaging industry, an emphasis similar to the pesticide
manufacturing industry has occurred. Current plans call for study of this industry during FY91, and
pollution prevention strategies could be employed during these studies in addition to the collection
of data for effluent guideline determinations.
Much work has been conducted in the applications industries by OPP as mandated by
FTFRA 1988. The primary focus of OPFs work has been container design with a goal of
reusable/refillable or recyclable containers. ORD has investigated rinsing procedures to minimize
the volume of rinsates and maximize the effectiveness of the cleaning containers.
No ORD research has occurred in pollution prevention aimed at the small user (small farmers
home, and garden). The base program does have a series of small projects aimed a
4-57
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
disposal/treatment of unwanted pesticide left in the container and rinsates resulting from cleaning
those containers.
Proposed Technological Research
The formulation of new pesticides should not be the function of EPA ORD. The Agency
should encourage industry to do this. However, ORD should play an active role in working with
industry to determine the toxicity, transport and transformation in the environment of new
pesticides, and/or formulations to ensure that these products and possible degradation products are
less toxic and less persistent than currently used products in natural waters, soils, and sediments.
ORD should take an active role in working with industry to minimize the volume and toxicity of the
wastewater. An evaluation of the current manufacturing processes should be made and opportunities
for process design changes, and recycle/reuse of rinse waters to reduce wastewater volume should
be identified.
In the formulation/packaging industries, ORD should work in the short term on better cleaning
methods (e.g., high pressure and low volume rinsing, solvent rinsing with recycle) to reduce rinsates,
and on reuse of off-specification formulations.
In the applications industries, ORD research should also be focused on reducing the volume of
rinsates through better rinsing procedures, developing better methods of equipment washdown and
reuse of these waters. ORD research should also assist OPP and the industry in container design.
OPP and ORD should work closely with USDA in research on new methods of integrated pest
management to minimize the volume and diversity of pesticides used in the agriculture.
For the small-scale fanner and home and garden end-users of pesticides, ORD pollution
prevention research should focus on how to collect and reuse unwanted pesticides rather than the
common practice of throwing the product and container away. Research with OPP on container
design to encourage reusable and/or refutable and/or recyclable containers for the retail markets
should also be conducted.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
The following technological research initiatives are proposed to address the pesticides
application problem:
• Container Design Modifications—Evaluate alternative container designs to assist in cleaning
and/or reuse (Product Research).
• Transport and Transformation Studies—Perform transport and transformation studies of new
or alternative pesticides and formulations in the aquatic and soil environments (Product
Research).
• Pesticide Manufacturing Process Modifications—Evaluate pesticide manufacturing to
determine opportunities to institute process modifications and reuse on in-plant waters to
reduce discharges (Process Research).
• Demonstration of Process Modification—Demonstrate a process modification at a selected
pesticide manufacturer (Process Research).
• Rinsing Practices--Conduct a study and demonstrate rinsing practices to minimize discharges
(Recycling and Reuse Research).
• Recycling Methods for Drv Product Containers—Investigate recycling methods for dry
product containers for pesticides (Recycling and Reuse Research).
• Reuse of Pesticide Products and Containers--Study the collection and reuse potential of
unwanted pesticides and containers (Recycling and Reuse Research).
Prooosed Non-Technolorical Research
The following socioeconomic and institutional research initiatives are proposed to address the
pesticides application problem:
• Effectiveness of Product Labeling—Investigate how to improve the pollution prevention
effectiveness of pesticide labels, both for professional applicators and for household users.
This research would include a component on training for fanners, and especially migrant
workers who may lack English reading skills.
• Pesticides Right-to-Kjnnw Program—Evaluate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of
a pesticides right-to-know program and whether or not it would result in more responsible
use and disposal of pesticides or a reduction in use.
• Incentives for Integrated Pest Management—Investigate various incentives that could be
effective in motivating the use of integrated pest management and low input sustainable
agriculture. This study will also evaluate other USDA incentives.
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Transfer/T hnial Assistance
The technology transfer plan to address the pesticides application problem includes the
following activities:
• Research and Product Targeting—Working closely with USDA and manufacturing association
representatives, OEETD will use a work group structure to assist in the targeting of the
research projects. Strong interaction will be necessary to assure the benefits of shared
information. An informal activity assessment layer will be added to the work group.
OTTRS/CERI will monitor product development and provide support to the laboratories
and program offices, as needed, to assure delivery of quality ORD products.
• Product Development-- OTTRS/CERI will be responsible for production of two capsule
reports (manufacturer and end user) and several fact sheets transferring RREL's research
results to the targeted audiences. Two demonstrations (process modification and rinsing
practices) are planned for 1993. The reports and fact sheets will be presented to regional
staff for their delivery to chemical and container manufacturers in their areas.
• Information Dissemination — OTTRS/CERI will distribute the reports. Questions that arise
will be directed to PPIC. Technology articles will be sponsored in chemical manufacturing
journals and other targeted newsletters. OEETD will prepare a data base for use on the
PPIC bulletin board and develop promotional material to advertise its use.
• Education/Training—OTTRS/CERJ will assist OEETD in exhibiting the methods and
techniques identified through their research activities at selected industrial trade shows and
conferences.
• Evaluation- -ORD and PPO will assess whether or not the ORD research and its presentation
achieved the desired results, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the research program.
Proposed Outputs
Evaluation of pesticide manufacturing to determine opportunities to
institute process modifications and reuse on in-plant waters to reduce
discharges 02/92
Demonstration of a process modification at a pesticide
manufacturer 05/93
Conduct of a study on rinsing practices to minimize discharges 09/92
Advertisement of ORD pollution presention information products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
Demonstration of rinsing practices 09/93
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Evaluation of container design to assist in cleaning and/or reuse 06/92
Evaluation of ways to collect and reuse unwanted pesticides and
containers 11/93
Investigation of recycling methods for dry product containers 09/92
Study of collection and reuse potential of unwanted pesticide products
and containers 09/92
Training of farmers on pesticide use, reuse, and disposal As Needed
Evaluation of effectiveness of the research projects Ongoing
Transport and transformation studies of new or alternative pesticides
and formulations in the aquatic and soil environment 06/93
ParticiDatinf Offices
Coordination with the following offices/agencies is anticipated*
• OPTS/OPP—Collaboration on certain technological research efforts.
• ERL-Athens—Collaboration on the transport and transformation project.
• OPPE/PPO—Collaboration on the socioeconomic research initiatives.
• QTTRS/CERI- -Collaboration on all the technology transfer and technical assistance activities.
• USD A- -Coordination of specific projects and possible co-funding.
Resources
FTEs
S&E
R&D
TOTAL*
FY91
0
0
0
0
FY92
3
200
750
950
FY93
($ thousands)
4
300
1000
1300
FY94
5
350
1200
1550
FY95
5
350
1200
1550
* Approximately 25 percent of the effort would be through in-houM research «i RREL and ERL-Athens.
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Contacts
OPP
OEETD/RREL
OWRS
ERL-Athens
OPPE
OTTRS
Paul Schuda
Glenn Shaul
Thomas Fielding
Eric Weber
Derry Allen
Ron Slotkin
FTS 557-8182
FTS 684-7408
FTS 382-7156
FTS 250-3198
FTS 382-2747
FTS 382-7671
4-62
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
NONPOINT SOURCE WATER DISCHARGES
Description
Nonpoint discharges are the largest contributing source type to pollution of surface waters.
They are responsible for 96 percent of the sediment, 79 percent of the nitrogen, 74 percent of the
phosphorus, 41 percent of the BOD and similarly high fraction of many toxic pollutants. Agriculture
is the major nonpoint source. It is estimated between 68 and 83 percent of the nonpoint source
loadings of the four conventional pollutants listed above come from agriculture. In some specific
areas urban runoff, silviculture, mining, construction, etc. may also be major elements of the non-
point source problem. Urban runoff is, for example, the only largely uncontrolled water pollution
source from municipalities.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has had a long standing program on
trying to reduce nonpoint discharges from agriculture. This includes programs on erosion control,
pesticide and fertilizer management, and fanning practices. USDA has developed many approaches
and methods to achieve reductions, but has relied on voluntary participation by fanners and off ere
technical assistance, subsidies, cost sharing, and other inducements to implement their programs.
EPA's role in this area is probably more in the line of national policy and regulations, and not
research.
One area that ORD can play an important role is urban wet weather runoff. The importance
of the pollution problems from urban discharges has been emphasized by Section 405 of the WQA
of 1987 which requires permitting of runoff from large and medium-sized communities by 1992.
Pollutants in urban mnoff include particulates (including floatables), oxygen demanding materials,
nutrients, toxic metals and organics, and pathogenic microorganisms.
Rationale
The two approaches to controlling urban runoff have been collection of the runoff followed by
treatment and the pollution prevention approach of best management practices (BMP) to prevent the
contamination of the runoff. BMP encompass a wide range of low capital cost methods that reduce
pollution at the source, which can b« used in developed areas and incorporated into areas being
developed. Because of the diffuse and stochastic nature of the rainfall causing urban runoff, use 3
4-63
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
the low capital cost and easily implemented, regulated, and maintained pollution prevention methods
has a strong potential for providing control at lower overall total cost than end-of-the-pipe treatment
methods. Urban runoff may have a greater risk factor because of its association with greater sources
of toxic material in and around urban areas and the higher population density.
Research Needs
Urban runoff has not been thoroughly characterized, especially with respect to toxic materials.
Although some urban watersheds were studied in the 1960s and 1970s, these studies concentrated on
the conventional pollutants. Further data on the magnitude and source of toxic substances are needed.
Based on this information, a pollution prevention approach to the most critical problems can be
formulated.
Some research has been conducted on BMP for urban areas and some of the available
information from agricultural areas is applicable to urban areas. The available information needs to
be collected and made available in the form of a guidance document. This same information can be
used to identify any research gaps.
Further development of BMP for specific urban settings are required. Major sources of toxic
pollutants such as industrial sites, commercial areas, airports, maintenance areas, and spill prone areas
need to be targeted for early BMP development.
Current Activities
Although a number of management practices to pollution prevention were evaluated in the
1970s and early 1980s under the EPA Storm and Combined Sewer Program, none are being studied
currently. Applicable BMP data from these earlier studies will serve as a foundation for any new
research efforts. Some data are being collected on toxics in urban runoff.
Proposed Te^hgfcal Research
To guide the application of the best management practices, major sources of urban runoff
pollution will be identified and quantified. These sources will include conventional urban areas,
industrial sites, and environmental modifications, such as construction, which can create serious
4-64
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
temporary deleterious effects. The primary sources of this information will be literature produced
by EPA and recent U.S. and foreign literature which will be collected and analyzed. Based on this
review, data gaps will be identified and specific urban problem areas will be selected for further
evaluation. A number of sites will be selected for urban runoff monitoring that will fill the data
gaps.
The above literature review will also be used to establish the state-of-the-art of BMP for
pollution prevention of urban runoff. With the available data a BMP guidance document will be
prepared for EPA Regional, state, and local government use. In addition, the review will serve to
identify problems that require further BMP development.
Evaluations and demonstrations of low capital cost BMP methods will be conducted for those
methods with inadequate performance and cost data.
Appropriate rainfall runoff models will be modified to include toxic metals and organic
compounds and results on the effectiveness of BMP. Using these models, calculations will be made
of the pollution prevention effectiveness of BMP on a number of receiving waters in urban areas.
It should be realized that other pollution prevention programs within this strategy will have
significant impacts on urban runoff. These include programs on lawn care products (fertilizer and
pesticides), used oil recycle, gasoline spillage, and consumer trash.
The following technological research initiatives are proposed to address the nonpoint source
water discharges problem:
Management Practices—Identify, demonstrate, and evaluate best management practices
to prevent or reduce nonpoint source water discharges (Process Research).
Urban Pollution Sources—Identify and evaluate existing urban nonpoint pollution sources,
and predict new sources that pose future threats (Anticipatory Research).
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CHAPTER ^-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Proposed NOD-Technological Research
The following socioeconomic and institutional research initiatives are proposed to address the
nonpoint source water discharges problem:
• Institutional Practices to Control Urban Water Quality- -Provide guidance to regional, state,
and local governments on institutional practices to control urban water quality.
• Incentives for Reducing Nonpoint Source Runoff --Evaluate the use of various incentives
employed by USDA to reduce nonpoint source pollution.
• Price Effects on Fertilizer Use—Assess the impact of higher prices on the use of fertilizer
by homeowners and farmers.
• Regulation of Land Use — Investigate the impact of supporting state and local efforts to
regulate land use and the impact of these efforts on reducing nonpoint source water
discharges.
Proosed Technolo
The technology transfer plan to address the nonpoint source water discharges problem includes
the following activities:
• Research and Product Targeting- -Strong interaction with OWEP and OWRS is planned.
Representatives of these offices will be invited to a presentation of Best Management
Practices (BMP) research and interim findings. An informal activity assessment layer will
be added to the process. ORD headquarters technology transfer liaison will monitor product
development and provide the laboratories and program offices advice and assistance, where
necessary, to assure quality ORD deliverable*. Assistance will also be provided to the
program offices to further the use of ORD research, information, and support services.
• Product Development— OTTRS/CERI will be responsible for report and manual production
of RREL's research results. A decisionmaker's guide format will be used for the BMP
guidance document. Three of the four reports will be printed in large numbers to meet the
client demand. Project summaries will also be prepared and distributed.
• fnf ormation Dissemination— OW.QEETD/RREL. and OTTRS/CERI will conduct workshops
for state and regional staff, provide experts to respond to questions arising from the research
program, promote the availability of products, and build an effective outreach program with
ORD information. Working with OWEP and OWRS, OTTRS/CERI will prepare a BMP
data base for use on an electronic bulletin board, and prepare an expert system software tool
for the regions and states to distribute.
• Education/Training— A series of geographically targeted workshops with field demonstration
sites will be conducted by OTTRS/CERI for regional and state staff.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Technical Assistance/Demonstration—Technical assistance will be supplied through the
program office staff. RREL will look at opportunities to use ongoing state and federal BMP
sites to evaluate successes and set up other site demonstrations as needed. USDA, Soil
Conservation Service, Water Resources Institutes, and selected municipalities would be looked
at as cooperators in this part of the plan. Successes will be captured and packaged to
stimulate the use of BMPs among the target audiences.
Evaluation—ORD will assess whether or not the ORD research and its presentation achieved
the intended goals, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the research program.
Proposed Outputs
Report summarizing major urban pollution sources 06/92
Urban runoff BMP guidance document 11/92
BMP evaluation and demonstration reports 09/93-95
Guidance on institutional practices to control urban water quality 06/94
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention research information
products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
Publication and dissemination of ORD reports Ongoing
Evaluation of effectiveness of research projects Ongoing
Participating Qffyces
Coordination with the following offices is anticipated:
• OEPER/ERL- Athena—Collaboration on technological projects, particularly those involving
risk assessment and modeling.
• QSL—Collaboration on technological projects.
• Regions—Provide advice on specific urban runoff problems, evaluation in site selection, and
technology transfer.
• OTTRS/CERI--Collaboration on all technology transfer and technical assistance activities.
• OPPE - -Collaboration on the socioeconomic and institutional research initiatives.
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CHAPTER ^-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Resources
FY91
FTEs 2
S&E 140
R&D 300
TOTAL 440
Contacts
OEETD/RREL
OTTRS
OPPE
FY92 FY93
($ thousands)
3 3
210 210
700 800
910 1010
Carl Brunner
Ron Slotkin
Derry Allen
FY94
3
210
500
710
FTS 684-7655
FTS 382-7671
FTS 382-2747
FY95
2
150
400
550
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PIAN
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Description
The mining, manufacturing, use, and disposal of materials and products produce a vast number
of undesirable substances that are considered toxic and hazardous. These substances, consisting of
both organic and inorganic material, which are associated with industrial processes are the subject
of this project.
In 1985 the amount of hazardous liquid and solid waste totaled about 275 million metric tons.
A 1987 Chemical Manufacturers Association hazardous waste survey of 552 plants gives some idea
of the current disposal practices. The study revealed that 218 million tons of hazardous waste were
generated, of which 96.7 percent was in the form of industrial wastewater. The wastewater was
managed as follows: 90.5 percent was treated in a NPDES approved facility, POWT, or otherwise
treated, and the remaining was injected. The solid waste was managed as follows: 77.2 percent was
recycled (includes material reclamation/reuse/recovery and energy recovery); 8 percent was
incinerated; 2.6 percent was treated; 0.3 percent was underground injected; 4.1 percent landfilled
6.5 percent disposed in surface impoundments; and 0.5 percent placed in waste piles. Similar
information on air releases was not collected.
