United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution Prevention Washington, DC 20460 April 1991 4>ERA Pollution Prevention News Inside: Regions 4, 6 Regions 7, 10 Calendar Special Insert: PPIC User Bulletin To be added to our mailing list, please write: Pollution Prevention News U.S. EPA 401 M Street SW (PM-222B) Washington, DC 20460 Editorial Staff: Priscilla Flattery, Editor Gilah Langner 2 3 4 Editor's Corner Pollution Prevention Paul Keough Deputy Regional Administrator EPA Region I EPA's Regional Pollution Prevention Programs are producing innovative solu- tions to some of our most complex environ- mental problems. As Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht reminds us, prevention is the environmental "approach of choice." It is how we protect the future today. Pollution prevention must become part of everything we do. As illustrated in this and the January issue of Pollution Prevention News, the Regions are integrating preventive solutions into programs that address a wide variety of in the Regions environmental problems including strato- spheric ozone depletion, overuse of agricul- tural chemicals, lack of markets for post- consumer waste paper, air toxics, ground- level ozone pollution and POTW discharges. Regional pollution prevention solutions to these problems are equally diverse. They include innovative use of consent orders and permits, a Pollution Prevention Research Center, assistance by retired engineers, pollution prevention curriculum for schools, and many others. Every Region has initia- tives underway. One principle of quality management is that the best solutions lie in the hands of those closest to the problem. Regional continued on page 3 New EPA Strategy to Get the Rest of the Lead Out EPA has announced a comprehensive strategy to reduce lead exposures, with particular emphasis on reducing the risk to children. Lead is a highly toxic metal, known to produce a range of adverse human health and environmental effects, particularly in children and fetuses. EPA's plan calls for a variety of training and technical assistance efforts for lead- based paint abatement programs; regulatory programs to decrease lead levels in drinking water and in ambient air near large station- ary sources; stepped-up enforcement actions against facilities violating lead standards; and investigations into the location of geographical lead "hot spots." In addition, EPA is studying the feasibil- ity of requiring advance notice from anyone intending to manufacture or process lead for a new use, and further increasing the recycling rate of spent auto batteries. Lead is also among the 17 compounds targeted for voluntary reductions in EPA's Industrial Toxics Project (or "33/50"). Significant strides have been made in the past, mostly through prevention, in reducing the amount of lead in the environment, through the virtual elimination of lead in gasoline, bans on the use of lead in house paint, and the banning of lead solder and lead pipes in public drinking water systems. Exposures of lead continue, however, primarily due to deteriorating lead-based paint in houses, contaminated urban soil and dust, and drinking water contaminated by lead solder joining water pipes, past use of lead service lines, and the lead in brass plumbing fixtures. For more information, contact Doreen Cantor, 202-382-3777. Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Pollution Prevention News - 2 April 1991 EPA Regional Offices Region 4: A Jump Start for Pollution Prevention Efforts EPA Region 4 345 Courtland St. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30365 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi. North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Pollution Prevention Contact: Elizabeth Shaver (404) 347-7109 The Southeast Waste Reduction Resource Center is one of the prime showpieces of the aggressive pollution prevention activities going on in the South- east states and sup- ported by EPA's Region 4. The Resource Center is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is staffed by engineers and scientists trained in waste reduction who are ready and willing to "brainstorm" with company officials looking for solutions to their waste prob- lems. The Center has provided "jump starts" for a number of state programs by means of its "Core Reference Library," which consists of the basic documents needed to undertake a waste reduction technical assistance program. In response to popular demand, the Center is planning to enlarge its activities to conduct more on-site work with state programs, supply training to regulators, and expand its holdings of publications. Retired Engineers in Region 4 Because the Southeast is a popular retirement area, the region benefits from a unique resource the fund of knowl- edge and experience represented by retired engineers. In a number of locations, retired engineers are now working on- site at industrial plants and businesses conducting waste reduction audits and helping to identify pollution prevention opportunities. Training of retired engineers in waste reduction assess- ments has been offered in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, and South Carolina. State Grants Applications Available EPA's Pollution Prevention Division has announced the third round of Pollution Prevention Incentives for States. About $4 million in FY91 funds are available for state and interstate agencies to