POLLUTION SOLUTIONS
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the
Great Lakes Basin
A Report on the Pollution Prevention Grant Program
in the Great Lakes Basin
Great Lakes National Program Office
January 1998
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
GLNPO would like to thank the grantees for their hard work and commitment to promoting pollution
prevention around the Great Lakes basin, and for their reviews during this project. Acknowledgment is due
to Danielle Green, Stacy Greendlinger, Phil Kaplan, Anthony Kizlauskas, Elizabeth LaPlante, Deborah
Siebers, Brian Stage, and Vicki Thomas, Chief of the Policy Coordination and Communications Branch, for
their valuable comments and suggestions on this report. Appreciation to Cynthia D. Bowman for desktop
publishing, and Marcus Shumpert for cover design.
Photo credit: Heather Morrison of the Waunakee Whirlwinds 4-H Club. Photo provided by Water Action
Volunteers - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and University of Wisconsin Extension.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 1
Background 2
Great Lakes as a Pollution Prevention Leader 3
The GLNPO Pollution Prevention Grant Assistance Program 3
Lessons Learned 5
Overview of Pollution Preventions Projects, Federal Fiscal Years 1992-1995
Table 1: Number of New Projects, Total Dollar Amounts and Dollars Leveraged
for GLNPO Pollution Prevention Grant Assistance, Fiscal Years
1992-1995, 6
Table 2: Agencies and Organizations Receiving Fiscal Years 1992-1995 Grant
Assistance Dollars from GLNPO, and Basins Impacted by
Projects, 6
Table 3: GLNPO Funded Pollution Prevention and Dollars by Great Lakes
Basin During Fiscal Years 1992-1995. 7
APPENDIX A
Project Summaries FY1995
Mercury Reduction through Treatment Chemical Selection 9
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Rochester Embayment Watershed Mercury Pollution Prevention Program 10
Monroe County Department of Health (in coordination with the National Wildlife Federation
and Western Lake Superior Sanitary District)
Mercury Reduction and Pollution Prevention in Hospitals 11
National Wildlife Federation (in coordination with Monroe County, New York and
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District)
Zero Discharge Pilot Project 12
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (in coordination with Monroe County, New York
and the National Wildlife Federation)
Project Summaries FY1994
Great Lakes Alternative Cleaning Education Program 13
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Campaign for a Sustainable Calumet Region 15
Center forNeighborhood'Technology
Creative Pollution Solutions for Southeast Chicago 16
Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc.
Great Printers Project 17
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Local Government Pollution Prevention Targeting Project 18
Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
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Erie County Clean Sweeps II 19
Erie County Department of Environment & Planning
Auto Industry Pollution Prevention Project: Phase II 20
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (formerly Department of Natural Resources)
Pollution Prevention Education and Technical Assistance for the Lake Michigan and Lake
Superior Basins in Wisconsin 22
University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Extension, Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center
Project Summaries FY1993
Erie County Regional Municipal Pollution Prevention Program 24
Western New York Economic Development Corporation/Erie County
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program and Pollution Prevention Assessments 26
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (formerly Department of Natural Resources)
Mercury/PCB Outreach and Collection Program and Technical Assistance 28
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Ohio Great Lakes Basin Pretreatment Pollution Prevention 31
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Toxics Pollution Prevention Mentoring 32
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
Pollution Prevention Assessments in Support of the Lake Superior Binational Program -
Technical Assistance to Industries 34
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Project Summaries FY1992
Industrial Waste Water Operator Pollution Prevention Training 36
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (formerly the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources)
Pollution Prevention and Public Awareness Campaign for Lakes Superior and
Michigan Basin 37
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, in Partnership with Illinois, Indiana Michigan and
Wisconsin StateEnvironmentalAgencies
APPENDIX B
Projects Funded in FY 1997 39
APPENDIX C
Funding Guidance and Grant Funding Process 40
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Report on Grant Program
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
From 1992 through 1995, the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) awarded over
$1,600,000 in grants for 20 on-the-ground pollution prevention activities. We
have supported 11 organizations promoting pollution prevention as the
preferred way of doing business in the Great Lakes basin from Duluth,
Minnesota to Rochester, New York.
The Federal grant funds invested in pollution prevention projects in the basin
have attracted over $950,000 additional dollars to further advance the projects.
Recipients of Federal grants are required to provide a 5% match to their grant
awards (either money or in-kind services). Notably, GLNPO pollution
prevention grantees have leveraged an impressive 61% cumulative match for
the projects funded from 1992 through 1995.
The seed money invested by GLNPO spurred a number of innovative projects
which have influenced activities across the nation. Examples of these projects
include: the Auto Project which targeted reduction of persistent toxic
substances; the Great Printers Project, which reached out to an industry
composed of predominantly small businesses to turn pollution prevention into
the preferred way of doing business; and Western Lake Superior Sanitary
District's pollution prevention efforts to protect Lake Superior.
With the help of our grantees, a great deal has been learned about using
pollution prevention as a tool to address current problems and avoid future ones
in the Great Lakes basin. Lessons learned include the following:
Pollution prevention is an important voluntary tool which companies
can use to minimize their wastes and save money.
Regulatory compliance is a strong motivator to initiate considera-
tion of pollution prevention solutions.
A recipe for project success includes strong public/private partner-
ships involving local entities.
It is relatively easy to measure the programmatic success of pollu-
tion prevention activities, such as number of companies
assessed or fact sheets distributed.
Extrapolating the quantity of pollution prevented as a direct result
of a specific project is much more difficult.
This report serves as a road map to the pollution prevention activities supported
by GLNPO and will hopefully spur ideas for new projects. GLNPO
summarized the most recent information about each project in a descriptive
narrative and compiled the descriptions into a "catalog" (Appendix A). The
project descriptions contain the phone numbers and/or E-mail addresses of the
project contacts. These are the persons who served as the project directors
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Report on Grant Program
promoting pollution prevention in the Great Lakes basin. They are important
and valuable resources for future activities. Appendix B contains a list of
projects funded by GLNPO in Fiscal Year (FY) 1997. (Note that in FY 1996,
since a budget was not passed until mid-year, the GLNPO pollution prevention
grant process was suspended.) Appendix C explains GLNPO's grants process.
BACKGROUND
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) calls for the "virtual
elimination" of persistent toxic substances from the Great Lakes basin. The
purpose of the 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, as amended, is to
"restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the
waters of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem." Since the late 1980's, pollution
prevention has been the cornerstone of the Great Lakes programs. GLNPO has
supported many pollution prevention activities, specifically to advance the
GLWQA's goal of virtually eliminating the discharge of persistent toxic
substances into the Great Lakes basin.
The Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy, signed on April 7, 1997, by U.S.
EPA Administrator Carol Browner and Canadian Minister of the Environment
Sergio Marchi, addresses that commitment. The Strategy calls for percentage
reductions in targeted substances within a ten-year time frame ~ tangible steps
along the path to virtual elimination. The Strategy sets reduction targets for an
initial list of substances including mercury, PCBs, DDT, chlordane, and
dioxins/furans. This is the first time that a common list of substances has been
targeted jointly for reductions by both the U.S. and Canada. Although levels of
these substances have been decreasing in recent years, these substances still
exist in the Great Lakes at amounts harmful to human and wildlife health. They
also are the cause of fish advisories. Pollution prevention is the preferred
method to address the problem substances which are currently being
manufactured or used.
The Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy builds upon a tradition of pollution
prevention activities in the Great Lakes basin. In the Great Lakes, pollution
prevention efforts coalesced in the U.S. EPA's Great Lakes Pollution
Prevention Action Plan. Announced by then U.S. EPA Administrator William
Reilly and the Great Lakes governors on April 12, 1991, the action plan served
as a snapshot of ongoing activities and launched a number of new activities.
These included the Great Lakes Auto Project and coordinated pollution
prevention efforts to protect the Lake Superior ecosystem.
On September 30, 1991, the U.S. EPA, Environment Canada, the States of
Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the Province of Ontario announced
the "Binational Program to Protect and Restore the Lake Superior Basin." The
Binational Program zero discharge demonstration program is devoted to the
goal of achieving zero discharge or emission of nine designated persistent toxic
substances through pollution prevention, enhanced regulatory measures, and
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Report on Grant Program
remedial programs. Federal, State, Tribal and local government and non-profit
partners use Lakewide Management Plans to help address the environmental
problems for each specific lake basin. Remedial Action Plans help identify the
solutions for the 42 toxic hotspot Areas of Concern.
On the national level, the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 provided support for
pollution prevention activities. Congress declared as national policy that
pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible;
pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled. If pollution cannot be
prevented or recycled, it should be treated in an environmentally safe manner.
Disposal or other release into the environment should be used as a last resort.
Pollution prevention and source reduction are terms used interchangeably.
Source reduction is defined as 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.