Even through a significant volume of solid waste is recycled, opportunity to further reduce the
volume and toxicity of hazardous waste as pan of a pollution prevention program is large. An even
greater opportunity is available in the wastewater area.
Rationale
A number of analyses indicate that the amounts of waste currently generated could be
substantially reduced through changes in raw materials, production processes, and products. The
Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) concluded that a reasonable goal would be to reduce the
generation of all types of hazardous waste entering all media by 10 percent each year for five years.
The existing approach of end-of-the-pipeline treatment has many limitations in effectiveness and
cost. As discharge limits are reduced to meet new health and environmental risk levels, costs increase
at an accelerated rate and technology capabilities are pressed. It is becoming increasing apparent thaf
the approach to pollution control based on prevention is preferable to those based upon treatment
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECOTC RESEARCH
and disposal, and that research and development can play a significant role in accomplishing this
goal.
Research Needs
Almost all industries could benefit in their pollution prevention activities by research. Because
of EPA's limited research budget, its efforts must be focused on activities that can make significant
inroads into accelerating the implementation of pollution prevention activities. Four approaches can
be taken: 1) activities that can assist a wide variety of industries (e.g., guidance on waste audits and
waste minimization opportunity assessments); 2) activities that are directed at the largest producers
of hazardous waste; 3) activities that are directed at significant pollution problems (e.g., heavy
metals or solvents); and 4) activities directed at small generators who do not have the resources to
conduct their own research. One of the major research needs at this time is to identify and prioritize
those areas where EPA should focus its activities. Although data exists on hazardous waste
generation, no effort has been made to determine if it is sufficient to make programmatic research
decisions.
Methods and procedures for accurate evaluation of pollution prevention need to be developed.
Studies need to be conducted in a number of generic industries to determine what second and third
order effects need to be considered in order to arrive at adequate data from which recommendations
for process changes can be made. Parametric study data is also needed to determine relative
sensitivity of pollution prevention effectiveness to various categories of activity, such as energy use.
Studies are required to provide a tool for indexing or providing a basis of comparison among
pollution prevention options that consist of sets of differing hazardous waste constituents with
varying concentrations, and toxicities that are present in different media.
An informational network via regions, states, trade associations, international organizations,
other government agencies, and industry is needed to provide information on the technologies
planned or implemented on pollution prevention.
Research is needed in model integrated pollution prevention industrial systems that eliminate
or greatly reduce hazardous waste from the acquisition of raw material through manufacture, product
use, and final disposal.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Research is needed to evaluate and demonstrate pollution prevention methods, technologies, and
systems. Industries should be selected on the basis that the results will be applicable throughout their
industrial sector, attack a major hazardous/toxic material, and/or are a major source of pollutant.
Current Activities
A program to encourage the development and adoption of new production and recycling
technologies that result in the production of less hazardous waste was initiated in 1987. The program
includes a broad spectrum of demonstrations and evaluation audit studies, technical assistance, and
long-term research studies. A manual for conducting waste minimization assessments was developed
as part of the Waste Reduction Assessments Program (WRAP). Cooperative agreements have been
developed with engineering schools and the State of New Jersey to support demonstration assessments
in many different types of facilities.
The Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation (WRITE) program was established to
work with industry in the evaluation of innovative pollution prevention technologies. Agreements
with several states are in place to assist in these demonstrations.
The Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal Sites (WREAFS) was developed to facilitate
cooperative waste minimization technology demonstrations with other federal agencies.
To facilitate the dissemination of information on pollution prevention the Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse (PPIC) has been established.
Proposed TyhnfllftEKfll Research
The overall research direction is to establish an integrated program that provides a tool for
evaluating existing pollution prevention technologies, testing new concepts that catalyze the
development of new pollution prevention technologies, and transferring this information to the user
community. Additionally, in concert with the combined resources of other government and private
organizations, the project sponsors research to explore and demonstrate model production systems
that integrate pollution prevention technologies from the ground up.
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Efforts will continue to obtain baseline data to be used for establishing research priorities, and
technology transfer. Data bases, such as the CMA and Toxic Release Inventory reports, and
technology assessments will be used to identify target industries.
In order to measure the effectiveness of pollution prevention technologies, methods and
procedures need to be developed. This effort has begun and as the procedures are developed they
will be tested under actual industrial situations.
Pollution prevention technologies will be identified and evaluated at industries. The selection
of those industries will be based on the data base and workshops directed at specific segments of the
industry.
A core and anticipatory research program will be initiated in such areas as: generic technologies
to minimize or eliminate wastewater, methods to clean surfaces that produce less hazardous waste;
risk modeling for prioritization of pollution prevention activities; and models for new pollution
prevention industrial processes.
The following technological research projects are proposed to address the hazardous waste
problem:
• Measuring Pollution Prevention--Develop methods for measuring the impact of pollution
prevention techniques on reducing hazardous wastes (Process Research).
• Waste Minimization Technologies—Assess generic technologies to minimize or eliminate
hazardous components of wastewater (Process Research).
• Surface Cleaning Methods—Develop methods to clean surfaces that produce less hazardous
waste (Process Research).
• Models for Pollution Prevention Industrial Processes—Develop models for new pollution
prevention industrial processes (Process Research).
• Research Prioritization—Prepare a report identifying hazardous waste research priorities
(Anticipatory Research).
• Risk Modelling for Prioritization of Research—Perform risk assessment modelling for
prioritization of pollution prevention research projects to address hazardous waste
(Anticipatory Research).
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Proposed ftfoQ-Technotogical Research
The following socioeconomic and institutional research initiatives are proposed to address the
hazardous waste problem:
• Community Reaction to Hazardous Waste Facilities--Examine how industry, communities,
and individuals can reach agreement on the permitting, construction, and operation of
hazardous waste facilities. Risk communication potentially has an important role here, for
helping the facility planners (industry and government) understand the concerns of the
community and its members. Part of the solution is likely to involve sharing of power with
respect to decisions about what sites to consider, what construction design and methods to
be used, and what operating procedures are acceptable.
• Role of Insurance and Indemnity Bonds in Safe Disposal—Determine the role that could be
played by insurance and indemnity bonds in encouraging the safe disposal of hazardous waste.
• Regulations to Promote Pollution Prevention—Investigate creative uses of EPA regulations
to promote pollution prevention, such a trade offs between fines and installation of pollution
prevention processes. Examine RCRA regulatory flexibility to promote pollution prevention.
• Hazardous Waste Audits—Determine the most effective method to conduct and promote
hazardous waste audits.
• Product Stewardship--Investigate the feasibility of product stewardship in promoting
responsible use and disposal of hazardous wastes and the impact on the hazardous waste
problem.
• Product Liability—Investigate the impact of product liability on the reduction of hazardous
waste in products.
• Market Approaches—Identify opportunities for economic incentives and perform a thorough
characterization of the lead industry as required before any incentive can be installed.
Pronosed Technology Transfer/Technical Assistance
The technology transfer plan to address hazardous waste includes the following activities:
• Research and Product Targeting—The results of the field activities and ongoing research
projects will be presented in technical reports. OTTRS/CERI will assist PPO and OEETD
in designing and producing deliverables for the target audiences.
• Product Development—QTTRS/CERI will assist OEETD with publishing of approximately
30 technology assessment reports on industrial pollution prevention opportunities and 20
technology evaluation research briefs. These outputs will be delivered at periodic workshops
and industrial conferences.
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
• Information Dissemination--OTTRS/CERI will assist PPO in the production and distribution
of technology transfer documents, and other products derived from ORD research to the
target organizations. Workshops will be held with state and regional staff to inform them of
research findings and the availability of products which will support their activities.
OTTRS/CERI will promote the availability of the products through its Technology Transfer
Newsletter and other vehicles reaching the target audiences. OTTRS will also assist PPO in
building an effective outreach program with ORD information. Working with PPO, OEETD
and OTTRS will explore communication techniques that foster pollution prevention thinking
in the following categories; in-plant programs for controlling material use and handling,
inventory methods, recycling and management, and operation of facilities. These displays
will contain relevant information for selected industries and incorporate information from
PPIC.
• Education/Training—PPQ. OEETD, and OTTRS/CERI will jointly cosponsor industrial
pollution prevention trade shows and/or conference exhibits, and provide pollution
prevention information. With the help of EPA's University Centers, encourage educational
institutions to incorporate pollution prevention assessment and evaluation procedures into
engineering curriculum.
• Technical Assistance--Publish results from demonstrations relating EPA activity and pollution
prevention opportunities.
• Evaluation--ORD and PPO will assess whether or not the research achieved its intended
goals, and initiate any necessary adjustments to the research program.
Proposed Outputs
Research prioritization report 09/90
Wastewater workshop report 08/92
Assessments of approximately 30 technologies completed 09/91
Methods for measuring pollution prevention 09/91
Reports on 15 technology evaluations completed 09/92
Technology evaluations on high priority industries completed 09/94
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention research information
products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
Industrial trade show exhibits/pollution prevention conferences Ongoing
Publication and dissemination of ORD research reports Ongoing
Evaluation of effectiveness of research projects Ongoing
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
Particin
Coordination with the following offices/agencies is anticipated:
• OSW/OWRS- -Collaboration on technological research efforts.
• OTS— Collaboration on technological research projects.
• OPPE/PPO--Collaboration on socioeconomic and institutional research initiatives.
• OTTRS— Collaboration on all technology transfer and technical assistance activities.
Resources
FTEs
S&E
R&D
TOTAL
FY91
7
420
1500
1920
FY92
10
600
3000
3600
FY93
(S thousands)
12
900
4000
4900
FY94
15
1200
5000
6200
FY95
15
1200
5000
6200
Contacts
OEETD/RREL
OEETD/RREL
OEETD/RREL
OTTRS
OPPE
Harry Freeman
Ivars Lie is
John Burckle
Ron Slotkin
Derry Allen
FTS 684-7529
FTS 684-7718
FTS 684-7506
FTS 382-7671
FTS 382-2747
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPEClFIC RESEARCH
PRODUCTION, USE, AND DISPOSAL OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Description
A worldwide concern regarding the concept of "clean" or "environmentally friendly" products
exists in the marketplace for both producers and consumers. The production and use of products and
packaging have negative impacts on the environment through the pollution of air, water, and land;
resource and energy usage; and at any or all stages of a product's life cycle. Recent national surveys
within the U.S. show that the majority of people favor reduction of environmental impacts even at
the prospect of having to pay more for a product or service. This growing attitude has led to the
general acceptance of the terms "environmentally-friendly products" or "clean products" referring to
those products which are less damaging to human health and the environment. However, this clean
products concept is based on the presumption that consumers are informed about the relative risks
associated with the products they buy. Similarly, it presupposes that industry is aware of the risks
associated with their own products they manufacture for consumption.
The problem is that most consumers and producers are unaware of all the steps involved in the
life cycle of a product. Most products on store shelves are in the midst of a complex series of events,
including the raw materials extracted to make the product, production, transportation, use/reuse, and
final disposal. Each area has associated environmental impacts and health risks. Possibly even more
harmful are consumer decisions which are based on only one or two highly visible aspects (such as
CFC content) and ignore the total life cycle implications.
Rationale
Several organizations in the U.S., as well as in foreign countries, have seized the clean products
idea as an effective method for improving the environment. Public interest groups have published
shoppers' guides for environmentally-conscious consumers while some grocery stores are labeling
store shelves to identify clean products. Also, the EPA has recently drafted pollution prevention
legislation which incorporates an environmental labeling provision. In addition, the governments of
West Germany, Japan, Canada, as well as others, have enacted programs to label consumer goods
based on environmental criteria.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
While there is a definite interest by the general public in promoting and purchasing clean
products, there is little information currently available to assist consumers in making sound buying
decisions. The EPA can assist producers and consumers in filling this gap. There exists also the need
to provide product and process designers with methodologies to develop new products and modify
existing products to minimize cumulative life cycle risks and environmental impacts. The Clean
Products Research Program will encourage actions that minimize environmental damage and
encourage future RD&D of clean products and clean technology.
Research
The first research need is to develop the criteria and methodologies required to evaluate
products. While various methodologies have been used to assess a product's overall environmental
impact, it is generally agreed that a life cycle approach which analyzes a product's environmental
impacts from design through disposal/ re use is the most valid. An accurate, valid methodology must
be developed that is acceptable to both consumer and producer and can be implemented with ease.
Areas that require clean product research include: standardized definition and usage of
environmental impact terminology; consumer survey to identify what types of information/education
would be most helpful to consumers in making environmentally beneficial purchasing decisions;
further development of methodologies to thoroughly and effectively evaluate products on a life cycle
basis; RD&D on high environmental impact products for which acceptable, less damaging alternatives
exist (safe substitutes) (e.g., aerosol deodorants could be replaced by existing solid and liquid
deodorants which require less nonrecycling packaging and no chemical propellents); education on
proper use and disposal of higher risk polluting products (e.g., concentrated products use less
packaging, and the proper use of household pesticides encourage more efficiency); RD&D to explore
greater and multiple uses for products including longer product life due to better care, maintenance,
quality, technology, and/or improved use or product changes; and efforts to reshape today's
convenience-oriented consumer perspective to a more environmentally responsible attitude.
Current Activities
Several projects are in place to support research in the area of clean product research. A
background document on clean products research and implementation by Franklin Associates, Ltd.,
has been prepared to provide background information on the current state of research activities anq
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECmC RJESEARCH
implementation on the subject products, and to identify issues that must be resolved as programs are
implemented. Through the University of Tennessee, a "safe substitutes" project will identify
environmentally "safe" products based on product, packaging, and process for several product
categories. A clean products case studies project conducted with INFORM is designed to produce
several outputs to document the experiences of various companies involved in developing programs
to produce and market products that might be categorized as "clean products."
A cooperative effort involving several EPA offices (OAQPS, OSW, OW, OPTS, ORD) as well
as other groups representing industry and environmental interests proposes to prevent pollution at
the pre-production stage by reducing market demand for consumer products entailing "risk" to
human health and the environment. A final product of this project will be a guide for consumers
and producers describing the product group, a scoring process, and risks associated with alternative
products.
Research guidance and direction will result from a product life cycle analysis (PL A) workshop
with producers of several well-known consumer products. In addition, a cooperative agreement with
the University of Michigan is being developed to produce a guidance manual for industry on
determining product design changes.
Proose hriolofcl Research
The Clean Products Research Program gathers its foundation from several interconnected
documents. The Product Research area of the Pollution Prevention Research Plan: Report to Congress
provides a broad based plan to establish models, develop methodologies, identify opportunities,
demonstrate techniques and technologies, and research various product design options. The
Background Document on Clean Products Research and Implementation prepared through Franklin
Associates, Ltd., focuses on consumer product methodologies and criteria development to evaluate
products, and identifies specific issues/technical problems to be resolved. These two documents, with
direction from the MSW Research Agenda* have led to our current activities. In response to growing
worldwide concern of "clean products" and the dynamics of consumers, industry, and government,
these documents may provide a sound basis for a changing technical research program due to
legislative, socioeconomic, and institutional changes. Regardless of these changes, sound
methodologies, enhanced source reduction technologies, and demonstration of safe substitutes will
be required.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
After the development of methodologies and criteria, products and categories of products will
be selected to assess and demonstrate the effectiveness and ease of applying how to identify a clean
product or identify a safe substitute alternative. This demonstration may take place through pilot-
scale evaluation in-house, or through cooperation with industry associations. Extramural research
will continue with the assessment of a guide for consumers and producers on various product groups.
A necessary approach to future RD&D needs is to conduct workshops around a product or product
group with consumer and producer representatives and determine the RD&D needs for pollution
prevention from that product or product group. This approach is currently being piloted with the
Diaper Industry Workshop and Dry-Cell Battery Recycling Workshop in FY90. This approach also
opens the door for industry cooperation and information transfer of consumer needs for clean
products. Workshop objectives are to better understand the current status of the industry, its level
of activities, identify past research, and to identify clean product related research needs. Joint
project RD&D will be established with other parts of the Pollution Prevention Research Program
concerned with processes, municipal solid waste, household hazardous waste, socioeconomic and
institutional studies, and technology transfer.