build pollution prevention capabili- ties and test innovative prevention approaches. Proposals, due June 7,1991, are encouraged to support the implemen- tation of EPA's "33/50" Industrial Toxics Project. Grant applications are available from Jackie Krieger, Pollution Prevention Division, U.S. EPA (PM-222B), 401 M Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Tel: 202-382-3327. Region 6: Teaching Environmental Values EPA Region 6 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75202 Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Pollution Prevention Contact: Laura Townsend (214) 655-6525 A fruitful collabora- tion between EPA Region 6 and the University of Texas at Arlington has produced The Environmental Institute for Technology Transfer (EITT). EITT's mission is to encourage the application of new technology through environmental research, education, and training in the five- state federal region. One major initiative of EITT is the Prairie Project, which proposes to further environmental protection and pollution prevention by teaching children the value of the natural setting and their interconnectedness to earth. The prairie can serve as an inspirational educational metaphor for children living in the central region of the country, and it captures a sufficient variety of materials and experiences to serve as a versatile tool and site for outdoor classrooms. The project will involve curriculum development, teacher training, outdoor education site development, and continuing research. A pilot study is expected to be in place in Fall 1991. For more infor- mation, contact Dr. Gerald Nehman at EITT, 817-273-2300. What's New in State Legislation Two recent publications take a look at state legislation relating to pollution prevention. The Waste Reduction Institute for Training and Applications Research has assembled a summary of state legislation as of January 1991 in 25 states. For copies, contact WRITAR at 612-379- 5995. Another publication, An Ounce of Toxic Pollution Prevention, rates the toxic use reduction laws in place in 10 states. By far the highest score was earned by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act, which rated four stars and an average of 6.9 points out of a possible 10, by virtue of its clear focus on promoting toxics use reduction, its planning and reporting requirements, and its technical assistance programs. Legislation in the remaining states (California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington) scored significantly lower in the eyes of the seven panelists conducting the evaluation, primarily because of a lack of focus on reducing toxics use and on wastes other than hazardous waste. The report, dated January 1991, is available from its sponsors, the National Environmental Law Center (717-292-8050) and the Center for Policy Alternatives (202-387-6030). ------- April 1991 3 - Pollution Prevention News EPA Regional Offices Region 7: A Geographic Approach to ITP Region 10: Reaching Out to Farmers with IPM Information EPA Region 7 726 Minnesota Avenue Kansas City, KS 66101 Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska Pollution Prevention Contact: Alan Wehmeyer (913) 551-7050 Region 7 has developed a new geographic initiative to implement the Agency's Industrial Toxics Project. The initiative is part of the region's strategic planning process and includes active and early state participation. This effort focuses on the counties that have the highest reported volume of total reported chemical emissions and is designed to bring corpo- rate leaders and federal facility representatives together in a cooperative and collaborative effort. The participants will decide as a group to participate in a voluntary reduction program and commit to group reduction goals that address all environmental media and all chemical releases. The principal objectives of the project will be: (1) To meet agency reduction goals; (2) To promote pollution prevention among small-and medium-sized businesses; (3) To help develop networks between large and small businesses to increase technology transfer; (4) To improve identification of releases; and (5) To improve quality of the Toxic Release Inventory data. Preliminary feedback from an initial meeting with corporate leaders in the first targeted county has been extremely positive. Editor's Corner from page I pollution prevention initiatives are the source of innovation and creativity because they respond to the singular character- istics of Regional offices, state organizations, industries, and environmental problems. It is no coincidence that multi- media pollution prevention initiatives are a common element in Regional strategic plans. Regions understand that preven- tion provides the best environmental results. The Regions, often working in partnership with states, are laboratories for pollution prevention ideas. These projects are important models as EPA finds ways to build prevention into permitting, inspections, state grants and enforcement. The Regions can demonstrate which ideas succeed and which fail. By working closely with our colleagues in national programs to document Regional successes, we will help spread our pollution prevention solution throughout the country. I am excited and enthused about the many initiatives we have launched and the successes that we have achieved. Clearly, the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," fits EPA today