GREAT LAKES AS A POLLUTION PREVENTION LEADER
As pollution prevention was gaining acceptance and momentum across the
nation, several pollution prevention practitioners in the Great Lakes basin were
establishing themselves as leaders in the field. These practitioners meet twice
each year at the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable
(GLRPPR) to share information and learn from each other. This group started
in 1990 with the U.S. EPA Region 5 States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin), meeting to share experiences. The GLRPPR
has grown to an international organization with active participants from both
U.S. and Canadian portions of the Great Lakes basin. Currently, membership
includes about 160 organizations and 345 individuals from the Great Lakes
States and Ontario. Organizations represented include State and local
environmental agencies, business development agencies, industry and
associations, labor unions, environmental advocacy groups, nonprofit research
centers, academia, technical assistance providers and Federal agency programs
with a Great Lakes and pollution prevention focus.
THE GLNPO POLLUTION PREVENTION GRANT
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
From 1992 through 1995, GLNPO awarded over $ 1,600,000 in grants for 20 on-
the-ground pollution prevention activities. We have supported 11 organizations
promoting pollution prevention as the preferred way of doing business in the
Great Lakes basin. Projects covered areas ranging from Duluth, Minnesota to
Rochester, New York.
These Federal investments in pollution prevention projects in the basin have
attracted over $950,000 additional dollars to further advance the projects.
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Recipients of Federal grants are required to provide a 5% match to their grant
awards (either money or in-kind services). GLNPO's grantees have leveraged
a cumulative 61% match from 1992 through 1995. This ability to attract
matching funds reaffirms the quality of the projects supported in the basin.
The seed money invested by GLNPO spurred a number of innovative projects
which have influenced activities across the nation. The Auto Project has
expanded from a Great Lakes basin focus to targeting persistent toxic
substances and other materials in the auto sector across the United States.
Excluding zinc releases, the Auto Project achieved a 54.5% production
normalized reduction of Great Lakes Persistent Toxics since 1991. The Great
Printers Project is a unique project, working with an industry composed of
predominantly small businesses to make pollution prevention the preferred way
of doing business. The Great Printers Project has been endorsed by the
governors of the Great Lakes States and the Administrator of U.S. EPA.
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District's efforts to reduce mercury through
pollution prevention have earned national recognition. Pollution prevention is
becoming the approach of choice in the Great Lakes basin. It is being embraced
by large and small industries, and households as well. It is an important tool for
cleaning up heavily industrialized areas as well as protecting pristine areas such
as the Lake Superior basin.
The GLNPO pollution prevention grant assistance program in the Great Lakes
basin has evolved over the years from funding general pollution prevention
technical assistance to supporting activities to reduce persistent toxic
substances of concern, with a special emphasis on mercury. Initial efforts
helped build the infrastructure for pollution prevention technical assistance in
the basin. Many small and medium-sized companies were not aware of
pollution prevention, and GLNPO invested its money to help "get the word
out." In FY93 Congress allocated money to promote pollution prevention in the
Lake Superior basin. In an innovative approach, grantees from Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin coordinated their efforts to ensure that individual
projects positively affect the Lake Superior ecosystem in all three States.
Projects funded in FY94 focused on promoting pollution prevention to specific
businesses, such as the automotive industry and printers. Projects funded in
FY95 all supported pollution prevention efforts aimed at reduction of mercury.
Of these projects, three out of the four targeted reduction of mercury in
hospitals. These complementary projects were implemented across the entire
basin (Duluth, Minnesota; Southeast Michigan; and Rochester, New York), and
the grantees shared information as the projects progressed.
By funding these and other projects, GLNPO furthered the march towards
virtual elimination of persistent toxics in the Great Lakes basin. We helped
build the network of environmental professionals promoting pollution
prevention so that pollution prevention will be the preferred approach for
environmental protection in the basin. Our strategic use of funds is helping to
focus pollution prevention efforts to reduce persistent bioaccumulative toxic
substances in the Great Lakes basin.
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This report covers projects funded by GLNPO in Federal fiscal years 1992 -
1995. (The Federal fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 3 0 of the
following year.) Summaries of these projects appear in Appendix A. In FY
1996, due to a mid-year budget agreement, the GLNPO pollution prevention
grant process was suspended. Project funding resumed in Federal fiscal year
1997, with the latest round of projects funded in September 1997. See
Appendix B for a list of projects funded in FY 1997 and Appendix C for
information on GLNPO's funding guidance and grants process.
In addition to GLNPO, there are a number of other funding sources, from other
government offices to private foundations, supporting pollution prevention
projects in the Great Lakes basin. These organizations informally communicate
about their programs to ensure coordination of the projects funded.
LESSONS LEARNED
With the help of our grantees, a great deal has been learned about using
pollution prevention to address current problems and avoid future ones in the
Great Lakes basin. These lessons include:
Pollution prevention is an important voluntary tool which companies
can use to minimize their wastes. However, regulatory compliance is
a strong motivator for companies to become interested in pollution
prevention technical assistance. In an effort to comply with
regulations, companies will consider pollution prevention solutions.
Generally, companies do not want to consider reducing only one or
two targeted pollutants, but rather look at their business processes
more holistically. As a result of this practice, projects targeting
these specific pollutants may have unanticipated additional
environmental benefits.
Successful projects include strong public/private partnerships
involving local entities. This component should be incorporated into
future projects where appropriate.
It is relatively easy to measure programmatic success of pollution
prevention activities, such as the number of companies assessed, or
fact sheets distributed. Extrapolating how much pollution was not
created as a direct result of a specific pollution prevention project is
much more difficult. We do know that companies can save money
and reduce their impact on the environment by employing pollution
prevention techniques.
Prevention is a key part of the pollution solution.
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Report on Grant Program
OVERVIEW OF POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECTS,
FEDERAL FISCAL YEARS 1992 - 1995
Table 1: Number of New Projects, Total Dollar Amounts and Dollars Leveraged
for GLNPO Pollution Prevention Grant Assistance, Fiscal Years 1992 - 1995.
Fiscal
Year
1992
1993
1994
1995
Total
Number of
Grants
2
6
8
4
20
GLNPO
Dollars
$200,000
$547,000
$628,365
$237,350
$1,612,715
Dollars
Leveraged
$10,105
$28,960
$360,402
$576,866
$976,333
Table 2: Agencies and Organizations Receiving Fiscal Years 1992 -1995 Grant
Assistance Dollars from GLNPO, and Basins Impacted by Projects,
Organization
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Chicago Legal Clinic
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Erie County Dept. of Environment & Planning
Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Monroe County Dept. of Health
National Wildlife Federation
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Extension,
Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center
Number
of
Projects
2
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
2
2
Basin
Michigan
Michigan
All
Erie
All, Superior
Superior
Ontario
Erie
Erie
Superior
Michigan, Superior
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Report on Grant Program
Table 3: GLNPO Funded Pollution Prevention Projects and Dollars by Great
Lakes Basin During Fiscal Years 1992 - 1995,
Basin
Number of
Projects
GLNPO
Dollars
Dollars
Leveraged
Erie
Huron
Michigan
Ontario
Superior
2
6
3
11
$323,927
$27,577
$373,043
$88,577
$799,591
$104,574
$10,348
$256,127
$44,448
$560,837
* Note that some projects funded during FY1992 - 1995
impacted more than one lake basin and are counted multiple
times. These multiple basin projects are represented in the
Dollar columns by the estimated proportion of funds spent in
each basin.
CONCLUSION
The Great Lakes basin has a network of informed and motivated businesses,
non-profit organizations, universities and government agencies promoting and
implementing pollution prevention in the basin. The best indication of the level
of pollution prevention expertise is the caliber of projects which have been
implemented around the basin. Summaries of the projects funded under
GLNPO's grant program are contained in Appendix A of this report.
Along with these summaries are descriptions of products developed under the
various grants and information on how to contact the individuals who worked
directly on the projects. It is our hope that this information will further
strengthen the network of individuals who are working to promote pollution
prevention around the Great Lakes basin. These projects, and the persons who
worked on them, should be viewed as resources for future activities.
Access our World Wide Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/
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Report on Grant Program
Please contact:
Danielle Green, Environmental Protection Specialist
Telephone: 312-886-7594
Fax: 312-353-2018
E-mail: green, danielle@epamail, epa, gov
Elizabeth LaPlante, Pollution Prevention Team Leader
Telephone: 312-353-2694
Fax: 312-353-2018
E-mail: laplante. elizabeth@epamail. epa.gov
or contact any of the grantees listed in the project summaries.