Using existing EPA research facilities and joint RD&D sites, an in-house clean products,
program will be developed utilizing clean products and safe substitutes within our facilities and
demonstration sites. This in-house effort will provide EPA with an in-house capability to evaluate
clean products during pilot- and full-scale operation and determine RD&D needs.
The following technological research projects are proposed to address the consumer products
problem:
• Study of Clean Products— Develop and establish an in-house capability for the study of clean
products using acceptable criteria and methodologies (Product Research).
• Alternative Products/Safe Substitutes— Prepare a safe substitutes document which provides
guidance on alternative products for particular uses (Product Research).
• Product and Process Design Qyidajjce Manual-Prepare a product and process design
guidance manual for producers to incorporate pollution prevention into product design and
use (Product and Process Research).
• Life Cvcle Analysis Workshop— Conduct product life cycle analysis workshop with
representatives from industry, academia, government, and environmental organizations to
determine RD&D direction (Anticipatory Research).
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CHAPTER 4-PROBLEM-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
• Product-Industry Specific Workshops-Conduct product-industry specific workshops to pilot
an RD&D needs approach and develop cooperative pollution prevention efforts (Anticipatory
Research).
• Clean Products RD&D Needs—Assess ongoing clean products program and prepare RD&D
needs document based on success stories and technology gaps (Anticipatory Research).
ProDosed Non-Technological Research
Research is needed on methods for communicating with users about the pollution aspects of
products. Research is proposed to explore effective product labeling for a wide range of consumer
products, in terms of product production, use, and disposal. The following socioeconomic and
institutional research projects are proposed to address the consumer products problem:
• Programs to Produce and Market Clean Products—Evaluate the experiences of companies
involved in developing innovative programs to produce and market clean products.
• Consumer Product Labeling--Investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of labeling
consumer products on preventing the use of polluting consumer products.
• Environmental Education—Research environmental education as a way to achieve pollution
prevention. This project includes a study of children's baseline attitudes and how they
change in response to alternative educational approaches.
• Incentives to Reduce Toxics in Products—Investigate various incentives and their
effectiveness in motivating the reduction of toxics in consumer products.
• Economics of Production Stage Incentives—Study the economics of production stage
incentives/regulations to reduce household waste.
Pronofied Twhnnliwv Transfer/Technical Assistance
ORD will assist PPO in transferring ORD's comparative risk information and research results.
The technology transfer plan includes the following activities:
• Research and Product Targeting--Designing useful deliverables will require close cooperation
between researchers and PPO. ORD's technology transfer liaison will monitor deliverable
development, attend meetings, and provide assistance to the laboratory and to PPO as needed,
and monitor the quality of products..
• Product Development—OTTRS/CERI will be responsible for disseminating RREL's research
results. It is anticipated that a number of fact sheets, a manual for evaluating the risk of
consumer products, and a clean products design manual will be generated.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN
• Information Dissemination—OTTRS/CERI will assist PPO in handling and distributing
technology transfer documents derived from ORD research to consumer organizations and
others, and will conduct five informational exchange meetings with state and regional staff
to distribute reports and fact sheets. The exchange meetings will be sponsored by the
research partners. OTTRS/CERI will promote the availability of the products through its
Technology Transfer Newsletter, and other vehicles for reaching target groups. Working
closely with PPO, OTTRS/CERI will explore development of prototype clean product
information displays for relaying comparative product risk and cleaner product information
to consumers in the marketplace. They will work with the Office of Public Affairs and
Communication to develop a poster series on using clean products. They will use the
Pollution Prevention Information Exchange System as the clearinghouse and bulletin board
for this information.
• Education and Training--PPO. OEETD, and OTTRS/CERI will jointly co-sponsor a "clean
products trade show and conference" in 1994. They will also develop information and hold
at least four workshops for industrial process and product designers and manufacturers in
1994. In addition, four train-the-trainer workshops are planned for purveyors of
environmental and consumer product information to present risk and clean product
information.
• Technical Assistance—On-site technical assistance will be provided by RREL, working
closely with PPO.
• Evaluation--ORD and PPO will jointly assess whether ORD research products achieved their
intended goals.
Proposed Outputs
Product life cycle analysis workshop 08/90
Product industry-specific workshops 08/90
Preparation of background document on clean products research
and implementation 10/90
Advertisement of ORD pollution prevention research information
products 01/91-94
Update of ORD pollution prevention research results in PPIC 01/91-96
Evaluation of companies' innovative programs to produce and
market clean products 12/91
Development of a guidance report for consumers and producers
on cooperative risk of consumer products, for pollution
prevention 02/92
Development and establishment of an in-house capability for the
study of clean products 06/92
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CHAPTER 5-ONGOING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
CHAPTERS
ONGOING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
There are approximately 80 pollution prevention research projects being conducted or runded
by EPA. These projects fall into two major categories—those funded by ORD and those t\ . jed by
the 2% Set-Aside at the request of the EPA Administrator. Summary lists of most of the projects
are presented in Exhibits 14 and 15, and brief descriptions of these projects follow. Those projects
that are not included are primarily the social science pollution prevention projects conducted by
EPA's Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation.
5-1
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EXHIBIT 14
SUMMARY OF ONGOING POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH
PROJECTS
RESEARCH PROJECTS
1 . Clean Products Background Information
2. Evaluating the Potential for Sale Substitutes
3. Clean Products Case Studies
4. Comparative Risk of Consumer Products for Pollution Prevention
5. Product and Process Design for Life Cycle Risk Reduction and Environmental
Impact Mitigation
6. Research Strategy Background Development
7. New Jersey/EPA Waste Minimization Assessment Program
8. Technical Support for the Waste Reduction Innovative Technologies Evaluation
(WRITE) Program
9. New Jersey/EPA WRITE Program
1 0. California/EPA WRITE Program
11. Washington/EPA WRITE Program
12. Connecticut/EPA WRITE Program
13. Illinois/EPA WRITE Program
14. Minnesota/EPA WRITE Program
1 5. Erie County/EPA WRITE Program
EPA PROJECT OFFICER
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Anne Robertson
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Ivars J. Licis
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Ivars J. Licis
RREL
Johnny Springer, Jr.
RREL
Lisa M. Brown
RREL
Ivars J. Licis
RREL
Lisa M. Brown
RREL
Paul M. Randall
RREL
Teresa M. Harten
RREL
Paul M. Randall
RREL
CONTACT
PHONE NQ,
(513)569-7837
(513)569-7837
(513)569-7658
(513)569-7837
(513)569-7837
(513)569-7718
(513)569-7837
(513)569-7718
(513)569-7542
(513)569-7634
(513)569-7718
(513)569-7634
(513)569-7673
(513)569-7565
(513)569-7673
I
N>
-------
EXHIBi
SUMMARY OF ONGOING POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH PROJECTS (Continued)
RESEARCH PROJECTS
1 6. Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program
1 7. Chemical Substitutes for TCA and Methanol in Manufacturing Operations
18. Chromate Recovery by Absorptive Filtration
19. Evaluation of Pollution Prevention Technologies in a New Jersey Vehicle
Maintenance and Reoair Facility
20. Industry-Specific Waste Minimization Manuals
21 . Small Generator Waste Minimization Assessments
22. Waste Reduction from Chlorinated and Petroleum-Based Degreasing Operations
23. Pollution Prevention by and for Small Business
24. Ohio Waste Minimization Assessments
25. Fitzsimons Army Medical Center
26. Waste Minimization Assessments and Reviews Within the Federal Community
27. Wet to Dry System Evaluation in a Navy Paint Spray Booth
28. American Institute for Pollution Prevention
20 Intcrnntional Conference on Pollution Prevention
EPA PROJECT OFFICER
James S. Bridges
RREL
Lisa M. Brown
RREL
Johnny Springer, Jr.
RREL
Lisa M. Brown
RREL
Paul M. Randall
RREL
Teresa M. Harten
RREL
Brain A. Westfall
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Kenneth R. Stone
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Kenneth R. Stone
RREL
Kenneth R. Stone
RREL
Paul M. Randall
RREL
David G. Stephan
RREL
Kenneth. R. Stone
RREL
CONTACT L
PHONE NO.
(513) 569-7683
(513) 569-7634
(513) 569-7542
(513) 569-7634
(513)569-7673
(513) 569-7565
(513) 569-7755
(513) 569-7837
(513) 569-7474
(513) 569-7837
(513)569-7474
(513)569-7474
(513)569-7673
(513) 569-7896
(513)569-7471
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EXHIBIT 14
SUMMARY OF ONGOING POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH PROJECTS (Continued)
RESEARCH PROJECTS
30. EPA Research Project Case Studies
31. Special Edition on Waste Minimization tor Journal of Hazardous Materials
32. Pollution Prevention Technical Support
33. Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
34. Product Life Cycle Assessments Workshop
35. USCGS Ketchakan Pollution Prevention Project
36. Clean Products Workshop Series
37. Reclaiming Fiber from Newsprint
38. Determination of Legitimate Hazardous Waste Recycling
39. Composites from Recycled Plastics. Wood, and Recycled Wood Fiber
40. Oil Life Extension
41 . Pollution Prevention in Public Agencies
42. Model Community Pollution Prevention Case Study
43. Methodology lor Measuring Pollution Prevention
EPA PROJECT OFFICER
Johnny Springer. Jr.
RREL
S. Garry Howell
RREL
Ivars J. Ucis
RREL
Myles Morse
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Kenneth R. Stone
RREL
Mary Ann Curran
RREL
Teresa M. Harten
RREL
Brian A. Westtall
RREL
Teresa M. Harten
RREL
Paul M. Randall
RREL
Brain A. Wesrfall
RREL
Kenneth R. Stone
RREL
David G. Stephan
RREL
CONTACT
PHONE NO.
(513) 569-7542
(513) 569-7756
(513)569-7718
(202) 382-5747
(513) 569-7837
(513)569-7474
(513) 569-7837
(513) 569-7565
(513)569-7755
(513) 569-7565
(513)569-7673
'(513)569-7755
(513)569-7474
(513)569-7831
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EXHIBMM
SUMMARY OF ONGOING POLLUTION PREVEiTTION RESEARCH PROJECTS (Continued)
CONTACT
PHONE NO
RESEARCH PROJECTS
EPA PROJECT OFFICER
44. Consumer Product Emissions Prevention
Chester A. Vogef
AEERL
(919)541-2827
45. Minimizing Solvent Emissions from Pesticides
Geddes Ramsey
AEERL
(919)541-7963
46. Demonstration of Solvent-free Cleaning
Michael Kosusko
AEERL
(919)541-2734-
47. Evaluation of Potential Coating Technologies
Michael Kosusko
AEERL
(919) 541-2734
48. Alternative Coatings Demonstrations
Robert C. McCriliis
AEERL
(919)541-2733
49. Consumer Product Test Method Development
Chester Vogel
AEERL
(919)541-2827
50. Diagnosing and Preventing IAQ Problems: Sources of Emissions and Handbook
James White
AEERL
(919) 541-1189
51. Industry Guidance/Assistance for Halon Replacements
N. Dean Smith
AEERL
(919)541-2708
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EXHIBIT 15
SUMMARY OF ONGOING POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECTS
2 % SET-ASIDE PROJECTS
1 . Pollution Prevention by and for Small Businesses
2. Sustainable Agriculture Initiative and Technology Transfer to Reduce Corn Herbicide
3. University Based Pollution Prevention
4. Pollution Prevention Education
5. Demonstration of Emerging Area-Source Prevention for Volatile Organics
6, Promote and Institutionalize PP/Waste Min. in Water Permit Issuance Process
7. Pollution Prevention Through EPA Procurement Guidelines
8. Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Research Foundation
9. Industrial PP Through Regulation and Outreach
10. Chesapeake Bay Pesticide Index and Registry
1 1 . Promoting PP .".i Enforcement Settlements
12. Environmentally Responsible Management of Agricultural Chemicals
13. Consumer Product Comparative Risk: Market Based Pollution Prevention
14. Lead Pollution Prevention
1 5. Preventing Groundwater Contamination from Pesticides
16. PP for Small and Medium Industrial Operations and Municipalities
17. Lead in Drinking Water
18. Community Planning and Implementation of Local PP Strategies
1 9. Reduction of Toxics in Emissions and Ash for MWCs
20. Determining the Role for RCRA Inspectors in Assessment of PP Opportunities
21 . Reduced Mobile Source Emissions with Alternative Fuels
22. Reduction in Pesticide Application Through Bioregulation
23. State Level Conservation Projects
24. Projects to be Determined
TOTAL FUNDING FOR 2% SET-ASIDE PROJECTS
LEAD OFFICE
OSDBU
Region VIII. OPP
OTS
Rgion VII, OA
ORD/HQ. AEERL/RTP
OW, OSW. OAR
OSW, Regions VII, II
Region X
OW, OTS
Region III
OECM
Regions VII, X
OAQPS. OSW
OTS
ORD
ORD/OTTRS
ODW
Region III
Region IV
OWPE
ORD
ORD/OEPER
OAR
PPO
TOTAL FUNDING I
($ In Thousands) |
$440
500 I
400
660 I
1.000 I
1 .000 I
350 I
200
854 I
350 I
400 I
965 I
300 I
1 .000 1
500 1
500 1
450 1
220 1
400 1
30 |
1
325 1
350 1
300 1
346 1
,,,.._ 1
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CLEAN PRODUCTS BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Marjorie Franklin (913) 649-2225
Franklin Associates, Ltd.
4121 W. 83rd St.
Suite 108
Prairie Village, Kansas 66208
The objective of this project is to identify, collect, and summarize
available information on the subjects of clean products, methodologies
for comparative evaluations of products to determine "environmental
friendliness," environmental labeling programs and methodologies for
life cycle analyses (both environmental impacts and costs related
thereto) of products.
Published and unpublished information plus information from other
appropriate sources will be gathered and succinctly summarized. Its
relative quality is to be judged as may be possible. The result will
be used to help in identifying research needs in the clean products
area.
12/15/89 - 6/30/90
Develop detailed work plan
Produce draft report
Provide final report
12/31/90
04/15/90
06/30/90
5-7
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL FOR SAFE SUBSTITUTES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Gary Davis (615) 974-4251
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996
EPA is working with the University of Tennessee (under a Cooperative
Agreement) to evaluate the potential substitutes for products that are
either toxic in and of themselves, or rely upon toxic chemicals in their
production. The result will be a background document that identifies
priority products for substitution and evaluates available substitutes.
The objectives for the project are as follows:
• Evaluate the potential for safe substitutes for toxic and polluting
products.
- Identify priority products, including consumer products,
industrial chemicals, and pesticides.
- Identify and evaluate existing substitutes for priority products.
- Document case studies of successful substitutes for priority
products.
- Determine technical impediments to the use of safe substitutes
for priority products.
• Transfer information about safe substitutes through background
documents.
• Determine the future research needs for safe substitutes for priority
products.
5-8
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PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 7/90 - 6/93
MILESTONES Identification of priority products 1/90
Draft background document 01/92
Evaluate research needs 01/92
Perform product evaluations for
safe substitutes 01/92-01/93
Final background document 06/93
5-9
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I POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CLEAN PRODUCTS CASE STUDIES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Anne Robertson (513) 569-7658
Bette Fishbein (212) 689-4040
INFORM
381 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
This cooperative agreement project is designed to produce several
outputs to document the experiences of various companies involved
in developing programs to produce and market products that might
be categorized as "clean products." The first-year's studies will -be
devoted to products that are high profile products within the municipal
solid waste stream. The study team will visit the sites of the companies
selected and interview those involved with the subject programs.
Products eligible for study will be chosen from those available in the
United States, Canada, and Europe. The second-year projects will be
devoted to more in-depth analysis of the potential environmental
improvements possible through the greater use of environmentally-
friendly products. Explorations of ^ing environmental labeling plans
will be included in the group of projects.
7/90 - 6/92
Report, "Case Studies of Source Reduction
in the Production of Products"
Report, "Case Studies of Reduction
of Chemical Hazards in Products"
12/91
05/92
5-10
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
COMPARATIVE RISK OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS FOR
POLLUTION PREVENTION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary AnnCurran (513} 569-7837
Bruce Vigon (614) 424-4463
Battelle
SOS King Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201-2693
This project proposes to prevent pollution at the pre-production stage
by reducing market demand for consumer products entailing "risk" to
human health and the environment. Every day, American consumers
make purchasing decisions, such as between plastic and paper bags,
or between cloth diapers or disposables. These decisions have direct
and indirect impacts and vary in the cumulative risk they create
through their production, transportation, use, maintenance, and
disposal. Public awareness of the full cost of products can result in
behavioral changes and new purchasing patterns. This phenomenon
has been most obvious in recent public education campaigns on cancer
and heart disease leading to modified diets to include high fiber and
low cholesterol foods.