and in the future. EPA Region 10 1200 Sixth Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington Pollution Prevention Contact: Keith Hinman (206)442-5810 Region 10 is involved with several initiatives designed to reduce pollution caused by agricultural chemicals and to promote the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to growers. The Pollution Prevention through Agricultural Chemical Management Initiative is one of the Agency's "2% set-aside" projects. As part of the initiative, four projects have been selected in the tri-state area (Oregon, Idaho, and Washington) for future grant funding. (1) The Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture project in Skagit County, Washington, will determine which of a range of farming practices will send the least amount of nitrates into ground water. EPA's role in the project will focus on out- reach and education designed to achieve wide circulation of the project's findings among growers. (2) The Small Farm Education Project will focus on improving management practices at the increasing number of small farms and ranchettes in and around urban areas. ^^ y Kir ¦ > "V » ' ' i -v j */» Checking a corn ear worm trap at a Minto Brown research project. (3) A broad task force of concerned citizens and officials is transforming the Minto Brown Island Park in the Willamette River in Salem, Oregon into a "living laboratory" of applied research and demonstration projects to promote alternative agricultural practices. The goal is to reduce nitrate and pesticide pollution that may adversely affect the parkland. (4) A computer-aided risk analysis and expert advice system will be used to develop and distribute software for personal computers to help farmers design site-specific crop manage- ment plans that minimize leaching of agricultural chemicals to ground water. The project is a cooperative effort of USDA Soil Conservation Service and the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension Service. ------- Pollution Prevention News - 4 April 1991 Calendar Title Sponsor Date/Location Contact Out of the Water & Into What? Cross-Media Pollution Water Pollution Control Federation April 17 Washington, DC Nancy Blatt 703-684-2400 N.E. Recycled Products Pro- curement Conf/Vendor Show U.S. EPA Region 1 April 22-24 Newport, RI Sally Mansur 617-223-5529 NA Waste Exchange Conference on Industrial Recycling Pacific Materials Exchange May 5-8 Spokane, WA PME 509-623-4244 Pollution Prevention: A Multimedia Approach IN Dept. of Env. Mngmnt., Purdue University May 13 West Lafayette, IN Rick Bossingham 317-494-5038 Pollution Prevention in Defense Acquisitions The DOD has set up a Pollution Preven- tion Acquisitions Task Force of weapon system acquisition experts to ensure that future actions incorporate pollution pre- vention approaches. The group will review current policies, plans, and procedures for incorporating environmental consid era tions into acquisition decisions, and present their findings in a Report to Congress. The task force will also recommend im- provements for infusing environmental concerns as a normal part of the life cycle management process for acquiring weapons systems. For more information, contact Jim Edward at EPA's Pollution Prevention Di- vision, 202-245-4164. Consumer Product Comparative Risk Updates EPA's Consumer Product Comparative Risk project will soon begin publishing updates on its progress. The goal of the project is to provide a technically feasible and scientifically sound method for ana- lyzing the lifecycle impacts of consumer products. The project began in February 1990 and is expected to be completed by December 1992. If you would like to receive the updates, please send your name and address to: Consumer Product Comparative Risk Project, c/o Dave Fege, Office of Pollu- tion Prevention, U.S. EPA, PM-222B, 401 M St. SW, Washington, DC 20460. Reducing Pollution from Residential Wood Stoves In December 1990, EPA distributed five public service announcements designed to educate people on ways to reduce wood smoke pollution from residential wood stoves. EPA's public service messages emphasized the importance of "burning cleanly" and of properly operating and maintaining wood stoves so that they pro- duce less pollution, as well as the air qual- ity benefits of switching from conventional wood stoves to cleaner-burning, EPA-cer- tified stoves. For more information, con- tact Chris Stoneman at EPA, 919-541 -0823. Plant a Tree, Cool the Planet! April 26 National Arbor Day CORRECTION! In the Pollution Prevention Quiz in our Jan/Feb issue, the answers for questions 1 and 2 were reversed. The correct answers are as follows. (1) The second greatest source of home energy use, after the furnace/air conditioner, is the hot water heater. (2) Paint products account for more than half of the hazardous waste disposed of by individuals. In question 12, the average car releases 10,000 pounds (5 tons) of carbon dioxide. United States Environmental Protection Agency (PM-222B) POSTAGE* FEES PAID Washington, DC 20460 PERMIT NO. G-35 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- Pollution Prevention I nf or motion Clearinghouse U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution Prevention Office of Environmental Engineering and Technology Demonstration April 1991 Edited by Myles Morse, Director of PPIC PPIC Efforts to Support New Pollution Prevention Strategy i EPA Administrator