Appendix A: Project Summaries FY1992 - 1995
Appendix B: List of Projects Funded by the Great Lakes National
Program Office in FY 1997
Appendix C: The Great Lakes National Program Office's
Funding Guidance and Grant Process
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U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office will make Pollution Solutions available on the Internet in
early 1998. See the Pollution Prevention section of GLNPO's home page:
URL: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/p2,html
For additional copies of this document, please contact:
Mr. Lawrence Brail, ADS [contractor] Telephone: 312-886-7474
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Fax: 312-353-2018
Great Lakes National Program Office
77 W. Jackson Boulevard (G-17J) E-mail: brail.lawrence@epamail.epa.gov
Chicago, IL 60604
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: MERCURY REDUCTION THROUGH TREATMENT CHEMICAL SELECTION
(FY95 - GL985131-01-0)
Organization: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Award Amount: $35,000
Dollars Leverages: $1,750
Project Timetable: 10/1/95 - 6/30/98
Carri Lohse-Hanson
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Telephone: 612-296-9134
Fax: 612-297-8683
E-mail: carri. lohse-hanson@pca. state, mn. us
Summary: The purpose of this project is to reduce mercury that may be reaching Lake Superior through
cooling water and effluents from power plants, boilers and other facilities. Cooling water is treated with pH-
altering chemicals, such as acid and caustic soda. Certain feedstock chemicals used to alter the pH have been
found to contain high levels of mercury. For example, sulfuric acid produced as a by-product from a lead
smelter was found to have significantly higher levels of mercury than sulfuric acid from a copper smelter.
The project strategy is to promote the switch from high mercury to low mercury chemical feedstocks.
Environmental Results/Products (Project Ongoing);
MPCA compiled a list of the boilers in the four Minnesota counties bordering Lake Superior.
A survey for boiler operators was distributed at a State-sponsored boiler workshop. Only 10 operators filled
out the survey, but those that did indicated that they would be willing to switch to non-mercury caustic if the
price was the same. A few operators indicated they would be willing to pay more.
MPCA collected information on mercury concentrations in various grades of caustic soda from, a chemical
supplier and a chlor-alkali producer and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD). Up-to-date
cost information is needed.
MPCA will be working with boiler operators on solid waste management issues. Some boilers use high
pressure steam gauges that contain large amounts of mercury. For example, one steam gauge collected
during a WLSSD mercury amnesty project contained 30 pounds of mercury. Some boilers may also contain
mercury switches.
GLNPO Project Officer: Elizabeth LaPlante 312-353-2694
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: ROCHESTER EMBAYMENT WATERSHED MERCURY POLLUTION PREVENTION
PROGRAM
(FY95 - GL985142-01-0)
Organization: Monroe County Department of Health (in coordination with the National Wildlife Federation and
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District)
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
$61,000
$34,100
Project Timetable: 9/01/95 - 9/30/98
Contact
Margy Peet
Monroe County Department of Health
P.O. Box 92832
111 Westfall Road
Rochester, NY 14692-8932
Telephone: 716-274-8442
Fax: 716-274-6098
E-mail: mpeet@mcls. rochester. lib. ny. us
Summary: The Monroe County Pollution Prevention Team, Strong Memorial Hospital, and Eastman
Dental Center are targeting mercury reduction in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern.
Environmental Results/Products (Project Ongoing);
Monroe County staff documented findings on opportunities and barriers to implementing mercury
pollution prevention activities in medical and dental settings. A Mercury Pollution Prevention Study for
Medical and Dental Centers Findings Report was published in Spring 1997 and is available from
Monroe County.
Monroe County staff is developing a hospital manual and a booklet and poster for dental offices to
illustrate cost-effective practices to minimize or eliminate the release of mercury to the environment.
Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester and Eastman Dental Center are planning and implementing
mercury pollution prevention projects in their respective facilities. Monroe County will seek voluntary
commitments with 12 hospitals and 50 dental offices located in the Rochester Embayment watershed to
advance pollution prevention.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: MERCURY REDUCTION AND POLLUTION PREVENTION IN HOSPITALS
(FY95 - GL985135-01-0)
Organization: National Wildlife Federation (in coordination with Monroe County, New York and Western Lake
Superior Sanitary District)
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
$41,350
$22,016
Proj ect Timetable: 9/25/95 - 6/3 0/97
Guy Williams
National Wildlife Federation
Great Lakes Natural Resource Center
506 E. Liberty, 2nd Floor
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2210
Telephone: 313-769-3351
Fax: 313-769-1449
E-mail: guy@nwforg
Summary; The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) conducted a conference in October 1996 to
promote the reduction/elimination of mercury use in hospitals. They developed a source reduction plan
for hospitals, Mercury Pollution Prevention in Health Care: A Prescription for Success.
Environmental Results/Products;
The National Wildlife Federation, in cooperation with the Michigan Health and Hospital Association
and other partners, developed a practical and economical plan for reduction of mercury use in the health
care industry. This plan, as well as a summary of the proceedings from the October 1996 conference
on reduction/elimination of mercury use in hospitals, is detailed in the report, Mercury Pollution
Prevention in Health Care: A Prescription for Success. Among the NWF recommendations to eliminate
mercury use, hospitals should adopt new procurement and training policies. This report is available at:
http://www.greatlakes.nwf.org/pp/hosprpt.htm on the Internet, or from the NWF.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: ZERO DISCHARGE PILOT PROJECT
(FY95 - GL985121-01-0)
Organization: Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (in coordination withMonroe County, New York and the
National Wildlife Federation)
Contact
Tim Tuominen
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
2626 Courtland Street
Duluth, MN 55806-1894
Telephone: 218-722-3336x324
Fax: 218-727-7471
E-mail: p2team@cp, duluth, mn, us
Award Amount: $ 100,000
Dollars Leveraged: $519,000
Project Timetable: 9/01/95 - 8/31/98
Summary; The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) is developing an integrated multi-
media program to reduce the discharge of mercury using "front end" pollution prevention techniques
with hospitals, clinics, educational institutions, laboratories, and dental practices.
Environmental Results/Products (Project Ongoing);
The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District staff is conducting on-site visits at hospitals, clinics,
educational institutions, laboratories, and dental practices to evaluate prevention, recycling, or
treatment opportunities to reduce or eliminate mercury discharges. In cooperation with each type of
customer, WLSSD will assist in developing pollution prevention strategies and promoting
implementation of these plans. In addition, staff is securing a commitment of zero discharge from
WLSSD's own facilities.
The WLSSD staff and local dentists have developed a process for recycling amalgam waste and
strategies for recycling training. Staff is evaluating advanced treatment systems to reduce mercury
discharges from dentists.
WLSSD staff identified many mercury-containing sources in hospitals from histopathology labs. Trap
cleaning has demonstrated an abundance of historic mercury.
An investigation of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, showed widespread use of mercury-
containing equipment and poor management of all potential mercury sources. An audit revealed
mercury-free equipment replacement costs are approximately $10,000. The University is now
replacing all equipment and will be line cleaning to remove historic sources of mercury.
WLSSD developed the Blueprint for Mercury Elimination: a Guide for Wastewater Treatment Plants as
part of the Zero Discharge Pilot Project. The blueprint, funded by the Great Lakes Protection Fund, is
available from WLSSD.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: GREAT LAKES ALTERNATIVE CLEANING EDUCATION PROGRAM
(FY94 - GL995723-01-0)
Organization: Center for Neighborhood Technology
Sylvia Ewing Hoover
The Center for Neighborhood Technology
2125 W. North Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60647
Telephone: 773-278-4800 x!29
Fax: 773-278-3840
E-mail: sylvia@cnt.org
Award Amount: $76,407
Dollars Leveraged: $229,304
(includes subsequent funding to continue
work promoting wet cleaning)
Project Timetable: 10/1/94 - 10/31/95
Summary; The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) demonstrated the commercial viability
of a water-based cleaning technique as an alternative to traditional dry cleaning that relies on chlorinated
solvents. CNT worked with The Greener Cleaner, a private wet cleaning shop, for one year. CNT
promoted an industry-wide shift to cleaning techniques that do not use toxic solvents and focused
outreach efforts on the dry cleaning industry in Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Northwest
Indiana.
Environmental Results/Products;
The Center for Neighborhood Technology created an Internet site at:
http://www,cnt,org/sus_man/wet_cln,html and a Wet Cleaning Hotline: 773-278-4800 x299.
Monitoring of the water discharges from the Greener Cleaner showed that no chemicals of concern were
being released from the cleaning facility.
As a result of information gained through the wet cleaning project, some dry cleaners reduced their use
of chlorinated solvents by increasing wet cleaning. At the start of the project, three cleaners had wet
cleaning equipment. At the end of the project over 100 cleaners have this equipment. Specifically in
the Great Lakes basin, CNT helped grow wet cleaning shops in Illinois (7), Wisconsin (3), Michigan (1),
Ohio (3) and Buffalo (2).