This project will be a cooperative effort involving several EPA offices
(OAQPS, OSW, OW, OPTS, ORD), as well as other groups representing
industry and environmental interests. The initial study will focus on
a group of consumer goods selected by associated risks and effects
on all media. Risks will be estimated from raw material processing
to final disposal and culminate in a guide for consumers and producers
describing the product group, resultant scores, and risks associated with
alternative products.
8/90 - 1/92
Risk Analysis Results 01/91
Final Guidance Report 12/91
5-11
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RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
PRODUCT AND PROCESS DESIGN FOR LIFE CYCLE RISK REDUCTION
AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MITIGATION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Greg Keoleian (313) 764-1412
School of Natural Resources
University of Michigan
2540 Dana Bldg.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115
This project with the University of Michigan School of Natural
Resources will provide product and process designers with a
methodology to develop new products that minimize cumulative life
cycle risks and environmental impacts, and modify existing products
or processes to reduce cumulative risks and impacts. The purpose is
to develop a systematic guide for product and process design that
combines life cycle risk, environmental impact assessment,- r
reduction and impact mitigation strategies.
10/90 - 10/92
Draft risk reduction methodology
Select products for case studies
Final risk reduction methodology
Life cycle risk assessment
Draft case study report
Final case study report
10/91
11/91
11/92
06/92
06/92
10/92
5-12
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
RESEARCH STRATEGY BACKGROUND DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Ivars J. Licis(513)569-7718
Dr. Herbert Skovronek (201) 599-0100
Science Applications International Corp.
8400 Westpark Drive
McLean, Virginia 22102
This project is part of a technical support task funded in FY 89 with
the objective of developing a basis for assigning research priorities to
work performed within the Process Engineering Section of the
Pollution Prevention Research Branch. The Process Engineering:
Section is partly responsible for defining, establishing, and carrying
out a research program to enhance and accelerate the implementation
of new pollution prevention technologies available at full- or pilot-
scale and helping state and local government programs in this area.
It is also charged with speeding the development of new technologies,
and participation in the identification of future pollution problems,
and designing anticipatory research programs to assist in the
development of new technology that will help to avoid these problems.
In order to best prioritize research efforts within a limited budget, this
project is designed to gather information on the pollution problems
in existence, the new technologies available or being developed, and
the perceived relative importance of both problems and opportunities
in the area by a wide spectrum of people involve. To this end, a
prioritization activity was performed using SIC as a basis and involving
members of the EPA, industry, and academia. The resulting list of
10 to 20 SIC areas will be investigated further by consultation and
workshops with the respective trade associations, technical associations
and individual experts in the area. The result of this effort will be a
table presenting high priority pollution problems and -associated
opportunities for research. The table will be used as background
information to establish a research strategy and prioritize funding and
research projects.
5-13
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PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 6/89 - 9/90
MILESTONES Final Report 9/90
5-14
-------
POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
NEW JERSEY/EPA WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Sanat Bhavsar (609) 292-8341
State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
401 E. State Street
5th Floor CN-028
Trenton, NJ 08625
The project is designed to evaluate the use of waste minimization
assessments in thirty hazardous waste generating facilities (across ten
industries) in New Jersey. The assessments are being conducted by
the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) personnel and will
follow the EPA recommended procedure. NJDEP refers to the project
as "Assessment of Recycling and Recovery Opportunities for Hazardous
Waste (ARROW)."
Initial industries being studied include: 1) Nuclear Power Generation;
2) Graphics Control Manufacturing* 3) Paints and Coatings
Manufacturing; 4) Printing; 5) Lubricant Production; 6) Transportation
Vehicle Maintenance; and 7) Leather Finishing.
30 Project Summaries (assessments)
10 Research Briefs (industries)
Final Report
9/1/88 - 3/1/91
3/90 - 3/91
3/91
2/91
5-15
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RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
NEW JERSEY/EPA WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curan (513) 569-7837
Sanat Bhavsar (609) 292-8341
State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
401 E. State Street
5th Floor CN-028
Trenton, NJ 08625
This project is designed to evaluate the use of waste minimization
assessments in thirty hazardous waste generating facilities (across ten
industries) in New Jersey. The assessments are being conducted^
the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJTT) personnel and
follow the EPA recommended procedure. NJDEP refers to the proje
as "Assessment of Recycling and Recovery Opportunities for Hazardous
Waste (ARROW)."
a itu
3J^T
Initial industries being studied include: 1) Nuclear Power Generation;
2) Graphics Control Manufacturing; 3) Paints and Coatings
Manufacturing; 4) Printing; 5) Lubricant Production; 6) Transportation
Vehicle Maintenance; and 7) Leather Finishing.
9/1/88 - 3/1/91
30 Project Summaries (assessments)
10 Research Briefs (industries)
Final Report
3/90 - 3/91
3/91
2/91
5-16
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE WASTE REDUCTION INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGIES EVALUATION (WRITE) PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Ivars J. Licis(513)569-7718
To be determined (201) 599-0100
Science Applications International Corp.
8400 Westpark Drive
McLean, Virginia 22102
This project consists of a collection of technical support tasks
associated with the WRITE Program and with the research under the
Process Engineering Section of the Pollution Prevention Research
Branch. The major specific tasks include test plan design assistance,
testing and analyses for waste reduction technologies to be evaluated
under the WRITE Program (primary California), and providing expert
technical reviews of proposals received by the Section.
FY 90-91
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California. Approximately four technologies are to be
evaluated during the FY 90-91 period. The first of these is a research
project with Hewlett Packard to evaluate reusable oil filters and
extended oil use. There are no formal report requirements for the
remaining technical support tasks.
5-17
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f?/?EL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
NEW JERSEY/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Johnny Springer, Jr. (513) 569-7542
Dr. Mohamed Elsaady (619) 292-8341
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
401 East State Street
5th Floor West, CN-028
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Technical and economic evaluations will be conducted on
manufacturing and processing operations in wiiich waste minimization
technologies reduce the volume and/or toxicity of wastes generated.
The objectives of the project are to: establish reliable performaiu
and cost information on pollution prevention techniques by conduct
evaluations/demonstrations, encourage active participation of small
medium-sized companies in evaluating and adopting pollution
prevention concepts, encourage transfer of knowledge and technology
between large, medium, and small-sized firms and provide solutions
to important chemical, waste stream and industry-specific pollution
prevention research needs.
The first technology evaluation will examine the Zerpol "Zero
Discharge" electroplating wastewater recovery system. Other
technology evaluations will be performed in the areas of cleaning
solvent substitution, acid/base recovery and reuse.
8/14/89 - 8/13/92
Interim Technology Report
luterin* Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Final Report
12/1/90
04/1/92
08/1/92
12/1/91
04/1/92
08/1/92
5-18
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CALIFORNIA/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Lisa M. Brown (513) 569-7634
Robert Ludwig (916) 324-2659
California Dept. of Health Services
Toxic Substances Control Program
Alternative Technology Division
400 P Street 20
Sacramento, California 94234-7320
The main objective of this project is to identify, develop, and evaluate
innovative pollution prevention techniques through the cooperative
efforts of California DHS and EPA. Through this program we are
exploring methodologies that through engineering and economic
assessments have the potential of reducing the quantity and/or the
toxicity of waste produced at the source of generation, or to achieve
practicable on-site reuse or recycling of these waste materials.
California DHS under a Memorandum of Understanding with EPA will
identify at least five techniques for evaluation during this three-year
project.
6/30/89 - 6/30/92
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Final Report
04/01/90
11/01/90
05/01/91
11/01/92
05/01/92
06/30/92
5-19
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/?/?££. Pollution Prevention Research Projects
WASHINGTON/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Ivors J. Licis (513) 569-7718
Robert Bunnark (206) 438-7370
Washington State Department of Ecology
Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling MS PV-11
Oiympia, Washington 98504
This project will evaluate five waste minimization technologies that
are either implemented at full-scale at the present time or have been
developed through relatively large scale and are to be implemented
within the time frame of the study. The five technologies will be
evaluated during a three-year project period. At the present only og
technology has been identified for which companies have been foifl
willing to participate in evaluation. This technology involves SI
recycling of acetone still bottoms and the substitution of water-based
cleaners for acetone with the objective of eliminating these RCRA
wastes. Wastes of this type are generated by a large number of
relatively small fiberglass fabrication shops in the State of Washington
and also across the country. The State of Washington is in the process
of implementing a regulation that includes the prohibition of
landfilling these still bottoms.
The Washington Department of Ecology (WA-DOE) has arranged a
technology evaluation that involves the participation of a builder of
fiberglass boats and a company that makes bathtubs, spas and shower
stalls to obtain data on the environmental and economic effects on
recycling the still bottoms, drying, grinding and reformulating the
product into a resin filler putty that was previously purchased and
made from virgin material. The major benefit to companies is that
they can eliminate the creation of RCRA waste. Q/A and test plans
are being prepared at this time.
Specific plans for the other technologies have not been completed.
Candidate technologies include: cement kiln uses for sand blasting grit;
recycling/reuse of baghouse dust from electric arc furnaces;, wastewater
5-20
-------
elimination in auto engine rebuilding (engine bake out and ball-
peening substituted for engine boilout); coating technology
improvements such as dry powder applications vs. paint, paint curing,
improvements in curing ovens; and reduction/recycling of pot liner
waste in aluminum industry. Candidate participants are being sought
via Pollution Prevention Workshops sponsored by the WA-DOE, DOE
publications ("Ecology Today" and "Baseline") and site visits to state
regional offices and their associated industry contacts.
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 6/16/89 - 6/15/92
MILESTONES One report is being planned per technology evaluated. The first
Research Brief is planned for 10/90.
5-21
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! t i ^. s/ *~.i> v • t ^ t u j 4 | wf ••••*•''
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CONNECTICUT/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Lisa M. Brown (513) 569-7634
Frederick W. Kaeser (203) 244-2007
Connecticut Hazardous Waste Management Service
900 Asylom Avenue - Suite 360
Hartford, Connecticut 06105-1904
The main objective of this cooperative agreement is to identify,
develop, and evaluate innovative pollution prevention techniques
through the cooperative efforts of CHWMS and EPA. Specifically,
this cooperative program will explore methodologies that through
engineering and economic assessments have the potential of reduci
the quantity and/or the toxicity of waste produced at the source
generation, or to achieve practicable on-site reuse or recycling of the1
waste materials. CHWMS in coordination with its state grant program
will identify at least five techniques for evaluation during this three-
year project.
i
10/1/89 - 9/30/92
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Interim Technology Report
Final Report
12/01/90
05/01/91
11/01/91
03/01/92
09/01/92
09/30/92
5-22
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
ILLINOIS/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Paul M. Randall (513) 569-7673
Dr. Gary Miller (217) 333-8942
Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center
1 East Hazelwood Drive
Champaign, Illinois 61820
In June 1989, HWRIC/EPA began a three-year research program as
part of the Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation
(WRITE) Program. In the Program, HWRIC is working with industry
in Illinois to demonstrate and evaluate at least five innovative source
reduction and recycling options. The scope of the technology
evaluations will include both engineering effectiveness and economic-
pay-back. The primary objective is to establish reliable performance
and cost information on promising pollution prevention techniques and
technologies.
During the first year, the major activities have been to identify
candidate technologies, contact potential cooperating industries and
.technology developers, assess and select technologies for in-plant
evaluation, and develop a degree of toxic hazard evaluation system.
A worth assessment model, developed by the EPA, was applied to
fourteen potential WRITE projects and after the review, five
technology evaluation projects were selected. The selected projects
for further evaluation are: 1) flexographic printing with water-based
inks and alternative cleaners; 2) offset printing with soy-oil based inks
and alternative cleaners; 3) non-cyanide zinc plating and reuse of
recovered chemicals in electroplating; 4) vacuum evaporative batch
recovery unU r^use of metals in electroplating; 5) recovery and reuse
of waste zircon molding sand in the investment casting industry.
6/19/89 - 6/18/92
5-23
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MILESTONES Research paper 12/90
Research paper 06/91
Research paper 12/91
Project final report and summary 06/92
5-24
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
MINNESOTA/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Teresa M. Harten (513) 569-7565
Cindy McComas (612) 625-4949
Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
420 Delaware St. S.E.
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
The objective of this project, which is funded by a cooperative
agreement between EPA and the University of Minnesota, is to
identify, implement, and evaluate innovative waste reduction
technologies. The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP)
is the state organization responsible for carrying out the evaluations
for this project. MnTAFs WRITE Program focuses on evaluating
innovative rinsing technologies in the plating, metal finishing, and
circuit board manufacturing industries; both economic and engineering
evaluations will be performed. Five or six technology evaluations at
operating manufacturing facilities are planned for the three-year
program project period. During rhe f;rst year of the project, MnTAP
publicized the WRITE Program within the target industrial community,
performed site visits at candidate industries and selected one industrial
community, performed site visits at candidate industries and selected
one industry for conducting the first evaluation. MICOM, Inc., a
printed circuit board manufacturer in the Minneapolis area, is the
subject of the initial evaluation. Specifically, waste reducing
modifications of rinsing equipment following an etchant bath and an
electroless copper plating bath will be assessed. In addition,
operational changes to the line will be implemented in an attempt to
reduce process solution drag out.
The remaining technology evaluations will be performed cooperatively
between EPA, MnTAP, and an external contractor; while EPA and
MnTAP will select companies for these evaluations, the contractor will
have primary responsibility for developing project test plans,-data
collection and analysis, and report writing.
5-25
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PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 7/1/89 - 6/30/92
MILESTONES First technology report, Paper 12/31/90
Second technology report, Paper 04/15/90
Third technology report, Paper 08/15/91
Fourth technology report, Paper 01/15/92
Final project report 06/30/92
5-26
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
ERIE COUNTY/EPA WRITE PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Paul M. Randall (513) 569-7673
Mr. Paul B. Kranz, P.E. (716) 858-6370
Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
Division of Environmental Compliance
95 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
The Erie County Division of Environmental Compliance Services,
Department of Environment and Planning, is proposing to develop
and evaluate pollution prevention technologies for small to medium-
sized businesses in western New York state. The program will be a
cooperative effort utilizing the resources of the New York State Center
for Hazardous Waste Management and RECRA Environmental, Inc.,
which is a private chemical analysis, prevention, and control firm
located in Erie County.
In Erie County over 2500 companies are small- to medium-size
businesses such as electroplating, motor vehicle servicing, dry cleaning,
printing, and photography. The solicitation of proposals from industry
will be facilitated by the New York Center for Hazardous Waste
Management and RECRA Environmental. The New York State center
has developed a roundtable on source reduction which consists of
representatives from western New York industries and state and local
government officials concerned with waste minimization.
Approximately five technologies will be evaluated over a three year
program period.
Currently, the Erie County grant has been awarded and a kick off
meeting w?s held in June 1990. Identification and definition of
projects has begun.
5/1/90 - 4/30/93
5-27
-------
MILESTONES Research paper 3/91
Research paper 9/91
Research paper 3/92
Research paper 9/92
Project final report and summary 3/93
5-28
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
WASTE REDUCTION EVALUATIONS
AT FEDERAL SITES (WREAFS) PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
James S. Bridges (513) 569-7683
Barry Langer (201) 599-0100
SAIC
1 Sears Drive
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
The WREAFS Program is a series of assessment and demonstration
projects for pollution prevention and waste reduction conducted
cooperatively by EPA and various parts of the DOD, DOE, and other
federal agencies. The objectives of the WREAFS Program include: 1)
performing waste minimization opportunity assessments, 2)
demonstrating pollution prevention techniques or technologies at
federal facilities, 3) conducting pollution prevention workshops within
the federal sector, and 4) enhancing pollution prevention benefits
within the Federal community.
Waste minimization opportunity assessments have been conducted at
.the following federal facilities:
Philadelphia Navy Shipyard
Ft Riley (Kansas) Army Forces Command
U.S. Coast Guard - Governor's Island, New York
Naval Undersea Warfare Engineering Station - Keyport, Washington
Veteran Medical Center - Cincinnati, Ohio
USEPA- Andrew W.BreidenbachEnvironmental Research Center-
Cincinnati, Ohio.