William Reilly has issued a call to American industry to make significant reductions in emissions of 17 toxic chemicals that are associated with both substantial public exposure and health risk. This project, now termed the "33/50 project" was among the first major initiatives outlined in the Agency's pollution prevention strategy which was unveiled at a press conference on Feb. 7. This focus on specific toxic compounds and the corresponding 12 SIC code industrial groups generating these releases will result in a corresponding shift in priorities for the PPIC. PPIC will support this new pollution prevention initiative by reflecting the same focus in its document and case study acquisition efforts. For example the PPIC has recently acquired additional case studies relevant to the targeted Paper PPIC Hotline Services To access PPIC information by phone, call: RCRA/Superfund Hotline (800) 424-9346 Small Business Ombudsman (SBO) Hotline (800) 368-5888 PPIC Technical Assistance (703) 821 -4800 and Allied Products Manufacturing Industry (SIC 26). These will be available through the PPIC and PIES. Also in support of these efforts, PPIC staff are preparing a general background document fortheindustries providing guidance on howto set up a corporate pollution prevention program. Corporate program summaries for each of the target SIC industries as well as case studies for each of the priority industrial groups are also included. The document presents tabulations of industrial processes, waste(s) generated, a proven prevention technique, the economic benefits gained from the technique, and a citation to a document from the PPIC repository containing this case study data. In addition to this general document, EPA is preparing a series of reports focusing on specific industries. See "Upcoming Publications" item 2 on page 4. Repository Consent Orders Update EPA's Office of Enforcement has issued an interim policyfortheinclusion of pollution prevention provisions in Agency enforcement actions. The policy will apply to both administrative actions and civil judicial settlements. Its goal is to look for ways to employ enforcement actions, not just to obtain compliance, but also to achieve waste reduction through the inclusion of pollution prevention measures to help achieve the Agency's stated reduction goals. Administrator Reilly indicated that, of all the Agency's enforcement remedies selected and entered into this year, 25% should be of a cross-media nature and rely on more than one statute in exploring ways to reduce the total pollution from a facility. As these innovative measures are negotiated by the Enforcement Division, the proposed and final Consent Orders are currently included in the repository and on PIES. Dupont Decree: The latest addition of the PPIC Consent Orderfile involves E.I. Dupont De Nemours and Co. This proposed Consent Order alleges that Dupont violated various provisions of the RCRA regulations in its operation of a multi-product chemical manufacturing and hazardous waste management facility. In response to these charges, Dupont has agreed to a proposed Consent Decree which requires that the company undertake a pollution prevention project with the EPA to review the existing pollution prevention initiatives at the above mentioned facility. This proposed project will have three goals: 1) to identify methods for the actual reduction or prevention of pollution for specific chemical processes; 2) to generate useful technical information about methodologies and technologies for reducing pollution; and 3) to evaluate potentially useful refinements to both EPA's and Dupont's methodology for analyzing and reducing pollution and/or waste generating activities. The Dupont Decree will not be entered by the court and made final. However, no changes are anticipated prior to making the order final until the public comment period is over. The Consent Orders will soon be moved from their current PIES bulletin location to a searchable database. Interest in and requests for these Consent Orders has been tremendous. The new database will better handle the increased influx of Consent Decrees and will enable researchers additional options, such as keyword searching to identify issues of interest within the orders. Copies of the orders are kept in the repository and are available upon request for those unable to access them on PIES. User Bulletin 1 ------- Hotline Assisting Small Business with Pollution Prevention: The Small Ombudsman Hotline The Small Business Ombudsman (SBO) toll-free hotline receives up to 1400 calls each month, of which about ten percent are from small businesses seeking assistance with pollution prevention efforts. The hotline's manager, Karen Brown, reports that the most common pollution prevention-related inquiry is on the availability of grant moneys or loans for small businesses wanting to implement process changes to minimize wastes. Ms. Brown adds that while other calls are primarily for recycling assistance, the hotline receives "a fair number [of calls requesting] innovative ideas for new or improved processes [to reduce pollutants]". For callers looking for financial assistance, the Small Business Administration 7(a) loan program provides loans of up to $1 million for qualifying businesses. The hotline's highly trained staff includes a civil engineer who helps with water supply, wastewater and general pollution problems, a mechanical engineer who helps