The Greener Cleaner demonstration shop was the catalyst for the Professional Wet Cleaning Partnership
between the Union of Needletrade, Industrial, Textile Employees (UNITE), Massachusetts Toxic Use
Reduction Institute, Greenpeace, four major dry cleaning associations, and the Center for
Neighborhood Technology. The partnership is working to get dry cleaners the resources they need to
make wet cleaning an essential part of the garment care industry.
Over 45 groups toured the Greener Cleaner demonstration shop. 1,200 individuals requested
information on wet cleaning and continue to receive regular updates. CNT developed the first wet
cleaning newsletter, which attracted national interest. In addition, CNT targeted outreach to Korean dry
cleaners including translating some materials into Korean and recruiting leadership from the Korean
American Dry Cleaners Association to serve on the project's advisory committee.
13 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
CNT launched a week of intensive educational outreach activities, with local partners, in Buffalo,
Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Indianapolis. CNT developed profiles of the dry cleaning industry
in Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Northwest Indiana, and introduced dry cleaners in these
areas to wet cleaning. CNT also crafted a report on various wet cleaning machines.
In Fall 1995, CNT held a wet cleaning conference in Chicago. Attendees included representatives from
dry cleaners, trade association leaders, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, representatives from
environmental organizations, and regulators. All Great Lakes States, except Minnesota, were
represented at this conference. This major symposium allowed an opportunity for stakeholders and
industry to start merging ideas on wet cleaning.
This project received extensive media coverage, including coverage in the three main dry cleaning trade
publications.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 14
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: CAMPAIGN FOR A SUSTAINABLE CALUMET REGION
(FY94 - GL995704-01-0)
Organization: Center for Neighborhood Technology
Ignacio Correa-Ortiz
Center for Neighborhood Technology
2125 W. North Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60647
Telephone: 773-278-4800 x!20
Fax: 773-278-3840
E-mail: ico@cnt.org
Award Amount: $89,045
Dollars Leveraged: $4,686
Project Timetable: 10/01/94 - 10/31/95
Summary; The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) developed a model community
participation process for the cleanup and responsible reuse of brownfield sites in Southeast Chicago.
Environmental Results/Products;
CNT developed a brownfield slide show, a "Bill of Rights" outlining general criteria for cleanup and
reuse of brownfield sites in Southeast Chicago, and brownfield fact sheets: The Challenge of
Brownfields: Recycling Old Industrial Property into Opportunities for Community Redevelopment and
A Community Checklist for Identifying Potential Environmental Hazards at Old Commercial or
Industrial Sites.
The report, "Recycling Contaminated Land: A Community Resource Guide" is available at:
http://www,cnt,org/sus_man/bf3,htm on the Internet. There have been over 1200 visits to this site.
Through community group input, CNT identified priority brownfield sites in Southeast Chicago. These
include USX South Works, Wisconsin Steel, Anderson/Schroud LTV property, West Pullman
brownfields cluster near 119th/Halstead and a 25 acre parcel south of Altgeld Gardens.
A working group met periodically to discuss local brownfields issues. Regular participants included:
Community Workshop on Economic Development, Mexican Community Committee, Southeast
Environmental Task Force, Chicago State Neighborhood Assistance Center, People for Community
Recovery, Citizens for a Better Environment and the Chicago Legal Clinic. Priorities for the working
group members included establishing a training program at a local educational institution to provide
residents with the capacity to access environmental technician and cleanup jobs, identifying methods to
influence brownfields redevelopment decisions at the larger sites, and promoting sustainable
redevelopment of brownfield sites.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
IS Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: CREATIVE POLLUTION SOLUTIONS FOR SOUTHEAST CHICAGO
(FY94 - GL995677-01-0)
Organization: Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc.
Keith Harley
Director, Environmental Law Program
Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc.
2938 E. 91st Street
Chicago, Illinois 60617
Telephone: 773-731-1762
Fax: 773-731-4264
Award Amount: $60,000
Dollars Leveraged: $5,571
Project Timetable: 10/1/94 - 9/30/97
Summary; The goal of this project was to build knowledge, consensus and action regarding pollution
prevention in Southeast Chicago by marketing pollution prevention resources to community residents
and area businesses, on a person-to-person basis. Activities included the development of a pollution
prevention newsletter, the development of a pollution prevention electronic repository marketed to
local users, and conducting a series of meetings with local business and community leaders to introduce
the concept of pollution prevention.
Environmental Results/Products;
The Chicago Legal Clinic (Clinic) distributed pollution prevention information in a number of ways.
The Clinic developed a partnership with Chicago law firm Gardner, Carton & Douglas and co-produced
five issues of a pollution prevention newsletter distributed to over 500 readers, predominantly
businesses, in Southeast Chicago.
The Clinic developed, in partnership with the Information Center at Chicago-Kent College of Law, a
pollution prevention library consisting of over 500 pieces, including an annotated bibliography. These
resources are available in Southeast Chicago. General pollution prevention information will be
available on the Internet. The pollution prevention information gathered during this project will
continue to be actively marketed to appropriate industries and businesses.
Clinic staff conducted a series of educational events to introduce basic pollution prevention concepts,
including a February 1995 luncheon for key community leaders from business and community
organizations. In April 1995, the Clinic co-sponsored a regional Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
workshop. The information presented included use of TRI data as a means to enable community-
industry dialogue, with specific attention paid to good neighbor agreements, citizen electronic access to
and use of TRI data, and community assistance panels. Recently, the Clinic conducted individual
meetings with more than 15 community and business leaders about pollution prevention and locally
available pollution prevention resources.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 16
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: GREAT PRINTERS PROJECT
(FY94 - GL995679-01-0)
Organization: Council of Great Lakes Governors
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
$61,205
$3,220
Project Timetable: 10/1/94 - 9/30/95
Lois Morrison
Council of Great Lakes Governors
35 E. Wacker Drive - Suite 1850
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Telephone: 312-407-0177
Fax: 312-407-0038
E-Mail: morrison@cglg.org
Summary; The Council of Great Lakes Governors (Council), in partnership with the Environmental
Defense Fund and the Printing Industries of America, Inc., successfully launched the Great Printers Project.
Eighty percent of printing plants employ less than 20 people, and one-third of the national printing industry
is concentrated in the eight Great Lakes States. The first phase of the project centered around developing
precedent setting environmental policy recommendations for the printing industry in the Great Lakes basin.
These recommendations were endorsed by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the Governors from the eight Great Lakes States.
The goal of the Great Printers Project is to make pollution prevention the first choice of the lithographic
printing industry in the Great Lakes States in meeting and exceeding its environmental and human health
protection responsibilities. This was the first project in the nation to seek to create an entire business
environment conducive to pollution prevention for an industry sector.
The second phase of the Great Printers Project, partially supported through this grant, focused on
implementation of the policy recommendations through State pilots in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and
Wisconsin. The Council served on the steering committee for the Regional Great Printers Team to ensure
coordination between the various pilot efforts.
Environmental Results/Products;
The Council of Great Lakes Governors worked with their project partners and with Illinois, Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin to establish the pilot projects and secure funding for them. The Council also
conducted outreach to the non-pilot States. Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio were interested in working with
printers in their States.
The Council worked with the environmental agencies in the pilot States to identify opportunities for the
Great Printers Project to build upon existing State programs such as Illinois' "Clean Break" amnesty
program and Minnesota's Beyond Compliance program.
The Great Printers Proj ect has continued beyond the GLNPO grant period. Information on the Great Printers
Project can be found on the Internet at: http://www. cglg. org under the 'Projects' heading.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
17 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLLUTION PREVENTION TARGETING PROJECT
(FY94 - GL995674-01-0)
Organization: Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
Project Timetable:
$50,000
$6,000
1/1/95 -3/31/97
Bonnie Lange
Erie County
Department of Environment and Planning
95 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
Telephone: 716-858-8560
Fax: 716-858-7713
E-mail: bonnie@cdbg.co.erie.ny.us
Summary; Using regulatory databases (e.g. SARA Title III), Erie County, New York identified
businesses discharging persistent, bioaccumulative toxic substances into the Buffalo River and Niagara
River Areas of Concern. Companies were invited to participate in a nonregulatory pollution prevention
review to develop site-specific pollution prevention plans. An advisory group for this project included
representatives from: the Buffalo Sewer Authority, Erie County Sewer District, the Local Emergency
Planning Committee (LEPC) and three different divisions of the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation.
Environmental Results/Products;
Upon examination of the regulatory databases, regulators identified 25 companies, from a pool of 96,
that could most benefit from pollution prevention assistance. These 25 facilities received a letter from
Erie County describing the project and offering free, non-regulatory technical assistance. Ten
companies participated in the project and received on-site technical assistance.