There are planned assessments and demonstrations with NASA, DOD,
Department of Treasury, and others. A cooperative information
transfer effort is being planned with EPA for Region X. In addition,
a joint USAF RD&D project seeking to obtain information for its
chlorinated solvents recycling program is underway with Auburn
University. The DOD and DOE work is focused on a wide range of
5-29
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PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
industrial and military operations including: metal cleaning, solvent
degreasing, spray painting, vehicle and battery repair, ship bilge
cleaning, and equipment overhaul. The other federal activities more
often concentrate on commercial services specific to their activit-^
such as source reduction and recycling opportunities of hospital wasui
at a Veteran's hospital. The resultant pollution prevention
recommendations are applicable to both the private and public sectors.
6/1/88 - 9/30/91
WMOA Report and Project Summary
- Keyport, Washington 09/01/90
AWBERC WMOA Report and
Project Summary 09/03/90
Region X Federal Facilities
Pollution Prevention Workshop 11/15/90
WMOA Report and Project Summary
- Bureau of Printing 12/31/90
WMOA Report and Project Summary
- Scott AFB, IL 01/01/91
WMOA Report and Project Summary
- Fitzsimmons Army Hospital 02/01/91
5-30
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CHEMICAL SUBSTITUTES FOR TCA AND METHANOL
IN MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Lisa M. Brown (513) 569-7634
Johnny Springer, Jr. (513) 569-7542
In-house project in collaboration with:
Matthew Bower (513) 278-6547
APS Materials, Inc.
153 Walbrook
Dayton, Ohio
MikeSzabo(513)782-4829
PEI Associates, Inc.
11499 Chester Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
A technical evaluation has been conducted at a small metal finishing
company to determine the waste reduction/pollution prevention that
can be achieved by substituting a dilute terpene-based cleaning
solution for TCA and methanol in the cleaning of orthopedic implants.
The final report is completed and the study found that the water-
based solvent performs adequately as a substitute for TCA and
methanol in degreasing operations.
3/1/89 - 9/30/89
One paper - 4/89
5-31
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RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
I
CHROMATE RECOVERY BY ADSORPTTVE FILTRATION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Lisa M. Brown (513) 569-7634
Mark M. Benjamin (206) 543-7645
University of Washington
Department of Civil Engineering - FX-10
Seattle, Washington 98195
The objective of this project is to evaluate the performance of packed
beds of granular media coated with iron oxide and other adsorbents
for recovering chromate from industrial waste solutions. The initial
testing will be conducted using synthetic wastes. Following that, tests
will be conducted using batches of real waste. A small recovery unj|
will be installed on-site at an industry near the University'at tm
culmination of the project for pilot-scale evaluation.
The experimental tasks have been divided into three phases:
I. Optiminization of the process for coating the media with an
adsorbent surface;
n. Optimizing collection and recovery of chromate from relatively
dilute synthetic waste solutions;
III. Testing the process with real industrial wastes both at bench-scale
and on-line at an industrial site.
10/1/89 - 4/30/92
Final Report 4/30/92
5-32
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
EVALUATION OF POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES
IN A NEW JERSEY VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR FACILITY
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Paul M. Randall (513) 569-7673
Sanat Bhavsar (609) 292-8341
State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
401 E. State Street
5th Floor CN-028
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0402
In September 1989, the USEPA and NJDEP entered into an agreement
to investigate pollution prevention technologies. This cooperative
agreement has a unique approach to evaluating source reduction and
on-site reuse/recycling technologies to reduce waste generated. Main
objectives of this study are: measurement of waste minimization efforts
by New Jersey industries; develop and implement technologies in the
vehicle maintenance and repair industry.
A detailed analysis of a waste minimization data base was compiled
from the N.J. waste minimization reports for 1985, 1986, 1987. A
report has been submitted summarizing the efforts of N.J. industries
to minimize wastes.
At least five (5) target technologies have been identified for evaluation
in the vehicle maintenance and repair industry. Phase I of the
evaluation will investigate engine antifreeze recycling and reuse, and
motor vehicle air conditioning refrigerant recovery and reuse. Phase
II techno'og'es are yet to be determined; however, they may consist
of improved spray painting technology, parts cleaning technologies
using aqueous cleaners and ultrasonic baths, or oil life extension
studies.
5-33
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The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is preparing Quality
Assurance Plans. Technologies will be tested at the New Jersey
Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Facility. Results will be used
as a model and guide for pollution prevention in the
maintenance and repair industry.
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 9/1 /89 - 8/31 /91
MILESTONES QAPP for Phase I technologies 07/90
Annual progress report 10/90
QAPP for Phase II technologies 11/90
Research paper 02/91
Project final report and summary 09/91
5-34
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!POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC WASTE MINIMIZATION MANUALS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Teresa M. Marten (513) 569-7565
David Shoemaker (818) 449-2171
Jacobs Engineering
251 South Lake Avenue
Pasadena, California 91101-3063
Under this project, the Pollution Prevention Research Branch is
publishing a series of industry-specific waste minimization guidance
manuals. Existing manuals already developed by the State of
California Department of Health Services for targeted industries are
modified and augmented so that they are comprehensive, nationally
applicable guidance documents. By June 1990, seven manuals had
been published for the industrial categories designated in the titles
provided below, making up the first set of manuals in the series. A
second set of eleven manuals is scheduled for publication in late 1990
and early 1991; industrial categories that will be addressed and the
publication schedule are listed below.
11/30/88 -5/1/91
Guides to Pollution Prevention:
EPA/625/7-90/005
Guides to Pollution Prevention:
EPA/625/7-90/004
Guides to Pollution Prevention:
EPA/625/7-90/008
Guides to Pollution Prevention:
EPA/625/7-90-006
Guides to Pollution Prevention:
EPA/625/7-90/009
Guides to Pollution Prevention:
EPA/625/7-90/010
The Paint Manufacturing Industry
The Pesticide Formulating Industry
The Commercial Printing Industry
The Fabricated Metal Industry
Selected Hospital Waste Streams
Research and Educational Institutions
5-35
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RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
NEW JERSEY/EPA WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curan (513) 569-7837
Sanat Bhavsar (609) 292-8341
State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
401 E. State Street
5th Floor CN-028
Trenton, NJ 08625
This project is designed to evaluate the use of waste minimization
assessments in thirty hazardous waste generating facilities (across ten
industries) in New Jersey. The assessments are being conducted^
the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJTT) personnel and
follow the EPA recommended procedure. NJDEP refers to the proje
as "Assessment of Recycling and Recovery Opportunities for Hazardous
Waste (ARROW)."
a itu
1
3ieT!
Initial industries being studied include: 1) Nuclear Power Generation;
2) Graphics Control Manufacturing; 3) Paints and Coatings
Manufacturing; 4) Printing; 5) Lubricant Production; 6) Transportation
Vehicle Maintenance; and 7) Leather Finishing.
9/1/88 - 3/1/91
30 Project Summaries (assessments)
10 Research Briefs (industries)
Final Report
3/90 - 3/91
3/91
2/91
5-16
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I POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
SMALL GENERATOR WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENTS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Brian A. Westfall (513) 569-7755
Dr. F. William Kirsch (215) 387-2255
Industrial Technology & Energy Management Division
University City Science Center
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
Technical assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses which
lack in-house capability for initiating waste minimization programs
is provided through a cooperative agreement with the University City
Science Center. Assessment teams composed of faculty and students
have been established at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville),
Colorado State University (Fort Collins), and the University of
Louisville (Kentucky). The assessment teams apply and adapt the
procedures in EPA's Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment
Manual to candidate facilities at no cost to the site owner. Waste
minimization alternatives are identified and accompanied with
estimated implementation costs and projected savings. All aspects of
implementation are the responsibility of the host facility. A follow-
up visit within one year documents the actual costs and savings
generated by any of the recommendations which are implemented.
A broad spectrum of businesses have been included among the sites
visited, as reflected in the following partial list
Metal Can Production
Plastic Sign Manufacturing
Automobile Bumper Refurbishing
Glass Products
Logging
Railroad Car Refurbishing
Printed Circuit Boards
Paint Production
5-37
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• Commercial Printing
• HVAC Equipment Production
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 6/20/88 - 3/19/91
MILESTONES Twenty-four Case Study Summaries 8/90
PERFORMANCE 6/20/88 - 3/19/91
5-38
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*
\
POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
WASTE REDUCTION FROM CHLORINATED AND
PETROLEUM-BASED DECREASING OPERATIONS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Dr. Ray Tarrer (205) 826-4827
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama 36849
In support of the Department of Defense waste minimization program,
the Air Force is seeking to obtain the best available technology for its
chlorinated solvents program. The major chlorinated degreasing
solvent in use is 1,1,1,-trichloroethane (TCA). Concerns about the
hazards associated with solvent recycling, as well as the handling of
common chlorinated solvent inhibitors, have motivated the Air Force
to investigate solvent use and recycling. In this joint effort with EPA,
Auburn University will ascertain what is required to make state-of-
the-art solvent recycling technology available, and minimize the risks
to operators, liability, and damage to parts being cleaned. Under this
charge, Auburn University has proposed a research effort in
cooperation with a major solvent manufacturer. Initially, a risk
assessment will be performed for the ongoing solvent recycling
program at Tinker Air Force Base. The results will be used in
formulating a model technology service program.
10/10/89 - 7/9/91
Final Report
4/91
5-39
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RREL Pollution Prevention Research Protects
POLLUTION PREVENTION BY AND FOR SMALL BUSINESS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Kenneth R. Stone (513) 569-7474
Karen V. Brown (202) 557-1938
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
To be determined
This program will support the implementation and demonstration of
promising pollution prevention techniques and technologies by small
businesses and transmit the results of those demonstrations to others
in the same, or similar industries. Small businesses will be solicited
for demonstration proposals. A selection committee will choose
best proposals for award. Award selection will also involve
relevant association to assist the awardee with the demonstrate
Results of the demonstrations will be evaluated, published, and
transferred throughout the relevant industries through a variety of
methods.
This project will provide awards of $25,000 each to small businesses
that will demonstrate innovative approaches to pollution prevention.
The demonstrations will be conducted on-site by the small business
awardee. The EPA, along with supporting trade associations, will
monitor the demonstration, analyze the results, and disseminate the
conclusions among small businesses, relevant trade associations, and
interested parties.
Fifteen trade associations have agreed to participate in this program
and provide assistance to small businesses in the areas of technology
and information transfer. Presentations of demonstration results will
be sponsored at annual conferences and regional workshops as
appropriate.
10/90 - 9/92
5-40
-------
MILESTONES Publish Demo Reports from 1990 Pilot Program 11/90
Publish Demo Reports from 1991 Active Program 09/91
Publish Demo Reports from 1992 Active Program 09/92
5-41
-------
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
OHIO WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENTS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Barry Langer (201) 599-0100
SAIC
1 Sears Drive
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
This project carried out waste minimization assessments at various
types of facilities in the immediate vicinity of the Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory in Cincinnati. Assessments were carried out
in accordance with the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity
Assessment Manual. To date, assessments have been carried oujt
a truck assembly facility, a mini photo lab, and a large church.
of these assessments have produced draft reports outlining finding
recommendations for waste reduction.
4/89-9/91
Assessment Report - Mini Photo Lab
Assessment Report - Church
Assessment Report - Truck Assembly
2/91
4/91
5/91
5-42
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
FITZSIMONS ARMY MEDICAL CENTER
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Kenneth R. Stone (513) 569-7474
To be determined
Under the WREAFS program, RREL has taken the initiative to merge
the experience and resources of the EPA with other federal agencies.
Last year, a study of the Veterans Affairs Hospital Medical Center in
Cincinnati (VA-Cin) was completed under WREAKS and a list of
research needs was identified. This list recommends areas for future
study by the EPA.
At the Fitzsimona Army Medical Center (FAMC) in Auroram
Colorado, the Army and the EPA will cooperate in an assessment that
will emphasize application of these research needs. The FAMC is
owned and managed by the Army's Health Services Command, and
provides a full gamut of medical and health services to all U.S. military
personnel, their dependents, and retirees.
An assessment team, made up of Army, EPA, and EPA contractor
personnel will identify specific areas of the FAMC to be visited and
evaluated. Individuals will be selected to perform the assessment, and
then, in a draft report, review the observations and offer pollution
prevention recommendations for the specific FAMC activities. This
report will also evaluate the potential opportunities of future research.
8/90 - 1/91
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
Conduct On-site Assessment 08/90
Produce Draft Report for Review 10/90
Print Final Report 01/91
5-43
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RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
o
WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENTS & REVIEWS
WITHIN THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY
PROTECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Kenneth R. Stone (513) 569-7474
To be determined
Under this project, a Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment
(WMOA) will be conducted at 9 Department of the Treasury facility,
such as an operation at the U.S. Mint, or Bureau of Engraving, where
the principal waste generating activities result in metal and ink wastes.
In addition, the principal investigator will review reports from two
previous WMOAs of Federal facilities: the Veterans Affairs Hospital
Medical Center in Cincinnati (VA-Cin); and Building 8100,
(FORSCOM), Ft. Riley, Kansas (Ft. Riley). These reviews w'J
evaluate the waste minimization options, findings, recommendation^
and R&D needs identified in the earlier studies. The purpose is to take
these findings one step further by providing assessment of costs, public
opinion, in-house politics, available service marketing and promotion,
and distribution.
4/90 - 2/91
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
Conduct On-site Assessment 08/90
Review Ft. Riley and Va-Cin Studies 09/90
Produce Draft Report for Review 11/90
Print Final Report 02/91
5-44
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
WET TO DRY SYSTEM EVALUATION IN A NAVY
PAINT SPRAY BOOTH
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MttJESTONES
Paul M. Randall (513) 569-7673
Jacqueline Ayer (415) 961-5700 Ext. 3902
Acurex Corporation
485 Clyde Avenue
P.O. Box 7044
Mountain View, California 94039
The Naval Energy and Environmental Support Activity (NEESA) has
made a decision to convert one or more Navy paint spray booths
equipped with water curtain particulate emission control systems to
dry filtration operation. Conversion will result in the elimination of
a hazardous wastewater stream caused by the removal of small amounts
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air stream. Particulate
matter is controlled using the cartridge filtration system.
The Pollution Prevention Research Branch (PPRB) of the Risk
Reduction Engineering Labontcry (RREL) in Cincinnati, Ohio, has
a research program called the Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal
Sites (WREAFS) program that supports research projects between the
EPA and other federal agencies to demonstrate and evaluate products
and processes that result in less waste being generated. This project
will evaluate the conversion of a Navy paint spray booth from a water
curtain particulate emission control technology to a dry filtration
technology.
This project is awaiting award of the funding.
8/1/90 - 2/1/91
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
Final report and project summary
Research
3/91
4/91
5-45
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/7H£I Pollution Prevention Research Projects
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
David G. Stephan (513) 569-7896
Thomas R. Hauser (513) 556-3693
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221
The objective of this project is to establish and support an Institute
that can: provide a new liaison channel between EPA and potential
implementers of pollution prevention techniques, primarily in industry;
assist the EPA in improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of its
programs in the pollution prevention area; and help generate
private and public sector support for pollution prevention concep
Some 20 individuals with records of accomplishment in pollution
prevention have been appointed to Institute membership. Dr. Joseph
T. Ling has been elected Institute Chairman and Dr. Thomas L. Hurst
has been elected as Vice-Chairman. The Institute's Executive Director
is Dr. Thomas R. Hauser of the University of Cincinnati. Four
Councils representing areas of special concern (Economics, Education,
Implementation, and Technology) have been established and a set of
specific 1- to 2-year objectives have been developed including:
promoting/sponsoring several meetings on pollution prevention;
assisting EPA on several of its "2% set-aside" projects; developing a
plan for development/dissemination of pollution prevention curricula
materials; examining pollution prevention economic models and other
economic materials for effectiveness; defining various pollution
prevention barriers/incentives; developing a measurement tool for
pollution prevention progress; and participating in several pollution
prevention demonstration projects.