with asbestos, radon, and other air pollution issues, and a chemical engineer who specializes in toxic substances and hazardous materials. The staff can provide immediate assistance overthe phone, refer callers to other EPA hotlines or offices for specialized policy interpretations, or fill requests for new publications on environmental topics of interest. For more information or to reach the hotline, call 1-800-368-5888. PPIC USER REQUEST HIGHLIGHT: AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP Numerous questions are referred to PPIC staff on a daily basis, from sources such as EPA, the technical assistance line, PIES Bulletin Board and the RCRA and SBO hotline. Following is a recent example. Question: The Small Business Ombudsman Hotline recently referred an information request to the PPIC regarding pollution prevention for the automotive repair industry. Specifically, the manager of a Southern California auto dealership's repair shop asked for a list of all potentially recyclable wastes generated by a typical repair facility. This information will be used to help the dealership establish an in-house pollution prevention program. Response: PPIC staff researched the subject and developed a list of the waste streams associated with this type of activity, which was in turn forwarded to the manager. The information on this list was derived from two excellent documents: Waste Reduction Assistance Program On-Site Consultation Audit Report: Automotive Repair Shop. Alaska Health Project, 1987. Hazardous Waste Reduction Checklist: Automotive Repair Shops. Books 1 &2. California Department of Health Services, AlternativeTechnology Section, undated. The PPIC also provided a factsheet entitled "Waste Reduction for Automotive Repair Shops", produced by the California Department of Health Services. Since the user's business is located in California, the PPIC also provided the manager with contact information regarding the State's pollution prevention program. PPIC Calls for Information Case Studies: In support of EPA's new strategy that challenges industry to make significant reductions in waste emissions, the PPIC has committed to tripling the size of it's Case Study Data Base by the end of the year. PPIC's goal is to have over 1,500 abstracts that convey technical information and provide examples of how industrial facilities can reduce their emissions through implementation of pollution prevention techniques. To meet this goal, the Agency is soliciting information from organizations that have implemented successful pollution prevention technologies such as Process & equipment modifications Periodic assessments Recycling, reuse and reclamation Housekeeping Training and supervision Waste segregation Material/product substitutions Production planning Case studies are being collected through a network of contributors that includes private industry as well as the Illinois Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center (HWRIC), the American Institute for Pollution Prevention (AIPP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This network will feed case studies into the PPIC and PIES database and will provide quality control review. As an active contributor to the PPIC Case Study Data Base you or your program will: Receive national and international recognition for your successes, Promote your program's activities, Share technical resources, and Help distribute information more efficiently. Anyone wishing to contribute case studies to the PPIC should contact the HWRIC or the PPIC for an abstract format and guidelines for abstractors. All inquiries or submittals should be directed to: PPIC HWRIC c/o SAIC or One East Hazelwood Drive 8400 Westpark Drive Champaign, Illinois 61820 McLean, Va. 22124 217/333-8940 Corporate Pollution Prevention Programs: Companies that have recently initiated pollution prevention programs or that would like to share their experiences from established programs should send brief summaries or promotional materials to the PPIC. Information of interest to the PPIC includes the program's goals, strategy, success to date, and contact person. Technical Publications: Technical publications describing waste minimization techniques for industry are needed to supplement the PPIC repository of technical resources. Please send copies of such publications or citations and name of contact person or publisher to the PPIC. User Bulletin 2 Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Pollution Prevention Information Exchange System (PIES) Small Business Pollution Prevention Grants The EPA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) awarded 1 7 pollution prevention grants last fall from a pool of 178 applicants. The program provides small businesses up to $25,000 each to assist them in developing and demonstrating new pollution prevention technologies. A total of $400,000 was made available to fund the 17 projects scheduled for 1991. A similar amount of money will be available in 1992 for small business grants. Two of the projects funded for 1991 are: Reclamation Facility for Waste Lithographic Ink. Ink Engineering Services, Columbus, Ohio. This project will establish and demonstrate the feasibility of a reclamation facility for waste lithographic ink generated from the printing industry. Ink produced by the reclamation facility will be formulated to meet or exceed the standards of new ink, and is expected to increase waste