The technical assistance resulted in source reduction successes such as: manufacturing process
modifications, recycling industrial byproducts and other waste-streams, identifying lead-free raw
materials, recirculating water, switching paint operations from solvent to water-based, replacing clay
absorbents with a "waste free" alternative, and energy conservation recommendations. The Erie County
Office of Pollution Prevention will continue to work with the facilities.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 18
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: ERIE COUNTY CLEAN SWEEPS II
(FY94 - GL995675-01-0)
Organization: Erie County Department of Environment & Planning, Division of Environmental Compliance
Services
Contact
Tom Hersey Award Amount: $75,000
Erie County Department of Environment & Planning Dollars Leveraged: $56,000
Division of Environmental Compliance Services
95 Franklin Street Project Timetable: 10/01/94 - 1/1/96
Buffalo, New York 14202
Telephone: 716-858-7674
Fax: 716-858-7713
E-mail: hersey@cdbg. co. erie. ny. us
Summary; This project built upon a very successful 1993 collection of 8000 pounds of pesticides
including arsenic, DDT and chlordane. Implementing recommendations from the initial clean sweeps,
Erie County regionalized the collection of agricultural waste pesticides. The Clean Sweeps II pesticides
collection program provided disposal opportunities for farmers and agribusiness in Niagara, Erie,
Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. In addition, Clean Sweep II offered an opportunity for non-
agricultural Erie County conditionally-exempt small quantity generators, such as schools, to surrender
waste pesticides.
Environmental Results/Products;
In April 1995, Erie County staff collected 32,300 pounds of waste pesticides from 119 registrants at 2
events. The pesticides collected included banned products such as DDT and DDT mixtures, arsenic
mixtures, dinoseb, chlordane and 700 pounds of dioxin-bearing pesticides.
Conditionally-exempt small quantity generators turned in 11,000 pounds of waste pesticides. Examples
of these small quantity generators include school district building and grounds maintenance
departments, nurseries, and county recreational facilities.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
19 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: AUTO INDUSTRY POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT: PHASE II
(FY94 - GL995696-01-0)
Organization: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (formerly Department of Natural Resources)
Marcia Horan Award Amount: $76,680
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Dollars Leveraged: $48,520
Environmental Assistance Division
P.O. Box 30457 Project Timetable: 10/1/94 - 12/31/95
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7957
Telephone: 517-373-9122
Fax: 517-335-4729
E-mail: horanm@state, mi, us
Summary; This project built upon previous voluntary efforts by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors
(Auto Companies) to reduce the release of persistent toxic substances in the Great Lakes basin.
Michigan staff focused the Auto Industry Pollution Prevention Project: Phase II efforts on establishing
an Auto Project Advisory Group, enhancing coordination with the Canadian Auto Project, expanding
outreach to suppliers, and evaluating the 1991 Auto Project agreement and list of targeted persistent
toxics.
Environmental Results/Products;
Since 1991, the year the Auto Project began, releases of the targeted 65 listed Great Lakes persistent
toxic (GLPT) substances from auto company facilities (as reported under in the Toxic Release
Inventory) have declined every year except one. These reductions, mainly accomplished through the
use of specific pollution prevention actions, process improvements, and recycling, are explained in
detail in the Auto Project pollution prevention reports and case studies.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), AAMA, Chrysler, Ford and General
Motors published the Automotive Pollution Prevention Project: Progress Report II. MDEQ also
published abound document containing 33 pollution prevention case studies and an addendum with 20
case studies submitted by the auto companies. The June 1997 US Automotive Pollution Prevention
Project: Progress Report III details efforts beyond this grant period, including data on reportable
releases of U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemicals and pollution prevention activities and
accomplishments for each of the three participating companies. It is available from MDEQ.
Information on the Auto Project, including 60 pollution prevention case studies, is available at:
http://www.deq,state,mi,us/ead/p2sect/auto/<3& the Internet.
The project partners formed an Auto Project Advisory Group composed of representatives from trade
associations, higher education, technology centers, public interest groups, a foundation and
government. During the grant period, they met twice a year to review progress on the Auto Proj ect. The
Canadian Auto Project and U.S. Auto Project representatives met on a semi-annual basis to enhance
binational pollution prevention efforts in the automotive industry and to exchange information
regarding their respective projects.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 20
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
The American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) trade association and the Auto
Companies co-sponsored the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) annual waste
reduction conference in the Detroit metropolitan area in December 1994 and 1995. The U.S. and
Canada Auto Project partners jointly sponsored the "North American Supplier Environmental
Workshop" in October 1995. More than half the participants at the North American conference were
auto suppliers. All 5,000 tier-one auto suppliers for Chrysler, Ford and General Motors received project
progress reports, which included pollution prevention case studies.
Project Progress Beyond the Grant Period
In 1996 the auto companies decided to broaden the project from an exclusive focus on the Great Lakes
to one including operations in the entire United States. This expansion reflects the fact that pollution
prevention activities are implemented on a corporate-wide basis. Current industry efforts target all
materials of concern rather than being limited to the 65 persistent toxic chemicals focused on for the
Great Lakes basin. It is important to note that 74% of the auto companies' U.S. facilities are located
in the Great Lakes States. The Auto Project has matured from a government led and funded project to
a nation-wide industry led project with support from State and Federal governments and the advisory
group.
Combined pollution prevention achievements for Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors include a 56.9%
reduction in U.S. EPA TRI reportable releases and a 63.9% reduction in U.S. EPA 33/50 Program
releases since the 1988 base year. There has also been a 9.2% production normalized reduction in the
Great Lakes Persistent Toxics, targeted since 1991 in the Great Lakes region. Excluding zinc releases,
the Auto Project achieved a 54.5% production normalized reduction of Great Lakes Persistent Toxics
since 1991.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
21 Pfomoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: POLLUTION PREVENTION EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR
THE LAKE MICHIGAN AND LAKE SUPERIOR BASINS IN WISCONSIN
(FY94 - GL995676-01-0)
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Extension, Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center
Contact
Phillip (Jack) Annis Award Amount: $140,028
Pollution Prevention Specialist Dollars Leveraged: $7,101
University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Extension,
Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center Project Timetable: 10/1/94 - 5/30/97
161 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 6000
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
Telephone: 414-227-3371
Fax: 414-227-3165
E-mail: pannis@facstqffwisc.edu
Summary; The Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) provided broad-based
pollution prevention information, education and technical assistance to Wisconsin businesses in the
Lake Michigan and Lake Superior basins. SHWEC worked with a broad spectrum of industries and
businesses including manufacturers, marinas, dry cleaners, vehicle maintenance and auto body repair
and medical facilities to target reduction of specific bioaccumulating substances, most frequently
mercury. When working with companies, SHWEC addressed air emissions, wastewater discharges and
hazardous waste. SHWEC conducted surveys at the beginning and the end of the project to gather
pollution prevention trend information and to measure the project's effectiveness. SHWEC also helped
establish local coalitions which are continuing to work on pollution prevention and waste reduction
activities beyond the grant project period.
Environmental Results/Products;
Outreach Activity
SHWEC conducted 55 major outreach activities providing pollution prevention information, education
and guidance to over 3,000 people. Attendees at outreach programs included many diverse industries
that generate wastes and emissions of all types. Attendees also included consulting engineers,
regulatory personnel, and local government employees. Numerous partners were involved in the
outreach activities including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department
of Commerce, the Lake Michigan Federation, Citizens for a Better Environment, Publicly Owned
Treatment Works and trades associations.
SHWEC used several methods to deliver pollution prevention information, such as; in-person training
sessions, satellite downlink, an education telecommunication network and video tape. In general, the
most successful outreach programs were face-to-face workshops, as measured by the number of
attendees. The Industrial Cleaning and Paints & Coatings expositions, held in the Milwaukee area, were
effective because they provided instant connections with vendors of equipment and materials who could
help implement pollution prevention actions.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 22
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
The outreach programs, while extremely effective for delivering the pollution prevention message, also
served as a non-threatening method to supply regulatory compliance information. The highest rate of
attendance for the programs occurred when there was an emphasis on regulatory compliance
information, thus indicating that compliance issues motivate companies to investigate pollution
prevention options.
Technical Assistance
SHWEC conducted 75 pollution prevention assessments for very large manufacturers with over 200
employees to very small vehicle maintenance, machine shops and marinas with only two or three
employees. In addition, SHWEC responded to approximately 200 requests for detailed information
packages containing regulatory guidance fact sheets, new and existing manufacturing technology
information, materials substitution information and vendor information.
The largest amount of mercury recovered was from recycling of fluorescent lamps. Specific mercury
reductions occurred in medical facilities and veterinary facilities. The Childrens Hospital of Milwaukee
was a 1996 winner of the Wisconsin Governors Award for Hazardous Waste Reduction. Another
hospital eliminated a mercury problem when SHWEC discovered that batteries containing mercury and
containers with other toxics were being incinerated instead of separated from the waste streams. In
addition, many companies assessed by SHWEC implemented pollution prevention projects.