10/1/88 — Indefinite
5-46
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MILESTONES A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
Solicit member nominations 12/15/88
Appoint members 3/31/89
Hold inaugural meeting 6/30/89
Establish initial objectives 10/31/89
Produce annual progress report 6/30/90
Produce annual progress report 6/30/91
5-47
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me-
ffflEL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
o
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POLLUTION PREVENTION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Kenneth R. Stone (513) 569-7474
Mary Bourassa (703) 734-3198
SAIC
8400 Westpark Drive
McLean, Virginia 22102
On June 10-13,1990, a three-day international conference on pollution
prevention was held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
With the support of the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department
of Energy (DOE), and the International Association for Clean
Technology (IACT), this conference explored the innoyat
technologies and socioeconomic issues arising in the field of polluf
prevention. The conference attendance was 1,007, iaciudi!
participants from 43 countries.
This conference was also a demonstration project on how to run a
large meeting as a clean product. Every effort was made to examine
options that would minimize the volume of waste generated.
Costs/savings from implementing these options were recorded and will
be in a separate report.
6/90 - 9/90
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
First Announcement - Call for Papers
Second Announcement - Call for Papers
CEM Message: "EPA Plans Conference as a Clean Product"
Registration Brochure
Abstract Book
International Conference on Pollution Prevention 6/10-13/90
Conference Proceedings 8/90
Report on the Conference as a Clean Product
5-48
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
EPA RESEARCH PROJECT CASE STUDIES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Johnny Springer, Jr. (513) 569-7542
In-House Project
The objective of this project is to prepare a compilation of summaries
of waste minimization demonstrations, assessments, and research
projects for publication as an EPA publication. This publication will
contain all pollution prevention activities conducted in the Pollution
Prevention Research Branch. The publication will contain an
introduction and a subject index. All case studies will be represented
according to a common format. A format for the publication has been
developed, two reports have been prepared for inclusion in the book,
and several other reports are currently being edited.
Annual
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
One volume to be produced annually
5-49
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rr&vefwon Research Projects
o
T
SPECIAL EDITION ON WASTE MINIMIZATION
FOR JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
S. Garry Howeli (513) 569-7756
In-House Project
A special edition on waste minimization for the Journal of Hazardous
Materials is being prepared. After consulting with the editor of the
regular edition of the Journal, Gary Bennett of the University of
Toledo, it was decided that authors with diverse viewpoints (EPA,
academia, and industry) would be solicited for papers. If more than
10 or 12 acceptable papers are received, the excess would be considered
for another special edition, or they might be submitted to another
special edition, or they might be submitted to another journal. Sincl
the Journal of Hazardous Materials is peer reviewed, most author?
would prefer to publish in it.
To date, we have seven outside authors giving oral commitments, and
one tentative commitment. The Pollution Prevention Research Branch
will contribute another nine or ten, so even with a 50 percent rate of
participation, there should be enough to fill one edition.
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
11/1/89 - 1/2/91
A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
evaluated in California.
Submit Titles
Submit Abstracts
Submit Manuscripts
Finish Reviews and Corrections
Write Guest Editorial
12/01/89
01/15/90
3/01/90
01/25/91
01/2/91
5-50
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lPOLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNICAL SUPPORT
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Ivars J. Licis(513)569-7718
Jeffrey Means (614) 424-5442
Battelle
505 King Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201-2693
This project is comprised of two major parts, Pollution Prevention
Technology Evaluations (such as those for WRITE), and Technical
Assistance for Pollution Prevention. The f frst part provides contractor
help in producing a test and QA plan; supplying the equipment and
personnel to conduct, analyze and evaluate the test results; and
preparing a draft report. To date, five (5) technology evaluation
projects are being planned:
Connecticut WRITE
Minnesota WRITE
New Jersey WRITE
New Jersey Prototype Evaluations
Washington State WRITE
The specific technologies and test arrangements are in the process of
being defined. A total of approximately 20 evaluations are planned
at this time.
The second part of the project covers review of technical proposals,
review of information for technical transfer purposes, and performance
of assessments of pollution prevention technologies.
8/90 - 9/30/91
5-51
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MILESTONES A final report (Research Brief) is planned for each technology
aualii a tori in ^*ol iTorn Ja
evaluated in California.
One report, paper, or research brief is planned for each
evaluated. Summary, informal reports are to be prepared for the p
two effort.
5-52
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o%
V*
\POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
\
o
POLLUTION PREVENTION INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE (PPIC)
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Myles Morse (202) 382-5747
Chris Messner (703) 821-4800
Science Applications International Corp.
8400 Westpark Drive
McLean, Virginia 22102
The objective of this project is to establish and operate a national
information clearinghouse on the subject of pollution prevention.
The clearinghouse provides a wide range of information services
related to pollution prevention and is meant to serve the needs of
federal, state and local government agencies (including EPA), large
and small businesses, trade associations, and others needing information
on this subject.
PPIC contains abstracted and indexed technical information regarding
pollution prevention techniques applicable to different industries,
different manufacturing processes, and different types of wastes. It
also contains information concerning federal and state assistance
programs, legislative and policy matters, lists of knowledgeable
contacts, a schedule of pertinent meetings, conferences and training
sessions, and information on international activities on pollution
prevention.
PPIC can be accessed by toll-free telephone "hotline" or by computer.
Information packets containing general and industry-specific materials
are available either by mail or through computer downloading. In
addition, PPIC allows a user to order pertinent EPA reports directly
from the National Technical Information Service or PPIC supplies the
necessary ordering information for reports from other sources.
7/1/88 - ongoing
5-53
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MILESTONES Transfer Clearinghouse from
OSWtoORD 7/1/88
Conduct planning workshop 12/31/88
Define Clearinghouse specifications 2/28
Initiate pilot test of computer system 3/3l
Arrange for and train hotline staff 9/30/89
Complete pilot test of computer system 12/31/89
Place PPIC in full operation 1/15/90
Produce annual progress report 2/15/90
Produce annual progress report 2/15/91
5-54
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS WORKSHOP
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Dr. James A. Fava (202) 371-1090
Society of Enviroamental Toxicology and Chemistry
1101 14th Street, N.W.
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
organized and conducted a workshop on August 18-23, 1990, to
develop a technical framework for product life cycle assessments
(PLAs). This workshop was conducted in a format which follows
SETACs successful Pellston Workshop Series. Since 1977, eight
workshops of this type have been held. Participants invited to the
workshop included over 50 representatives from industry, academia,
trade associations, and state and federal governments.
ihe purpose of PLA Workshop was to reach consensus on the current
questions about approaches to performing PLAs and develop
recommendations about what additional information is necessary to
provide a better understanding of the methodology. The objectives
of the workshop were: 1) provide definitions, terms, and common
vocabulary; 2) discuss state-of-the-art methodologies; 3) organize case
histories and other consensus building thinking; and 4) identify
research priorities.
7/90 - 12/90
Draft Report
Final Report
10/10/90
12/30/90
5-55
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ffffEL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
USCGS KETCHAKAN POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Kenneth R. Stone (513) 569-7474
To be determined
Under the WREAFS program, RREL and Region X are cooperating
on providing support to the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) and the United States Coast Guard Service
(USCGS) to assess pollution prevention opportunities at the USCGS
facilities at Ketchakan, Alaska. This project will provide technical
assistance to facility operators, develop pollution prevention
recommendations, and assist ADEC and USCGS in their
implementation.
8/90 - 1/91
Conduct Assessment
Draft Report on the Assessment
Final Pollution Prevention Plan
10/90
11/90
12/90
5-56
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I POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
V
I
\
\
(3
CLEAN PRODUCTS WORKSHOP SERIES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Mary Ann Curran (513) 569-7837
Barry Langer (201) 599-0100
SAIC
1 Sears Drive
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
A series of workshops are being conducted to bring together
representatives from industry, consumer groups, state and federal
government, trade associations, academia, service industry, etc.,
involved in and knowledgeable of particular product areas where
research needs can be identified. Workshops have been held in
Cincinnati on tire recycling (August2-3,1989) and the diaper industry
(July 31, 1990). Another workshop on dry cell batteries is being
scheduled for Fall 1990. Three more are being planned for FY91. The
product areas for future workshops are yet to be determined.
6/89 - 9/91
Tire Recycling Workshop Unpublished Report
Diaper Industry Workshop Report
Dry Cell Battery Workshop Report
9/90
12/15/90
To be announced
5-57
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l«
me
Pollution Prevention Research Projects
C3
RECLAIMING FIBER FROM NEWSPRINT
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Teresa M. Harten (513) 569-7565
Dennis Gunderson (608) 231-9200
Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53705-2398
This project, which is funded under an Interagency Agreement with
USDA's Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin, is
designed to investigate the potential for reclaiming newsprint by
means of a dry fiberizing process. It is part of a larger research
program at FPL that will explore dry and/or semi-dry paper-maki|
processes; the American Newsprint Publishing Association (ANP/
FPL, and EPA are co-funding the total program. For the dry
fiberizing portion of the program, FPL is looking at three methods
for disintegrating newsprint that achieve the goals of fiberizing:
effective separation of fibers with minimal damage to or shortening
of these fibers. The three methods are hammermilling, bailmilling,
and single disk refining.
During the first year of the project, FPL conducted familiarization
and check-out trials with equipment, designed and constructed a
laboratory device for separating the dry fiberized material, and began
fiberizing and sampling in earnest. In best efforts to date, 97 percent
of fiber length was retained (as compared to a wet slushed pulp) when
old news was fiberized at 52 percent moisture content. Handsheets
made from the semi-dry fiberized pulp did not perform as well as
control handsheets, however. Wet-formed handsheets made from the
semi-dry fiberized pulp delivered 93 percent of the tear strength and
only 69 percent of the tensile strength of the control handsheets.
5-58
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In an attempt to improve the strength properties of paper made from
dry fiberized pulp, the remaining two years of the project will focus
on ways of stimulating the bonding capabilities of the experimental
pulp. Although wet technology exists to accomplish bonding
enhancement, as with pulping and forming, the present research will
investigate ways of doing this under dry or semi-dry conditions.
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 6/15/89 - 9/30/92
MILESTONES Paper 6/1/90
Interim Report 9/1/90
Paper 5/15/91
Interim Report 9/1/91
Paper 6/15/92
Final Report 9/1/92
5-59
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ffffEL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
DETERMINATION OF LEGITIMATE HAZARDOUS WASTE RECYCLING
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Brian A. Westfall (513) 569-7755
Barbara L. Cormier (513) 252-1222
PEER Consultants
4134 Linden Avenue, Suite 202
Dayton, Ohio 45432
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as
EPA's waste management hierarchy, places a high priority on recycling
waste rather than using conventional treatment and disposal methods.
An incentive for recycling hazardous waste is the exemption of
recycling operations from the RCRA permit requirements f^
hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facilities, !•
regulatory requirements for treatment facilities are detailed aiH
specific, but the requirements for recyclers are very general and little
guidance has been developed to apply the requirements to a proposed
recycling operation.
The Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA's Region V reviewed the claims of a
company proposing to recycle hazardous electroplating sludges (RCRA
Waste Code F006) by producing a material with uses in the abrasives
industry or in ceramic building materials and fixtures. Technical
assistance to determine whether or not the process meets the regulatory
requirements as legitimate recycling was provided by the project
officer and contracted consultants. Technical criteria for legitimate
recycling include the following:
• The hazardous constituent(s) of the waste must be an essential
ingredient of the end product.
• The product must be marketable.
• The recycler must have equipment capable of producing material
which meets market specifications.
5-60
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The proposed process was evaluated at bench-scale and in a test
of a full-scale unit. The process was determined to meet the
criteria for legitimate hazardous waste recycling and a letter
confirming that finding was issued by Region V early in April
1990.
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 1 /20/89 - 3/31 /90
MILESTONES Internal Report 3/90
5-61
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i f~
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
v*y
COMPOSITES FROM RECYCLED PLASTICS, WOOD, AND
RECYCLED WOOD FIBER
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Teresa Harten (513) 569-7565
John Youngquist (608) 231-9398
Forest Products Laboratory (FPL)
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53705-2398
A three-year interagency agreement has been made between the FPL
and EPA to investigate and develop wood/plastic composites. The
program is designed to examine the application of conventional
equipment for thennomechanical production of wood fiber to
simultaneous formation of wood fibers and ground plastic from we
chips and plastic bottles. The program is also investigating forming
operations such as extrusion, injection molding, and nonwoven web
technology.
This research project involves lab and pilot-scale work to develop
commercially viable thermoformable composite products using recycled
high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
wood flour, recycled wood fiber, and reclaimed polyester fiber. Proof
of concept research performed at USDA's Forest Products Laboratory
(FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin has produced promising results.
5/90 - 5/93
Paper
Interim Report
Paper
Interim Report
Paper, Final Report
4/15/91
5/15/91
4/1/92
5/15/92
5/93
5-62
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
I
(3
PRO^
OIL LIFE EXTENSION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Paul M. Randall (513) 569-7673
Mr. David R. Kidd, P.E.
Alaska Health Project
431 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 101
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
This research cooperative agreement will be conducted by the Alaska
Health Project (AHP) and the USEPA as part of the Pollution
Prevention Research effort. AHP is a non-profit organization located
in Anchorage, Alaska and provides technical support to small-medium
sized businesses, rural communities, and the state to reduce wastes.
The principal thrust of this research project is to evaluate and
demonstrate the effectiveness of by-pass ultra-filtration units with oil
analysis to extend the useful life of lubricating oils in motor vehicles.
The effectiveness of by-pass filters can be measured by installing them
on engines and performing regular lab tests to measure the condition
of the oil over time. Oil loses its ability to lubricate when
contaminated by water, dirt, metal, or particles ranging from 20 to 40
microns. By-pass filters have the ability to filter contaminant particles
down to <1 micron and can also absorb water. When sulfur particles
combine with moisture in the crankcase oil, corrosive sulfuric acid is
formed. By-pass manufacturers claim that the filter media will absorb
water and minimize the sulfuric acid buildup in the crankcase oil. In
the past three years, the Alaska Health Project has identified vendors
and users of by-pass filtration units and oil analytical testing programs.
Very little research has been done to date on the engineering impact
of this technology anc1 itr a^Kcation, especially in rural areas with
limited support services.
This research is in the early stages. A cooperative agreement package
has been submitted for funding.
5-63
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PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 9/1/90 - 8/31/93
MILESTONES To be determined
5-64
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
POLLUTION PREVENTION IN PUBLIC AGENCIES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Brian A. Westfall (513) 569-7755
Gordon R. Garner (502) 587-0591
Louisville & Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District
400 South Sixth Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
The Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District
(MSD) has proposed a project to develop and implement a
comprehensive pollution prevention assessment process for public
agencies and institutions located in the Louisville Metropolitan area.
Under a cooperative agreement with EPA, the MSD will evaluate the
current status of pollution prevention awareness and activities at a
number of state, local and federal government organizations, including
municipal governments, public schools, the water utility, the regional
airport, state offices, the University of Louisville, and MSD itself.
.A pollution prevention assessment process specifically for public
agencies will be developed and then tested at MSD and one or two
additional agencies. The process will be modified as necessary and
then used at all facilities which will participate. The widespread use
of a uniform procedure will enhance the transfer of information among
facilities having common waste management problems and similar
waste reduction opportunities.
9/1/90 - 8/31/92
Phase I - Evaluate current pollution prevention activities, Interim
Report - 1990
Phase n - Develop and test assessment process, Interim Report - 9/91
Phase III - Assessments at remaining agencies. Final Report - 8/92
5-65
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Pollution Prevention Research Projects
o
MODEL COMMUNITY POLLUTION PREVENTION CASE STUDY
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Kenneth R. Stone (513) 569-7474
To be determined
The purpose of this project is to establish a model environmental risk
reduction program on a military base to demonstrate how pollution
prevention techniques can be combined into a community through all
the everyday community institutions, businesses and services. This
model plan will address community organization, facilities and services,
energy, transportation and education.
Currently, EPA is working with the Department of Defense
selecting an appropriate military base for the study.
9/90 - 3/93
Selection of Model Community Site8/90
5-66
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
RREL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
METHODOLOGY FOR MEASURING POLLUTION PREVENTION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
David G. Stephan (513) 569-7896
To be determined
To adequately reflect the progress of waste reduction and determine
the success of pollution prevention, it is necessary to utilize an
appropriate measurement methodology that is acceptable to the private
and public sectors. The objective of this initiative is to develop a
single methodology which integrates mass-based pollution prevention.