ink usage from the current 5% up to approximately 80%. Electrically Conductive Adhesivesfor Replacing Tin-lead Solder loints in Electronic Systems. Interconnect Systems, Inc., Simi Valley, California. Regional Access to PIES Simplified PPIC is working with all EPA Regions computer technical support personnel to assist users in accessing PIES by developing automated access programs. Users in each of the regions will soon be able to access PIES through the regional Local Area Networks (LANS) by entering easy-to-use menu commands. What's New on PIES Mini-exchanae: The PPIC has opened a new mini-exchange devoted to serving the EPA Regional offices. This conference is available to all EPA staff and is designed to facilitate communication within and between the EPA Regions, Headquarters, and labs regarding their pollution prevention activities. Additional Access to PIES: Additional features have been added to PIES to make it more accessible to new and current users. These features include: Access of PIES through TELENET (20256131 direct through Telenet; 3110202561 31 through another network), and An additional 800-line added to PIES to further assist State and local users. Trade Associations: The Environmental Protection Agency is interested in working in cooperation with trade groups to share information on pollution prevention initiatives. Ifyou area memberofatradegroupand are interested in sharing pollution prevention techniques with your member organizations, please contact the PPIC. Educational Curriculum Material Included on Pies: The PPIC repository has established a collection of educational material relevant to source reduction and recycling. This diverse collection of materials, aimed at grades K through 12. Many of these documents have been abstracted and are currently available on the PIES. You can access these materials by selecting the "OPEN" option at the main menu and then selecting the data base door Tin-lead compounds (solder) and fluxes containing hazardous substances are commonly used in the printed circuit board industry to "connect" or form conductive electrical joints within electronic packages. Interconnect Systems, Inc., is researching replacement solder joints with joints formed using conductive materials (adhesives) created by combining organic polymers (epoxies, thermoplastics, etc.) with conductive fillers. Successful development of this process will eliminate the use of lead-bearing compounds and hazardous fluxes, as well as eliminate the need for cleaning solvents such as freon and methylene chloride often used in conjunction with the tin-lead soldering process. Descriptions of the 1 7 grants awarded for this year are available on PIES in the Federal Pollution Prevention Grants Mini-Exchange. The U.S. Center for Hazardous Materials Research (CHMR) at the University of Pittsburgh administers the program for EPA. Applications for a second round of funding on this program will be available in mid-1991. Staff members from CHMR, EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, OSDBU, and the American Institute for Pollution Prevention will review the applications. Further information can be obtained from CHMR at 1 -800-334- 2467. Pollution Prevention Research Information Available on PIES A series of bulletins containing information on all 43 research projects ongoing at EPA's Pollution Prevention Research Branch (PPRB) in Cincinnati are available for review and downloading on the new PIES Research Programs mini-exchange. designated as "general publications abstracts" (number 6) or entering "OPEN 6" to enter directly from the main menu. The educational curriculum materials can be accessed using a keyword search of "curriculum" or "educational" to view all documents. Additional keywords, such as recycling, descriptive of individual documents can be selected if a more focused search is desired. The abstracts of these documents provide information regarding both the subject matters addressed and the targeted educational level. In addition, the Office of Pollution Prevention is developing a bibliographic data base of educational material relevant to pollution prevention. This database contains approximately 2,000 annotated publications and will be completed soon. Once complete, this material will be merged with the existing educational material currently on the PIES and will exist as a separate, searchable PIES database. New Corporate Programs Summarized: Pollution prevention program summaries are now available on PIES for nineteen companies, including many that generate the 17 targeted chemicals of concern (See cover story). The summaries represent a range of approaches to minimizing hazardous and solid wastes, from the company-wide Pollution Prevention Pays program at 3M Company, to the "Wastewatchers" program initiated by a small group of employees at a Honda of America plant. Company contacts are included for those seeking more information. These summaries are updated periodically and new summaries are added as information becomes available. User Bulletin 3 ------- Networking and Outreach Efforts State Roundtable Gains Forum on the PIES The National Roundtable of State Pollution Prevention Programs has gained a networking tool to help its members communicate with one another - a new mini-exchange on the PIES. The Roundtable is comprised of representatives from state and local technical assistance programs, regulatory agencies, academic