Survey
SHWEC conducted surveys at the beginning and at the end of the proj ect period to gather environmental
trend information relating to pollution prevention. Over 78% of the companies responding to the
surveys indicated that they have completed a project to eliminate a hazardous waste, air emission or
wastewater discharge in the last two years. The companies surveyed represent a cross-section of
hazardous waste-generating industries. The two main reasons cited in this survey as to why companies
have implemented pollution projects are regulatory compliance and concern for the environment.
Economics was not a significant motivator.
Partnerships
SHWEC introduced a "business to business" pollution prevention roundtable by establishing Partners
for Business Environmental Quality in Waukesha County. This provides one-stop shopping for
businesses looking for environmental information including pollution prevention, waste reduction and
recycling. SHWEC also worked with coalitions such as the Southeast Wisconsin Waste Reduction
Coalition and individual industrial groups in several Wisconsin counties.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
23 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: ERIE COUNTY REGIONAL MUNICIPAL POLLUTION PREVENTION
PROGRAM
(FY93 - GL995373-01-0)
Organization: Western New York Economic Development Corporation/Erie County
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
$50,000
$6,000
Project Timetable: 10/01/93 - 9/30/96
Contact
Tom Hersey
Erie County Department of Environment
and Planning
95 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
Telephone: 716-858-7674
Fax: 716-858-7713
E-mail: hersey@cdbg. co. erie. ny. IK
Summary; Erie County, New York established a pollution prevention partnership with the Regional
Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, Ontario. The Erie County Office of Pollution Prevention also
worked with other local governments within Erie County to adopt pollution prevention policies,
practices, and procedures.
Environmental Results/Products;
Bilateral Partnership with Hamilton-Wentworth
The Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth and Erie County signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on March 30, 1995 which formally launched training and information sharing networks
linking the communities.
Erie County conducted two pollution prevention training sessions for Publicly Owned Treatment Works
(POTW) employees. Over 100 POTW inspectors and managers from both New York and Ontario
attended these sessions. The Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth hosted two Pollution
Prevention Symposiums for municipal officials throughout Canada and the United States, with more
than 150 officials attending these workshops.
The bilateral partnership has enhanced information sharing, allowing both governments to avoid
duplicating efforts. Erie County and the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth continue to
share information about pollution prevention processes, policies and training.
Erie County/Town of Amherst Pollution Prevention Alliance
The Erie County Office of Pollution Prevention (ECOPP) established a $20,000 grant program,
soliciting proposals from the 44 municipalities within Erie County. Originally, ECOPP envisioned
dividing the funds for local pollution prevention efforts between four municipalities. However, the
Town of Amherst was the only municipality which demonstrated interest in carrying out the program.
Thus the grant program focus shifted towards supporting incorporation of pollution prevention
strategies into one local government's policies and procedures.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 24
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992- 1995
The Town of Amherst, with assistance from Erie County, developed a work plan to incorporate
pollution prevention into its policies and procedures. A Town policy, adopted in April 1996, establishes
pollution prevention as a priority in the use and management of hazardous materials. Key Town
employees were trained and the project received a commitment from the Town's leadership before the
project progressed. Pollution prevention has been included in the pretreatment inspection process,
routine fire and safety inspections, the site plan review process, and the building inspection process. The
Pretreatment Coordinator supplies pollution prevention information and assistance to Town of Amherst
businesses.
Pollution prevention assessments were conducted at a hospital, a university facility management
department, a university vehicle maintenance department, two large manufacturing companies, a
restaurant, a hotel, two print shops, a research park, and a dental products manufacturer. The
assessments were voluntary and confidential. Town and County staff identified opportunities for local
businesses to both reduce the amount of waste they generate and to save money.
The Town and the County organized pollution prevention workshops for: Health Care Facilities; Hotels
and Restaurants; and Vehicle Maintenance Facilities. These industry sectors were chosen because they
are ubiquitous throughout the Town of Amherst.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
25 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM AND
POLLUTION PREVENTION ASSESSMENTS
(FY93 - GL995415-01)
Organization: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (formerly Department of Natural Resources)
Contact
Julie Feldpausch, Program Analyst Award Amount: $150,000
Environmental Assistance Division ($100,000for waste collection,
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality andS50,000 for technical assistance)
P.O. Box 30457 Dollars Leveraged: $5,000
Lansing, MI 48909-7957
Telephone: 517-335-0081 Project Timetable: 10/1/93-9/30/96
Fax: 517-335-4729
E-mail: feldpauj@state. mi. us
Summary; This project focused on waste collection and technical assistance in the Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin portions of the Lake Superior Basin.
Collection
The purpose of this project was to provide Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Lake Superior basin
homeowners and users of agricultural products a means to dispose of unwanted household hazardous
waste and unusable agricultural pesticides. By providing this service at no cost to the participants, it
assured that the materials collected would be recycled or disposed in an environmentally safe manner,
thus avoiding the possible environmental consequences of improper disposal.
Environmental Results/Products;
Local contact agencies put out educational information on the need for the project, and the times,
locations and types of materials eligible for collection. This included newspaper articles or
advertisements, radio and television spots, and informational bulletins distributed by local recycling or
environmental groups. The publicity and information distribution added greatly to the success of this
project.
Staff collected over five semi-truck loads of hazardous wastes. The wastes collected at the five central
collection/assembly areas (Duluth, Marquette, Houghton, Ironwood, and Escanaba) included 455
pounds (Ibs.) of mercury (including lab pack solutions, lab pack solids and elemental), 8,999 Ibs. loose
pack pesticide liquids (dioxins <30%), and 1,017 Ibs. efflorescent bulbs.
Pollution Prevention Assessments
More than forty retired engineers, scientists, and other professionals were hired through the Retired
Engineer Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) and trained to conduct on-site waste reduction
assessments for local businesses and Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) whose discharges
affect Lake Superior. RETAP staff provided specific guidance to industries and businesses to reduce
the release of toxins. These retired professionals were located throughout the State and represented
diverse industrial and occupational disciplines. Their extensive experience garnered respect and
receptivity among Michigan businesses and institutions. All pollution prevention activities were
closely coordinated with the local POTWs.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 26
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Environmental Results/Products;
After detailed on-site assessments, RETAP staff identified problems and opportunities to reduce waste
and achieve cost savings for the facilities. The assessments were free, voluntary, nonregulatory, and
confidential. RETAP conducted 26 preassessments and 14 full assessments at 10 industries and 16
institutions. The types of industries assessed included wastewater treatment, metals/machinery
fabrication, wood products, corrugated medium, solid waste management, automotive, and pulp and
paper. The types of institutions assessed included hospitals and schoolselementary, high school,
community college, and university. Industrial and institutional organizations continue to request
additional assessments beyond the scope of the funded project. Potential annual cost savings from
RETAP recommendations ranged from $10,000 to $1.5 million per company.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
27 Pfomoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: MERCURY/PCB OUTREACH AND COLLECTION PROGRAM AND TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
(FY93 - GL995440-01-0)
Organization: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Contacts
Mercury/PCB Project Technical Assistance Project
Emily Moore Ned Brooks
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Problem Materials Program 520 Lafayette Road
520 Lafayette Road N. (2nd Floor) St. Paul, MN 55155
St. Paul, MN 55155-4100 Telephone: 612-297-8680
Telephone: 612-215-0201 Fax: 612-297-8676
Fax: 612-215-0246 E-mail: ned,bmoks@pca,state,mn,us
E-mail: emily. moore@moea. state, mn. us
Award Amount: $115,000
Dollars Leveraged: $5,750
Project Timetable: 10/01/93 - 9/30/95
Summary; Minnesota conducted an outreach program for mercury and PCB-containing products and
delivered pollution prevention technical assistance to small and medium-sized businesses in the Lake
Superior basin.
Environmental Results/Products:
Outreach
Staff identified mercury and PCB-containing wastes generated by service industries and conducted a
series of meetings and interviews with stakeholders to discuss the needs of the affected community and
suggestions for how to address the problem. Project stakeholders included contractors, businesses,
trade associations, chambers of commerce, local and State governments, utilities, product
manufacturers and suppliers, haulers, and recycling and disposal companies. Staff also participated in
trade shows and monthly meetings of business organizations in order to educate attendees about
mercury issues.
Slide Shows
Staff developed two slide presentations. The first slide show targets trade groups that generate mercury
and PCB containing wastes and is designed for use with brochures (see below). It motivates contractors
and service technicians to manage their wastes properly and to keep mercury and PCBs out of the waste
stream. The second slide show, designed for the general public, is specifically about mercury. It
encourages consumers to purchase alternative products, where appropriate, and informs consumers
how to dispose of mercury-containing products.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 28
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Brochures
Staff developed brochures on mercury and PCBs. The mercury brochure contains fact card inserts
describing common items which contain mercury. These brochures can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/p2/ on the Internet.