The final report will be a decisionmaken guide for calculating the
progress of pollution prevention goals and present technical
information on how to set reasonable pollution prevention goals. The
report should include a series of worksheets that can be used to guide
industry and government through the methodology.
In cooperation with the public and private sectors the project will
develop a measurement methodology for hazardous and nonhazardous
multimedia pollution prevention. Necessary input will be required
through coordination with professional or trade associations, State
governments, DOD, DOE, EPA and others who set pollution
prevention goals. EPA will present a unified approach with the
assistance of representatives of PPO. OSW and OEETD.
9/90 - 8/91
Planning research and funds transfer 0-2 months
Approved work plan and coordination within EPA 2-4 months
Draft methodology 4-6 months
Consensus approval of methodology
(public and private sectors) 6-8 months
Decisionmakers guide and methodology report 8-10 months
Demonstrate guide with methodology 10-12 months
5-67
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CONSUMER PRODUCT EMISSIONS PREVENTION
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
Chester A. Vogel (919) 541-2827
Bruce Moore (919) 541-5460
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards
MD-13
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Doris Lo (415) 744-1187
EPA Region IX (A-2-3)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco. CA 94105
Volatile organic compound (VOC) and air toxic emissions will be
prevented by identifying and demonstrating low-polluting consumer
products. Aerosols release approximately 650,000 tons per year of
organics in the United States. Hence, aerosols are an area where a
significant impact can be made. The initial activity, Aerosol
Propellant/Packaging Changes, will identify alternatives to organics
as propellants and carrier solvents and investigate packaging
alternatives to aerosols, Region IX has the lead in this activity.
Consumer products are a significant, uncontrolled source of VOC
emissions (up to 10% of the stationary area source inventory). Viable
substitutes for automotive products, which make up 15 to 20% of
consumer product VOC emissions, will be identified in a Prevention
Options Availability Report. Emphasis will be placed on those
products that are the greatest contributors to VOC emissions. OAQPS
has the lead role in this activity.
10/1/90-9/30/92
5-68
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MILESTONES Automotive Products Prevention Options
- Interim Report 9/15/91
- Final Report 9/30/92
Aerosol Propellant/Packaging Changes
- Interim Report 9/30/91
- Final Report 9/30/92
5-69
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
MINIMIZING SOLVENT EMISSIONS FROM PESTICIDES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOr
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANC
AOLESTONES
Geddes Ramsey (919) 541-7963
Kerry Leifer (703) 557-5108
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs (H-7505C)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Many pesticide inerts, the carriers and solvents used in pesticide
formulations, are the source of substantial environmental problems.
A strategy to reduce the volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
stratospheric ozone depleters, and greenhouse gases used in* and,
thereby emitted from, pesticides will be established. VOC emissioi(
reduction projects will be enhanced by quantifying the- type and
amount of solvent inerts used in pesticides. AEERL will assemble and
provide data on photochemical reactivity, stratospheric ozone depletion
potential, and greenhouse factors to ensure full consideration of air
issues in the resulting strategy.
OPP has address toxicity issues in its pesticide inerts strategy.
However, inerts, many of which are VOCs, stratospheric ozone
depleters, or greenhouse gases, continue to be released to the
atmosphere during pesticide use. Research will provide information
needed to reduce VOC and other organic emissions from pesticides.
10/1/90 - 12/30/92
Characterization of Pesticide Inerts
Incorpo; ition of VOC in the Pesticide Inert Strategy
9/15/91
12/15/92
5-70
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
DEMONSTRATION OF SOLVENT-FREE CLEANING
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
Michael Kosusko (919) 541-2734
Not yet identified
The use of organic solvents for surface cleaning results in major air
emissions of toxic organics and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The use of, and thereby the air emissions from, these organic solvents
will be reduced by replacing them with solvent-free cleaning methods
which use relatively innocuous materials that are found in nature, such
as COj, Nj, HjO, and air. Plasma cleaning would fall into this category.
This solvents project is part of AEERL's integrated strategy to
significantly reduce organic air emissions from all sectors of society
and will impact multiple air pollution problems (tropospheric ozone,
air toxics, and stratospheric ozone depletion). New solvent-free
processes which reduce air emissions will be assessed using a life-
cycle perspective because they will have impacts on other media.
It is recognized that surface cleaning is an active research area. During
this project, contacts will be maintained with active researchers to
avoid duplicative efforts and to identify the specific niches where
research and demonstration efforts will have the maximum impact on
organic air emissions. In the first phase, promising solvent-free
technologies from the existing research of the Department of Defense
(DOD), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
the Department of Energy (DOE), and other sources will be identified.
Simultaneously, a work group consisting of EPA Regions, states,
OAQPS, OTS, and ORD participants will be established to provide
guidance on technology requirements with respect to air regulations
and to identify opportunities for the application of solvent-free
cleaners in industrial facilities. In Phase II, solvent-free cleaning
approaches will be demonstrated in two or three of these facilities,
representing distanct source categories.
5-71
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PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE 4/1/91 - 6/30/92
MILESTONES Priority List of Demonstrations 7/15/9J
Initiate Demonstrations 9/30/91
Complete Demonstrations 6/30/92
5-72
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL COATING TECHNOLOGIES
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Michael Kosusko (919) 541-2734
Coleen Northeim (919) 541-5816
Research Triangle Institute
P.O. Box 12194
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194
Opportunities for prevention of organic emissions from coating
operations will be identified to provide a basis for demonstration
projects and to facilitate technology transfer. Two activities are
proposed- (1) The Evaluation of Potential Coating Technologies
activity will identify and evaluate coatings which are more-
environmentally acceptable than those currently in use. Focus will be
on small stationary area sources. (2) The Surface-Coating-Free
Materials Workshop will explore approaches and techniques which
offer potential to eliminate emissions both during the manufacture and
the life of products by avoiding the coating process. A workshop will
be held to ascertain the viability of new materials and opportunities
for their demonstration. Industry, Department of Defense (DOD), and
NASA will be solicitated to help identify emerging technologies.
12/1/90 - 12/15/91
Surface-Coating-Free Materials Workshop
Final Workshop Report
Evaluation of Technologies Report
6/91
8/31/91
12/15/91
5-73
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•^v v — - — -^r ^0r JMMi ^^ •
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
ALTERNATIVE COATING DEMONSTRATIONS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Robert C. McCrilJis (919) 541-2733
Not yet identified
The economics, ease of manufacture, quality, and durability of coated
products manufactured using environmentally safe technologies will
be demonstrated. New coating systems for wood furniture and
autobody refinishing will be evaluated. Promising technologies are
available in these areas. A third demonstration area will be selected
based on discussions with potential industrial partners, the Department
of Defense, or on results of the Evaluation of Potential Coating
Technologies project. The demonstrations will focus on technologies
for small, stationary area sources. However, demonstrations for Iar|
area sources will be considered should suitable opportunities for sr
sources not be available. This task will demonstrate the next
generation of technology for wood furniture, autobody refinishing,
and at least one other coatings source category. State agencies could
establish more stringent regulations once new technologies become
available.
12/1/90 - 9/30/93
Autobody Refinishing Demonstration
- Final Report
Wood Furniture Demonstration
- Interim Report
- Final Report
Other Demonstrations
- Interim Report
- Final Report
6/30/92
12/15/91
12/15/92
6/30/92
9/30/93
5-74
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
CONSUMER PRODUCT TEST METHOD DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
Chester Vogel (919) 541-2827
Joan Bursey (919) 481-0212
Radian Corporation
P.O. Box 13000
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Test methods for the VOC content of consumer products, such as
organic liquids, aerosols, organic solids, and solids containing residual
organics are being developed. These methods will be promoted as the
standard measurement techniques. The development of a database of
specific consumer product information is not anticipated. An
opportunity exists for joint test method development with several
California agencies. The Indoor Air Branch of AEERL, OAQPS, and
NYSDEC (New York State) will act as technical advisors for this task.
This project will provide a key measurement tool to support the efforts
of regulators and researchers to reduce VOCs, air toxics, and other
environmentally adverse emissions from consumer products. As such,
it has been identified by OAQPS and NESCAUM as one of the highest
priority research activities for consumer products. Many states are
considering rules to limit the VOC content of these products. These
rules use criteria such as maximum VOC content by weight or
percentage of VOCs removed from products via reformulation. There
are presently no widely accepted methods for making these
measurements. Hence, test method development is a key research
component needed to support regulatory strategies. Similarly, industry
needs these methods to evaluate their progress in reducing VOCs in
their products.
4/23/90 - 9/30/92
Present Preliminary Results (AWMA '91)
Interim Technology Report
Final Report
6/21/91
12/15/91
9/30/92
5-75
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AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
DIAGNOSING AND PREVENTING IAQ PROBLEMS:
SOURCES OF EMISSIONS AND HANDBOOK
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
James White (919) 541-1189
Margie Stockton
Radian Corporation
P.O. Box 13000
Research Triangle Park, NC
2^709
The need to control building systems and indoor sources is an essential
component to improve indoor air quality. -The information gathered
in this project will enable building professionals and consumers to
make informed choices about how to design and operate buildings andj
how to select products and materials to use in buildings. The propel
use of this information will reduce exposure to a variety of IA
pollutants known to be potential health hazards. The objectives of this
project are the development of an information resource including a
catalog, a handbook, and guidance documents which will enable the
diagnosis and prevention of indoor air pollution from sources
commonly found indoors. Information on low emitting materials will
be combined with data on building investigations to provide
recommendations for building design, operation, and product selection.
2/27/91 - 9/30/94
Interim Catalog 09/91
Final Catalog 09/92
Interim Handbook 09/93
Final Handbook 09/94
5-76
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
AEERL Pollution Prevention Research Projects
INDUSTRY GUIDANCE/ASSISTANCE FOR HALON REPLACEMENTS
PROJECT OFFICER
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR
DESCRIPTION
PERIOD OF
PERFORMANCE
MILESTONES
N. Dean Smith (919) 541-2708
Dr. Robert E. Tapscott (505) 768-7578
New Mexico Engineering Research Institute
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Alternative chemicals to Halon-1310 will be evaluated for total-flood
application in fire protection for enclosed facilities such as those
found on the Alaskan North Slope where leaks of flammable gaseous
and liquid hydrocarbons can occur. This need includes fire
suppression, explosion suppression, and explosion inciting. The
assessment and comparison will include safety, health, environmental,
availability, effectiveness, and other considerations needed to
determine the applicability of the chemical alternatives evaluated. The
alternatives will start with perfluorocarbons and will be extended to
fluoroethers, hydrofluorocarbons, and others as results and funding
allow.
This work is being done in cooperation with the Halon Alternatives
Research Corporation and the North Slope pipeline and producing
companies.
9/90 - 9/92
Progress report on chemical properties
Interim report on alternative testing
Progress report: additional chemicals
Annual progress reports
9/91
12/91
9/92
10/92
5-77
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
POLLUTION PREVENTION BY AND FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OSDBU/Karen Brown (202) 557-7015
This program is designed to support the implementation and demonstration
of promising pollution prevention techniques and technologies by small
businesses and to transmit the results of these demonstrations to others in the
same or similar industries. Small businesses will be solicited for
demonstration proposals. Cooperating trade associations will strongly
encourage their members to participate and assist the awardees with their
demonstrations. Results of the demonstrations will be evaluated, published,
and transferred throughout the relevant industry.
FY9Q
• Determine criteria for selecting proposals and solicit proposals
FY91
• Complete first selection of awardees and schedule deliverables
• Complete on-site demonstrations
• Publish final reports on selected projects
FY92
• Complete second selection of Awardees
• Complete on-site demonstrations for second group of awards
• Publish final reports on selected projects for second group of awards
5-78
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
\
O
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
TO REDUCE CORN HERBICIDE
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
Region VIII/Doug Johnson (303) 293-1621
OPP/Bernie Smale (202) 557-1443
PPD Contact Deborah Hanlon (202) 382-4472
This initiative consists of on-farm applied research and demonstration of
Sustainable Agriculture (SA) practices. EPA is combining its efforts with
USDA to demonstrate a Weed Control Project to be applied to Colorado in
1991 and 1992. A national task force will be established to evaluate
sustainable agriculture systems, perform economic analyses, and conduct
workshops on agro-economic problems and solutions. The results of the
project will be used to promote new agricultural and environmental policies.
Issue draft work plan to SA work groups and EPA participating offices
for review/comment
Establish management agency and project manager
Make presentations to various organizations (ongoing)
Plan implementation (ongoing)
Perform weed control data search
• Perform national survey analyses
• Train county extension agents
FY92
• Conduct national symposia
• Perform regional workshop analyses
• Prepare and submit weed control report
5-79
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
\
\
C3
UNIVERSITY-BASED POLLUTION PREVENTION CENTERS
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OTS/Anne Giesecke (202) 382-3801
or David Kling (202) 382-3949
ORD, ODW
PPD Contact Brian Symmes (202) 245-3590
EPA will establish Pollution Prevention Centers at universities across the U.S.
to disseminate state-of-the-art information on prevention strategies and
techniques. The Centers will provide for cost-effective administration, allow
for program specialization, address local environmental concerns, and
maximize distribution of training, information, and materials. The Centers
will be responsive to local and regional constituents in the areas that the|
serve, and will custom-tailor pollution prevention strategies in a way that |
national program could not. The Coordinating Committee for the Centers
will consolidate the valuable lessons learned at the local level and provide a
forum for nationwide information exchange that will be easily accessible to
national and multi-national industries, trade associations, environmental
groups, and EPA.
FY90
• Establish a minimum of three Centers
FY91
• Develop three training courses
• Establish three additional Centers
• Establish the Coordinating Committee
FY92
• Develop additional training courses, materials, and services
• Establish one additional Center
5-80
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
\
o
POLLUTION PREVENTION CURRICULUM
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
Region VII/Rowena Michaels (913) 236-2803
OA
PPD Contact Priscilla Flattery (202) 382-4023
EPA, working in partnership with state and local governments, industry,
educational institutions and other entities, is developing a pollution
prevention educational curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade
12. This curriculum will be offered to all schools for their direct use or
adoption, and will carry the full weight of EPA's endorsement. It will
include appropriate videos, slides, films, computer software, and other
teaching aids. The goal is to provide a rich, unified program on pollution-
prevention ethics and approaches to problems emphasizing source reduction
or recycling.
FY90
• Create task force and work groups
FY 91 and FY 92
Initiate curriculum development and testing
Initiate "leveraging" (i.e., development of public/private partnerships)
Initiate production phase
Initiate marketing and distribution phase
Evaluate and update curriculum (ongoing)
5-81
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
(3
DEMONSTRATION OF EMERGING AREA-SOURCE PREVENTION OPTION5
FOR VOLATILE ORGANICS
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
Mike Kosusko (919) 541-2734
ORD/AEERL
PPD Contact Lynn Vendinello (202) 382-2602
This project involves cooperative work between EPA and industry to
identify, develop, and demonstrate techniques that reduce YOC emissions
from stationary area sources by developing, evaluating, and/or demonstrating
pollution prevention options. This goal will be achieved by demonstrating
the viability of VOC emissions reduction through alternative coating
materials and processes, and identifying and evaluating consumer producj
prevention options.
FY90
Complete report on potential coating technologies
Complete report on coating-free materials workshop
Complete coating systems demonstration for auto refinishing
Initiate consumer product test method
Develop prevention options
FY92
• Develop consumer product test method
• Develop the technical basis for a pesticide inert strategy
5-82
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•POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
I
\
(3
PROMOTE AND INSTITUTIONALIZE POLLUTION PREVENTION IN THE
WATER PERMIT ISSUANCE PROCESSES
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OW/Martha Kirkpatrick (202) 475-9529
OSWER, OAR, OPPE
PPD Contact: Deborah Hanlon (202) 382-4472
The EPA permitting programs are the key driving force behind controlling
pollution across the country. These vehicles are also legal mechanisms for
institutionalizing pollution prevention and forcing it to happen nationally.
This project involves the development and implementation of training courses
for NPDES and UIC permit writers to promote and institutionalize the
"prevention ethic" in permits. In addition, multi-media training will be
developed to increase permit writer's awareness of cross media impact, and
the role of their decision on other media programs.