centers, and research institutions. This body convenes twice a year to discuss a wide array of pollution prevention topics, forming workgroups that develop position papers and share experiences. Because major goals of the Roundtable are to share programmatic and technical successes, and to avoid duplicative efforts, speedy communication is essential. Realizing that the length of time between meetings and the geographic distribution of the Roundtable members hinder communication of these ideas, the PPIC recently opened a mini- exchange for use by the Roundtable and interested PIES users. Now members can send and receive messages from one another 24 hours a day, avoiding time consuming "telephone tag." In addition to electronic mail, the Roundtable uses this conference to post bulletins, files, and data bases of interest to its members. Items such as work group minutes, articles, and contact directories can now be rapidly communicated throughout the Roundtable. Although still in its infancy, this mini-exchange is expected to grow considerably after the Roundtable's Washington, DC meeting on April 1 -2. In addition, the Roundtable members were recently surveyed and these comments will be addressed both at the upcoming meeting and in the future direction of the PPIC/PIES. ¦ PPIC Featured at Ohio Conference On March 18, PPIC was demonstrated in Canton, Ohio at a conference on commercial and industrial waste reduction that drew over 250 representatives from Ohio industry. With the support and encouragement of Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH) and with the sponsorship of the Hoover Foundation, the Stark Technical College hosted the conference in conjunction with OhioTechnicalTransferOrganization (OTTO) and Environmental Solutions International (ESI). The conference provided good opportunity for PPIC to be presented to a large group of industry professionals concerned about the waste being generated by their companies to learn of the economic incentives reaped by implementing pollution prevention techniques. The Honorable Ralph Regula delivered opening remarks for the conference. The Congressman, indicated that waste minimization opportunities will likely lead to increased profits and economic superiority for innovative companies. Many of the speakers reiterated the point that as the cost of waste disposal rises, the economic incentives for pollution prevention increase. The need for pollution prevention initiatives are becoming more crucial as well as more rewarding. Rep'Ralph Re9ula Linda Glass (EPA Region 5) encouraged the attendees to use the PIES in orderto keep abreast of pollution prevention opportunities and to be active in contributing materials and comments about the system. & Upcoming PPIC Publications 1. 1991 Training Opportunities Guide Soon To Be Released The second edition of EPA's Pollution Prevention Training Opportunities Guide will be available in April. As with the first issue, this publication serves two needs. First, it provides listings of publicly-sponsored workshops, courses, and conferences for persons who wish to receive training in various aspects of pollution prevention. Second, the guide provides a comprehensive list of training and waste assessment manuals, videos, and factsheets for those interested in establishing a training forum to teach others about pollution prevention concepts. To help steer you to sources of assistance, the guide contains directories of pollution prevention contacts (in the states, at EPA Headquarters, and in the EPA Regions) and descriptions of other organizations involved in pollution prevention. To receive a free copy of the guide, contact the PPIC Technical Support Office at (703) 821-4800. 2. Targeted Pollution Prevention Documents In support of the Industrial Toxics Project (also referred to as the 33/50 project), the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a study to compile and summarize available information concerning pollution prevention and recycling techniques for the seventeen (17) targeted chemicals. EPA is focusing this effort on the 12 industrial categories, as identified by the 1988 Toxic Release Inventory data, responsible for release and offsite- transfer of the largest volumes of these chemicals. Each report will provide an overview of the 4-digit SIC code categories that leads to the releases of the targeted chemicals. These reports will also characterize alternatives available to reduce the generation of wastes or to recycling of waste streams. The Office of Toxic Substances has lead responsibility on this study and is supported by several program offices: Research and Development, Pollution Prevention, Solid Waste, Water, and Air Quality Planning and Standards.The reports are being developed in coordination with PPIC data collection efforts. PPIC on the Road PPIC Vital Statistics Global Pollution Prevention '91 April 3-4 Washington, DC Seventeenth Annual Hazardous Waste April 9-11 Research Symposium Cincinnati, OH Focus on Waste Management/Pollution Prevention May IS Meriden, CT NY States 4th Annual Hazardous Waste June 11-12 Reduction Conference Albany, NY Holdings: Repository 1,491 Case Studies 476 Video library 14 State Legislation 353 Summaries (41 states) Calls: PIES lanuarv Total 1,052 8,520 PPIC Technical Support Line 185 945 RCRA/Superfund Hotline 107 309 SBO Hotline 80 470 EPA ORD and PPO Offices 137 881 User Bulletin 4 Printed on Recycled Paper ------- |