Display
Staff developed a display to show the types of products that contain mercury. The display titled, "WHO
ME? Do I Contribute Mercury to the Environment?," has two components. There is a three-panel
display board with pictures and text about mercury's effect on the environment. A collection of
mercury-containing products assembled on the table in front of the display board shows items such as
a thermostat, switches and fluorescent lights. This collection is accompanied by text about mercury
contained in the products and non-mercury alternatives.
State specific copies of the display are housed at the Michigan and Wisconsin environmental regulatory
agencies, and throughout Minnesota. Two generic copies are housed at the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in Chicago.
Collection
Minnesota staff worked with the partners to identify collection needs, potential collection sponsors,
regulatory and economic barriers to collection and proper management of mercury- containing wastes.
There is a need to develop waste collection systems which are convenient and economically feasible for
service industries and businesses.
Staff obtained the rights to use a logo for florescent bulb recycling projects. This logo, modeled after
the chasing arrows recycling symbol, is in the public domain and thus can be used as part of a unified
campaign around Lake Superior (and beyond) for lamp collection programs.
Technical Assistance
A team from the University of Minnesota-Duluth Department of Chemical Engineering generated a
potential client list for pollution prevention assessments, cataloged and reviewed pollution prevention
literature, and called potential clients. They used data from five Publicly Owned Treatment Works
(POTWs) to scan for priority pollutants. They also conducted an information needs assessment and
examined the way businesses used existing pollution prevention information.
Site Assessments
Nine pollution prevention assessment site visits were made to businesses (3 oil distributors, 2 printing
companies, a furniture refinisher, a laboratory, a veterinary hospital, a printed circuit board assembler,
and a large forest products facility). Based on the site visits, team members drafted a report which
included recommendations for pollution prevention opportunities. Each assessment took
approximately 50 staff-hours to complete and included four team members visiting the businesses,
gathering pollution prevention information, and writing the report.
29 Pfomoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries 1992-1995
Lessons Learned
Focusing on one or two business types for visits would reduce amount of background pollution
prevention information gathered and allow for development of generic reports which could be quickly
modified for each business visited.
Having two rather than four team members per assessment could increase the number of site visits
possible.
Soliciting clients via letters and phone calls yielded clients who were already practicing pollution
prevention. These clients probably chose to participate to find out if there was any more they could do.
The project did not reach the businesses that could have benefitted the most because these businesses
probably would not voluntarily allow an assessment to be conducted. Other methods to locate clients
might include: referral by regulatory agencies or other agencies involved in pollution prevention/
hazardous waste minimization activities, referral by bank loan officers, or referral by POTW officials.
Pollution Prevention Database User Needs Assessment
A survey of businesses examined use of pollution prevention data bases. Findings for Minnesota's Lake
Superior basin showed that while 73% of the businesses responding to the survey did own a computer,
51 % indicated that they did not know what an electronic data base was nor how to use one. A maj ority,
52%, indicated that they would use a pollution prevention technical assistance center.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 30
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: OHIO GREAT LAKES BASIN PRETREATMENT POLLUTION PREVENTION
(FY93 - GL995374-01-0)
Organization: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
$80,000
$4,210
Project Timetable: 9/01/93 - 9/30/96
Mohammed Islam
Pretreatment Unit
Division of Surface Water
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1049
1800 Watermark Drive
Columbus, OH 43216-1049
Telephone: 614-644-2018
Fax: 614-644-2329
E-mail: mohammed,islam@epa,state,oh,us
Summary; This was an education project which introduced pollution prevention into Publicly Owned
Treatment Works (POTW) and industrial user operations and into Ohio pretreatment programs in the
Lake Erie basin.
Environmental Results/Products;
Brochures with general pollution prevention information were distributed to approximately 20,000
industrial users of POTWs and 75,000 homeowners throughout the Ohio portion of the Lake Erie basin.
A newsletter was distributed to the Lake Erie POTWs.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a Pollution Prevention Training
Resource Guide for Publicly Owned Treatment Works.
In October 1994, Ohio EPA conducted training for POTWs in Archbold, Sandusky, and Akron, Ohio.
Two hundred forty-seven individuals attended these training sessions. Approximately 50 copies of the
training manuals were sent to representatives in each of the Great Lakes States and to several Indian
Nations. Ninety-nine copies were distributed to Ohio Pretreatment Coordinators who did not attend the
training and manuals were given to the Operator Training Committee of Ohio (OTCO) for the purpose
of incorporating pollution prevention into OTCO training sessions.
As part 1994 pollution prevention training evaluation, several POTWs in the Lake Erie basin indicated
that they were interested in additional pollution prevention assistance. Ohio EPA selected four of the
facilities requesting additional pollution prevention assistance. The assistance included two waste
reduction assessments for industrial users identified by the POTWs (ITT Automotive in Archbold
POTW and Metokote in Lima POTW), POTW operations assessment and training for personnel at
Archbold and Wauseon POTWs, workshops on pollution prevention for industrial users in Archbold
and Freemont POTWs and working with Lima POTW on a public outreach campaign to reduce mercury
discharges to the sewer. A final report was prepared summarizing this part of the project.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
31 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: TOXICS POLLUTION PREVENTION MENTORING
(FY93 - GRANT # GL995412-01-0)
'.: Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
Award Amount:
Dollars Leveraged:
$95,000
$5,000
Tim Tuominen
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
2626 Courtland Street
Duluth, MN 55806-1894 Project Timetable: 9/1/93-9/30/96
Telephone: 218-722-3336x324
Fax: 218-727-7471
E-mail: p2team@cp. duluth. mn. us
Summary; The purpose of this project was to help Lake Superior communities build pollution
prevention capabilities. The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) worked directly with
Virginia, Minnesota; Marquette, Michigan; Ashland, Wisconsin; and Superior, Wisconsin to develop
toxic reduction plans. Project activities included: pollution prevention awareness for wastewater
treatment plant managers and operators; a toxic pollution prevention needs survey; facilitating local
toxic reduction meetings; developing business-specific pollution prevention opportunities and waste
management guidelines; and assisting local communities around Lake Superior to develop toxic
reduction plans. The grant included funds for the pilot communities to develop and implement the
plans.
Environmental Results/Products;
Pollution Prevention Awareness
WLSSD developed a short presentation for wastewater treatment plant managers and operators on the
regulatory need to reduce toxics in Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) discharge, an overview
of pollution prevention and its advantages, and examples of successful pollution prevention projects in
industry. WLSSD presented this information at local State operator meetings in Marquette, Michigan;
Ashland, Wisconsin; and Aurora, Minnesota.
Needs Survey
WLSSD surveyed Lake Superior POTWs to determine what they believed would be most effective in
reducing toxics at their source. There is a need for communication about toxics with industrial, business
and residential POTW customers. There appears to be a need for POTWs to learn what can and cannot
go down the drain and which materials contain toxics of concern for Lake Superior.
Specific Business Opportunities
WLSSD distributed pollution prevention information to pretreatment operators, hospitals, and dentists.
Community Toxic Reduction Plans
Virginia, Minnesota; Marquette, Michigan; Ashland, Wisconsin; and Superior, Wisconsin all took
different tacks when developing toxic reduction plans. In Virginia, Minnesota the project was run by
the POTW operator, a private consulting firm. In Marquette, Michigan, city employees ran the
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 32
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
program, with consultant support for the final reporting. In Ashland, Wisconsin a partnership was
formed between the city, Northland College, businesses, and environmental groups. All of the pilot
cities developed public information campaigns.
In Virginia, Minnesota on-site assessments were completed at a number of large facilities and other
places known to discharge chemicals of concern for Lake Superior. These included a small electric
cooperative, a municipally owned steam electric utility, a manufacturer, and a dental practice. The
municipality placed information on mercury in the local paper and developed a zero discharge
workbook listing businesses and possible toxics that they could likely discharge.
The Marquette, Michigan plan included a public awareness campaign which emphasized what
residents and businesses could do to eliminate discharge of Lake Superior chemicals of concern.
Outreach to a hospital and local businesses centered on reduction of toxic discharges. Marquette
developed 11 educational handouts and 12 newspaper ads and a public service announcement which
addressed the pollutants of concern for Lake Superior. These materials stress the use of non-polluting
alternatives, and provided techniques and instructions for the appropriate disposal of household
hazardous waste. Pollutant-specific fact sheets on mercury, lead, copper, silver, formaldehyde, and
PCBs were published in local newspapers.
Ashland, Wisconsin produced two reports: Zero Discharge Model Project. Ashland. Wisconsin and
Zero Discharge Campus Project. Northland College. With a community- based focus group, the
municipality evaluated commercial, industrial and residential sources of the nine chemicals of concern
for Lake Superior.