FY88
• Complete feasibility study
FY90
• Develop methodology for conducting pilot/demonstration studies
FY91
• Conduct full-scale demonstration program
FY92
• Begin implementation
5-83
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
l
\
(3
POLLUTION PREVENTION THROUGH EPA PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OSW/Janette Hansen (202) 475-6690
OARM, Regions II and VII
PPD Contact David Fege (202) 382-6920
The goal of this project is to minimize the use of prime resources and
optimize the implementation and impact of the EPA Guidelines for
Procurement of Materials containing recycled or recovered goods. The
project will focus upon enhancing federal implementation of the guidelines
and also will promote state implementation. The products of this endeavor
include workshops for federal and state government purchasing officials
across the nation, and a final report on the impact and success of the efforts^
FY91
* Conduct educational workshops on procurement guidelines
FY92
• Develop measurements of success
• Conduct 11 follow-up workshops
• Complete a final report on the workshops, measurements of success,
and recommendations for future activities
5-84
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•POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
PACIFIC NORTHWEST POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES Region X/David Teeter (202) 442-2871
PPD Contact Jackie Krieger (202) 382-4418
DESCRIPTION The primary goal of the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Research Center
is to help prevent the generation of pollution by fostering research in relevant
areas. The role of the Center is to sponsor pollution prevention for major
industries in the Pacific Northwest, serve as a forum for public policy
discussions, document progress, and aggregate pollution prevention opportunities.
The Center will be governed by a board of directors, composed of one or more
respected representatives fromindus try; academia; the environmental community;
the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington; and British Columbia.
MILESTONES FY 90
• Establish a work group
• Draft a charter for the center
• Establish a Board of Directors and hire Executive Director
FY 91 and FY 92
• Identify important pollution research gaps
• Set priorities based on the identification of research needs
• Support, sponsor, and/or conduct pollution prevention research
5-85
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
I
}
INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION: ATTACKING THE PROBLEM
THROUGH REGULATION AND OUTREACH
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OW/OWRS/Jim Lund (202) 382-7158
PPD Contact Deborah Hanlon (202) 382-4472
An important, key to significant gains in water quality and to preventing
cross-media transfers is to stop pollution from occurring through programs
to prevent and reduce sources, to recycle waste products, and to conserve
water resources. This initiative involves a study to determine past industry
compliance practices, a legal analysis of EPA's statutory authority to design
and implement pollution prevention programs in the effluent guideline!
development process, an examination of methods of influencing industry
implement pollution prevention measures voluntarily, and a study
international experiences with pollution prevention.
FY91
3—
i
Prepare a revised Administrative Manual that describes the SOPs of the
effluent guidelines process
Complete a study on the efficacy of effluent guidelines in addressing
cross-media transfers
Prepare guidance and conduct pilot of the 301(k) waiver process
Complete an options and proposals paper on industry incentives
Complete a study of international efforts
Complete several pilot projects
Draft a paper on changes for the 1991 CWA reauthorization
Prepare industry outreach materials (ongoing)
5-86
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•POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
ffi
CHESAPEAKE BAY PESTICIDE INDEX AND REGISTRY
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
Region III/Vicki Binetti (215) 597-6511
PPD Contact Brian Symmes (202) 245-3590
The Chesapeake Bay has exhibited a long-term trend of declining water
quality and aquatic life. With the signing of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement
in 1987, EPA and the Bay States committed to reversing this trend through
the development of a basin-wide toxics reduction strategy, covering both
point and nonpoint sources.
The goal of this initiative is to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides
in the Bay watershed. This project involves the development and testing of
a Pesticide Hazard Index (PHI) which will be used to rank the potential
environmental impacts of pesticides' active ingredients. The PHI results will
be disseminated to the appropriate federal, state, and local agencies in order
to encourage the use of those pesticides determined to be the "least
environmentally harmful.
FY 89 through 91
• Develop and test pesticide hazard index
FY92
• Apply pesticide hazard index
• Implement pesticide hazard index results
5-87
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
\
\
<3
PROMOTING POLLUTION PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS IN
ENFORCEMENT SETTLEMENTS
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OECM/Peter Rosenberg (202) 382-7550
OSWER, OW, OAR, OPTS, Region III, Region IV, and Region VIII
PPD Contact Jim Edward (202) 382-3270
EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring is currently
chairing a work group comprised of most media compliance programs and
Regions III, IV, and VIII, to develop proposed policy and guidance on the
inclusion of pollution prevention requirements in enforcement settlements.
The policy will be used by Agency negotiators to propose/accept appropriate
pollution prevention conditions for consent orders and decrees. This pro.je||
will expand the use of these settlements and evaluate their effectiveness ^
that enforcement tools and authorities can be used to enhance the Agency's
overall commitment to pollution prevention.
FY89
• Plan to issue draft policy
FY90
• Oversee pilot testing of the policy in Regions III, IV, and VIII
FY 91 and FY 92
• Document and evaluate the effectiveness of the pollution prevention
requirements contained in the settlements
• Technical support and assistance to identify cases where pollution
prevention conditions are appropriate and to EPA settlement teams for
case development/tkgc.ia.ions
5-88
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
POLLUTION PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTALLY
RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
Region VII/Bob Fenemore (913) 236-2970
Region X/Gilbert Moore (206) 442-1200
Region VI/Tom Davenport (214) 655-6444
.PPD Contact Joceiyn Woodman (202) 245-4164
The goals of this project are to prevent pollution by agricultural chemicals
through education demonstration of best management practices, and
integrated pest management; and to demonstrate that the goal can be achieved
through multi-agency efforts of EPA, State environmental agencies, and the
USDA. This will involve linking Agency resources with State agricultural
chemical management programs and USDA resources.
FY90
• Establish an interagency technical advisory committee
• Call for proposals from State Agricultural programs
• Review and select projects from proposals
FY91
• Award grants to selected projects
* Conduct oversight and report progress
FY92
• To be determined
5-89
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
CONSUMER PRODUCT COMPARATIVE RISK: MARKET-BASED
POLLUTION PREVENTION
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OAQPS/Melissa McCuilough (919) 541-5616
OSW
PPD Contacc David Fege (202) 245-4164
The concept behind this project is that by providing information to
consumers regarding the true environmental costs associated with consumer
products, the demand side of the market will shift the manufacturing profile
towards products that are less damaging to both the environment and public
health. This project will design a methodology to assess the environmental
and health consequences of products, test that methodology on sampl|
product groups, and develop and implement a communication plan to transfei
that information to the public, engineering and design schools, industry, the
environmental community, and other interested audiences.
FY90
• Develop preliminary life cycle methodology
• Select products for testing preliminary method
FY91
Select members of peer review team
Convene initial peer review team meeting
Draft method manual
Analyze selected products and refine method
Develop final manual
FY92
• To be determined
5-90
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[POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
I
\
(3
LEAD POLLUTION PREVENTION
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OTS/Ed Brooks (202) 382-3749
PPD Contact: Lynn Vendinello (202) 382-2602
The objective of this project is to develop and carry out a concerted EPA-
wide effort to reduce exposures to lead. .This project explores the use of
regulatory authorities to discourage the mining of lead and encourages lead
recycling and the use of lead substitutes. OTS will initiate a regulatory
investigation under TSCA to determine the most cost-beneficial way of using
that authority to reduce human exposure to lead. The participating offices
will collectively assess and agree upon the nature of the lead problem and
possible solutions, and develop a regulation to be published in the Federal-
Register.
Publish ANPRM in Federal Register
Select regulatory objectives
Analyze alternative regulatory approaches
Identify lead product and use candidates for TSCA regulations
Complete background document
Publish NPRM in Federal Register
5-91
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
PREVENTION OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION FROM PESTICIDES
INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR STATE USE
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
ORD/Gail Robarge or Amy Mills (202) 382-7891
PPD Contact Brian Symmes (202) 245-3590
The purpose of this initiative is to provide scientific tools for states to use
in developing locally meaningful pesticide management plans. This effort
will integrate existing technology and information such as: models for
predicting the leaching of pesticides to groundwater; data that has been
collected on soil properties and other relevant environmental factors; a
geographic information system (CIS) to assist in analyzing data, and
monitoring methods for detecting and tracking pesticide movement in the
subsurface. Although this project will primarily address pesticides, use of
other agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers, could be assessed with- the
planned system.
FY91
• Report on (Design Criteria for the Pesticide Management Interagency
Gateway
• Expand Pesticide Information Network
FY92
• Develop guidance on the Development of a CIS Database for Pesticide
Management
• Interim Guidance on Groundwater Monitoring Strategies for Pesticide
Management
• Evaluate vulnerability assessment methodologies for pesticide
management
5-92
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•POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
\
o
POLLUTION PREVENTION FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED
INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
ORD/H. Douglas Williams (513) 569-7361
Regions II, IV, VI, VII
PPD Contact: John Cross (202) 245-4164
Regional workshops will be established to provide pollution prevention
information to specialists identified in state and local government and the
private sector. Training modules will be produced specifically for selected
small industrial operations, water treatment facilities, and POTWs. The
workshops will be conducted by ORD's Center for Environmental Research
Information (CERI) in cooperation with four EPA Regional offices.
Technical support will be provided by the ORD Risk Reduction Engineering
Laboratory (RREL) and state- or university-based regional training and
waste reduction centers. Once this information has been developed, it will
be available to other EPA Regional offices.
FY90
• Identify Region-specific training needs
FY91
• Develop Region-specific training modules
• Produce and test training modules specifically for water treatment
facilities and POTWs
• Develop eight industry-specific pollution prevention reports
FY92
• Finalize training modules for water treatment facilities and POTWs
• Finalize eight industry-specific pollution prevention reports
• Conduct four pollution prevention workshops for small industrial
operations and four workshops for water and POTW facility operations
5-93
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER/ESTABLISHING
UNIVERSITY-BASED POLLUTION PREVENTION CENTERS
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
ODW/Jeff Cohen (202) 382-5456
OTS, ORD, EPA Regions I and IV
PPD Contact Lynn Vendinello (202) 382-2602
This project focuses on reducing lead in drinking water by combining two
projects:
(1) OW's joint initiative with Regions I and IV and ORD to establish a
network of university researchers, government, water suppliers,
engineers, and environmentalists. This network will develop and share
information on effective technologies to reduce drinking water l.eai
levels attributable to corrosion by-products, and on complying with th
various requirements of the forthcoming lead in drinking-water
regulations.
(2) OTS, ORD and ODW's joint initiative to establish university-based
pollution prevention centers that will develop and disseminate technical
information and provide technical assistance, especially to small water
system operators and building managers.
Sign cooperative agreements with universities
• Conduct two workshops to transfer information from corrosion control
experts to specified university centers
• Implement university-based projects in research and training
• Conduct trial training seminars for water suppliers
» Complet2 four reports on the applied research and field studies in
corrosion reduction
FY92
• Revise the training materials and courses
• Complete a case-study video
5-94
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\
POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
a
COMMUNITY PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL
POLLUTION PREVENTION STRATEGIES
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
Region Ill/James Hemby (215) 597-0765
OPPE
PPD Contact Julie Shannon (202) 382-2736
The results from Region Ill's Integrated Environmental Management Projects
(lEMPs) and the Comparative Risk Project (CRP) will be used in conjunction
with SARA Section 313 data to target a geographic area which would provide
maximal riskreduction/resourceconservationopportunities through pollution
prevention. Assistance will be provided to community forums to establish
and implement a plan for preventing pollution in their community. Materials
and strategies will be developed which may be transferred to other
communities.
FY90
• Complete data analyses and document targeted "hot spots"
Complete OPA analysis of comparative risks and potential redaction
within the targeted area
Target a specific community
Educate the community
Develop benefit software and information brochures
Develop Community Pollution Prevention Plan
FY92
Implement Community Pollution Prevention Plan
Consult with facilities on use of software
Set voluntary goals with industry and evaluate their progress
Prepare final report on the planning process and progress to date
5-95
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•POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
*
\
DETERMINING THE PROPER ROLE FOR RCRA FACILITY INSPECTORS
IN THE ASSESSMENT OF POLLUTION PREVENTION
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIELD
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OWPE/Peter Siebach (202) 475-9849
PPD Contact: Marty Snetzer (202) 245-4164
RCRA facility inspectors are responsible for conducting inspections,
detecting violations, and recording evidence so that appropriate enforcement
actions can be taken to ensure compliance. However, the inspector is not
currently required to identify and advise facility owners and operators on
potential waste minimization techniques that could be utilized at their
facilities.
The RCRA Facility Inspector Program is being updated in FY90. EPA is
considering an expansion of the program to include a session on waste
minimization efforts. The emphasis would be on educating the inspector
to provide basic waste minimization information and to act as a point of
referral to the facility owner/operator.
FY91
• Identify and evaluate existing state and regional programs that currently
incorporate a "consultant" role into their basic RCRA inspector functions
• Develop recommendations for potential revisions to the national inspector
training programs
FY92
• Collect previously developed technical literature on pollution prevention
for RCRA inspectors
• Streamline technical information on major industries outlining pollution
prevention
5-97
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
\
o
REDUCED MOBILE SOURCE EMISSIONS THROUGH USE
OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS
PAKnClPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
ORD/AREAL Lab/Larry Cupitt (919) 541-2107
ORD, OPPE
PPD Contact: David Bassett (202) 245-4164
The largest single source category of pollutants in the urban atmosphere is
motor vehicles. This initiative will reduce emissions of harmful pollutants
from motor vehicles by encouraging the use of cleaner-burning alternative
fuels and fuel pooling. In particular, this effort will quantify the benefits
to be derived from switching to the use of alternative fuels and will
demonstrate those benefits through a combination of field measurements^
laboratory studies, and economic impact and analyses/risk assessments. Thcf
project also will provide a rational basis for the development of national
policies to reduce mobile source emissions and their associated risks.
• Publish report on protocols for field use of emissions measurement
samplers
FY92
• Publish report on tailpipe emissions and ambient concentrations before
mandatory use of alternative fuel
• Develop internal reports on shed tests and production of ozone and toxic
transformation products
5-98
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT
2% Set-Aside Project Description
REDUCTION IN PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS THROUGH BIOREGULATION
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
ORD/OEPER/Jim Mueller (904) 932-9011
OPTS
PPD Contact Brian Symmes (202) 245-3590
Maintenance of current levels of agricultural productivity relies heavily on
the use of large volumes of pesticides. Environmental contamiaatioja by
pesticides is a significant problem because of the wide scale use, application,
amounts and frequencies, and disposal relative to their degradation. If
degradation is of sufficient magnitude, environmental contamination is
reduced if not prevented.
The purpose of this effort is to use bioregulators to ensure accelerated
degradation of persistent pesticides in or on surface soils, thereby preventing
contamination of surface and subsurface soils and water. Through
bioregulation, more persistent pesticides, which often contaminate
groundwater and are usually more toxic, can be caused to biodegrad&more
quickly and thereby reduce their potential to contaminate non-target
environments and organisms. Also, the effective field life of less persistent
pesticides can be extended and environmental pollution reduced through
reducing amounts and frequency of pesticide applications.
FY91
• Conduct critical assessment of the potential of bioregulation to prevent
agricultural pesticide pollution
• Develop research plan for use of agents accelerating degradation of
persistent chemicals
FY92
• Characterization of bacteria and fungi ability to degrade persistent
pesticides
• Compilation of microbial strains established in pesticide-degrading
organisms
• Screening of technologies for introduction of viable pesticide-degrading
microorganisms
5-99
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2% Set-Aside Project Description
JW
%
STATE-LEVEL CONSERVATION PROJECTS
PARTICIPATING
OFFICES
DESCRIPTION
MILESTONES
OAR/Jim Mueller (904) 932-9011
PPD Contact David Bassett (202) 475-9307
This project will use an existing network to promote increased use of energy
conservation. This network includes EPA Headquarters and Regions, the
states and several organizations including the State and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators/Association of Local Air Pollution Control
Officials.
EPA Region I and the Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
will solicit and develop state-level projects that propose remedies™
obstacles, and develop programs to encourage "least cost" utility plann^
with consideration of air, water, and solid waste impacts of alternative
energy supplies.
• Assess emission, energy efficiency, and economic benefits of aggressive
conservation program in states with acid rain legislation
• Apply methodology above to high emitting and high growth states that
have not undertaken acid rain control programs
• Analyze the sulfur dioxide, oxides or nitrogen and carbon dioxide
emission reduction potential of least cost utility planning, and assess
mechanisms for coordinating State-level emission management programs
and least cost utility planning
5-100
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