In the Superior, Wisconsin toxic reduction plan, data on effluent was examined to determine whether
any additional compounds should be focused on. Industry-specific pollution prevention information
was sent to targeted industries: photographic industries, dentists, clinics, nursing homes, a university
and a technical school. Pollution prevention information was also published in the local newspaper.
Lessons Learned
It is important to educate the local pollution prevention champion at the POTW.
Support from management, the local governing body, and the community early in the process is crucial.
Each community needed to go through the process of deciding which chemicals of concern were a
problem for them and thus should be the focus for their pollution prevention efforts.
A professional group or the general public, rather than a specific facility, may be the appropriate target
for pollution prevention activities. It is important to develop a strategy with specific pollution
prevention activities in cooperation with the targeted group or facility personnel.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
33 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries 1992-1995
Title: POLLUTION PREVENTION ASSESSMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE LAKE
SUPERIOR BINATIONAL PROGRAM - TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO
INDUSTRIES (FY93 - GL995466-01)
Organization: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Contact
Phillip (Jack) Annis Award Amount: $57,000
Pollution Prevention Specialist Dollars Leveraged: $3,000
University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Extension
Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center Project Timetable: 10/01/93 - 09/30/95
161 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 6000
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
Telephone: 414-227-3371
Fax: 414-227-3165
E-mail: pannis@facstqffwisc.edu
Summary; The Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) provided pollution prevention
information, education and technical assistance to waste generators in the four Wisconsin counties in
the Lakes Superior basin. Building awareness among the waste generators about the resources available
from SHWEC, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and local resources, and building
linkages with municipal operations, primarily Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) in the Lake
Superior basin, were key project objectives. Though the project was designed to target reductions of
specific bioaccumulating substances, primarily PCBs and mercury, facilities were approached with the
opportunity to reduce all types of wastes.
Environmental Results/Products;
SHWEC inventoried and identified companies discharging directly to the Lake Superior watershed and
to the POTWs. SHWEC provided training to POTW pretreatment coordinators on basic pollution
prevention concepts with special emphasis on discharges from dentists, photo developers and medical
laboratories.
SHWEC completed 15 technical assistance assessments. Many of the targeted businesses were
reluctantto invite SHWEC to their facilities. This may have been due to a distrust of government. Local
partnerships (e.g., "Green Star" programs in Ashland and Superior, Wisconsin) can help establish the
trust that is needed among waste generators, the community, regulators, and technical assistance
programs.
SHWEC conducted five workshops for marinas and boat repair facilities, small quantity generators, and
the wood finishing industry.
Outreach materials included information on services offered by SHWEC and other resources (including
county Community Resource Development Agents) for targeted businesses in the Lake Superior basin
in Wisconsin.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 34
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Publications developed by SHWEC include:
Small Business Pollution Prevention Guide
Conducting an Internal Mercury Audit for Manufacturing Facilities, a 6-page fact
sheet;
The Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative (GLWOD. a 2-page fact sheet;
Pollution Prevention/Waste Minimization Options for Metal Finishing Processes.
Implementing a "Closed Loop" Process, a 5-page fact sheet;
Lake Superior Business and Industry Assistance Quick Reference List, a 1-page
fact sheet;
Pollution Prevention for Wood Finishing and Manufacturing, an 85-page
guidebook; and
Pollution Prevention for Marinas and Boat Yards, a 35-page guidebook.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green, 312-886-7594
35 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER OPERATOR POLLUTION PREVENTION
TRAINING
(FY92 - X995882-01-0)
Organization: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (formerly the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources)
Contact
Robert Jackson, Chief Award Amount: $40,000
Grants & Information (SARA Title III) Unit Dollars Leveraged: $2,105
Pollution Prevention Section
Environmental Assistance Division Project Timetable: 10/1/92 - 2/15/95
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 30004
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Telephone: 517-373-2731
Fax: 517-373-3675
E-mail: jacksorc@state. mi. us
Summary; Michigan has eight major dischargers to Lake Superior: four industrial, and four municipal.
This project focused on pollution prevention training for the Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP)
which treat the waste from these dischargers. Michigan developed pollution prevention training
materials specific to the operation of a WWTP and to the pollutants of concern for Lake Superior.
Environmental Results/Products:
Staff conducted training in Lansing and Marquette, Michigan in January 1995. Staff developed the
Pollution Prevention Training Manual for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators which is available on
the Internet for downloading. The address is: http://www.deq.state.mi.tis/ead/potw/.
GLNPO Project Officer; Danielle Green 312-886-7594
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 36
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
Title: POLLUTION PREVENTION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR LAKES
SUPERIOR AND MICHIGAN BASIN
(FY92 - X995881-01-0)
Organization: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, in partnership with Illinois, Indiana Michigan and
Wisconsin State environmental agencies.
Ned Brooks
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
Telephone: 612-297-8680
Fax: 612-297-8676
E-mail: ned.brooks@pca.state.mn.us
Award Amount: $ 160,000
(Pollution Prevention Awareness Campaign - $100,000,
Minnesota, Wisconsin Household Hazardous Waste -
$20,000, Very Small Quantity Generator Program
Development- $40,000)
Dollars Leveraged: $8,000
Project Timetable: 10/1/92 - 9/30/94
Summary; This grant supported a pollution prevention awareness campaign for Lakes Michigan and
Superior, household hazardous waste collection between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and a program for
management and reduction of waste from very small quantity generators.
Environmental Results/Products;
Pollution Prevention Awareness Campaign
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin conducted a unified public awareness campaign
that addressed pollution prevention and toxics of concern in the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan
drainage basins. Partners in this project included U.S. EPA, State Remedial Action Plan coordinators,
the Lake Superior Bi-National Work Group Communication Team, and the Lake Michigan Lakewide
Management Plan team.
The partners produced two outreach pieces: Protecting Our Great Lakes, a pollution prevention public
awareness campaign for individuals in the Lake Superior and Michigan basins, and a Disposal Guide to
Household Hazardous Wastes, detailing responsible ways to dispose of various products commonly
found in homes and garages. The disposal guide can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/p2/Lkwatchc.html'on the Internet.
Minnesota- Wisconsin Household Hazardous Waste
Through funding under this grant, Wisconsin residents were able to deliver household hazardous waste
to the permanent household hazardous waste education and collection center in Duluth, Minnesota.
Very Small Quantity Generator Program Development
There are approximately 2,000 conditionally exempt or very small quantity generators (VSQGs) of
hazardous waste in the Minnesota portion of the Lake Superior basin. These generators have few
options for properly disposing of their waste and need information and assistance to begin preventing
pollution. With funds from this grant, the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) developed
a program for VSQGs in Minnesota and Wisconsin for management and reduction of waste. In addition
37 Pfomoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix A Project Summaries FY1992-1995
to collecting already generated hazardous wastes, Minnesota assisted participating VSQGs in
identifying opportunities and resources for pollution prevention with an emphasis on toxics of concern
for Lake Superior.
GLNPO Project Officer: Danielle Green 312-886-7594
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 38
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Appendix B Projects Funded in FY1997
LIST OF PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM
OFFICE IN FY 1997
Council of Great Lakes Industry $70,000
Mobilizing/Coordinating Industry Support of the Virtual Elimination Strategy
Great Lakes United $70,000
Virtual Elimination Strategy Implementation Project
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency $82,800
Reducing Mercury Releases Through Pollution Prevention in Healthcare Facilities
Indiana Department of Agriculture $30,000
Clean Sweeps
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin $ 12,000
Household Hazardous Waste Cleansweep
Michigan Department of Agriculture $60,000
Clean Sweeps
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality $100,000
Mercury Pollution Prevention Project
National Wildlife Federation $70,000
Non-governmental Organization Involvement in Implementating Virtual Elimination
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection $75,000
A Partnership for Prevention (Mercury)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources $ 18,400
Pollution Prevention Specialist
39 Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin
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Appendix C Funding Guidance and Grant Process
THE GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE'S FUNDING GUIDANCE AND
GRANT PROCESS
Each Fall, the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) issues its Great Lakes Funding Guidance
which asks interested Applicants to submit short Preproposals for Great Lakes projects. Following internal
screening, reviewers internal and external to U.S. EPA evaluate the remaining Preproposals based on criteria
in the Great Lakes Funding Guidance. Evaluations are based on the Funding Guidance criteria and take into
account recommendations on specific needs and priorities of geographic areas within the Great Lakes,
particularly those of Lakewide Management Plans and their included geographic initiatives (such as the
Remedial Action Plans for Areas of Concern). Each preproposal is generally evaluated by at least 3 GLNPO
staff in addition to the external reviewers. GLNPO uses these evaluations to determine the projects for which
full proposals will be requested. Applicants are then requested to submit full proposals. Following
negotiations, full proposals are submitted, final decisions are made, and awards are tendered. Awards can be
issued as early as April; however, most are issued in August and September.
Promoting Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes Basin 40
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