National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP)
Bulletin
Spring, 2006
Welcome to the latest edition of
the NPEP Bulletin. The NPEP
Bulletin will be delivered to you quarterly
and Waste Minimization news and events.
Each issue will have a different theme.
This Issue: Greening Facility
Management. We distribute the Bulletin
electronically in order to minimize waste,
conserve resources, and promote the
"Paperless Office."
Join NPEP Todav
Interested in Waste Min? Want to improve
your bottom line while helping the
environment? NPEP encourages public
partnerships with EPA to reduce the use
and or release of any of 31 Priority
Chemicals (PCs). Enroll today:
www.epa.gov/minimize/partnership.htm
Read more about PCs at
www. epa.gov/minimize/chemlist. htm
^Information Exchange
Contact the editors with your questions,
events, articles, ideas, comments, and
suggestions. We want to hear from you.
Send us your thoughts and contributions
today via email or our comments and
questions form at
www.epa.gov/minimize/contactus.htm
Uncomins Events:
June 20-23: 99 Air and Waste
Management Association Annual
Conference and Exhibition
June 27 - 30: EPA 2006 Community
Involvement Conference and Training
August 6-9: Energy 2006
August 611: Mercury 2006.
Conference on Mercury as a Global
Pollutant
Send us your event today. Visit the
Waste Min Calendar at
www.epa.gov/minimize/calendar.htm
Disclaimer: The mention of any company,
product, or process in this publication does
not constitute or imply endorsement by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agencv.
NPEP Welcomes Facility Management Companies
Jim Berlow, Director, Hazardous
Waste Minimization and
Management Division, presents
enrollment plaque to William A.
Rodgers, Jr., President and CEO of
EMCOR Facilities Services, Inc.
NPEP recently welcomed two facility management companies committed to
reducing mercury. EMCOR Facilities Services, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is
developing a comprehensive mercury recycling program for 15 of the 250
facilities they manage in the B.C. area. Mercury-containing devices,
including thermostats and spent lamps, will be recycled. In addition, facility
representatives and owners will be educated about mercury-containing
products and how to manage them. Dave Downey, Director of Operations,
notes that while many of the facilities operate on tight budgets, "So far we
have been fairly successful educating them to fund these programs."
On March 10, Jim Berlow, Director, Hazardous Waste Minimization and
Management Division, presented an enrollment plaque to William A.
Rodgers, Jr., President and CEO of EMCOR Facilities Services, Inc., at a
ceremony held during their national meeting in Arlington.
In April, NPEP welcomed a second facility management company found in
Region 3. Trammell Crow Company, Washington, D.C., is also developing a
comprehensive mercury recycling program for the 270 facilities they manage.
Mercury-containing devices, including thermostats and spent lamps, will be
recycled and tenants, vendors, and contractors will be educated about
mercury-containing products and how to manage them.
See related mercury story, page 2.
Waste Min News
Lean Toolkit available.
Get your Lean and Environment Toolkit
now at www.epa.gov/lean/toolkit
National Priority Chemical Trends
Report Available Online.
Read summary pages or download the
Trends Report now at
www.epa.gov/minimize/trends.htm
Volume 1
NPEP Bulletin page 1
Issue 4
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New Partner Spotlight
Region 1
Partner: M/A-COM, Inc.
Location: Lowell, Massachusetts
Targeted Chemicals: Lead, Chromium
Region 2
Partner: Anderson Instrument
Company
Location: Fultonville, New York
Targeted Chemical: Mercury
Partner: Caribe General Electric
Location: Anasco, Puerto Rico
Targeted Chemical: Lead
Partner: Carribean Electroplating, Inc.
Location: Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Targeted Chemical: Lead
Region 3
Partner: EMCOR Facilities Services,
Inc.
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Targeted Chemical: Mercury
Partner: Sony Electronics Inc.
Location: Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Targeted Chemical: Lead
Partner: St. Luke's Hospital
Location: Bluefield, West Virginia
Targeted Chemical: Mercury
Partner: Trammell Crow Company
Location: Washington, D.C.
Targeted Chemical: Mercury
Region 4
Partner: Modine Manufacturing
Company
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Targeted Chemical: Lead
Region 5
Partner: Federal-Mogul
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targeted Chemical: Lead
Region 6
Partner: Precoat Metals division Sequa
Coatings Corporation
Location: Houston, Texas
Targeted Chemical: Naphthalene
Read about all of our NPEP partners:
www.epa.gov/minimize/partners.htm
Removing Mercury-Containing
Equipment from Your Facility
NPEP's Mercury Challenge promotes
the voluntary, systematic elimination of
mercury-containing equipment from
industrial sites. Mercury is a highly toxic
chemical and is one of 31 Priority
Chemicals (PCs) EPA has targeted for
reduction. Whether you take the
Mercury Challenge or not, removing
mercury-containing equipment from
your facility is a good way to protect the
environment and your employees. Many
NPEP partners, including Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Consumers
Energy, Sentara: Williamsburg
Community Hospital, and U.S. Postal
Service: Northeast Area are engaged in
waste min projects to remove or recycle
mercury-containing equipment.
NPEP partner Bowling Green State
University (BGSU) operates an
elemental mercury collection and
reclamation program, collecting and
recycling mercury and mercury-
containing devices. Dave Heinlen,
Safety and Health coordinator, invites
other NPEP partners to contact him
about sending mercury/mercury-
containing equipment to the collection
center. Visit the collection center
website at
bgsu. edu/offices/envhs/mercury. htm
and call Dave at (419) 372-2173.
The Postal Service (USPS) has
established contracts to recycle mercury-
bearing fluorescent bulbs. As part of its
efforts, USPS developed new containers
that reduce bulb breakage. USPS has
won three Governor's Awards for this
project. Terry Grover, Environmental
Compliance Specialist, reports that
finding a vendor to recycle the bulbs was
easy because of his past experience.
Terry advises, "Contact NEWMOA if
you don't have a vendor in mind." You
can visit NEWMOA, the Northeast
Waste Management Officials
Association, atwww.newmoa.org
Brookhaven National Lab (BNL), a
Department of Energy research
laboratory, has focused on mercury
reduction for the past four years and has
eliminated about 185 pounds, including
over 450 thermometers. George Goode,
Manager, Environmental and Waste
Management Division, states that
although thermometers may seem
innocuous, they are often used near
laboratory sinks and, if broken, the
mercury can find a pathway to the
environment. George adds that the lab
used to experience one or two expensive
and disruptive mercury spills a year but
now it has been more than a year since
the last spill. The cost of BNL's
mercury reduction project is small
compared to the costs of environmental
remediation that can result from mercury
contamination. BNL recently completed
a major remediation of the Peconic
River, contaminated with mercury from
past practices. The site now has an ISO
14001 Environmental Management
System (EMS), implementing proactive
environmental improvements to prevent
future impacts.
Removing mercury-containing
equipment from your facility is simple.
First, identify the equipment. Next,
dispose of it safely through an approved
recycler and replace it with mercury-free
alternatives. Finally, avoid purchasing
new mercury-containing equipment.
Following are some types of mercury-
containing equipment you may find at
your facility.
Aquastats, Pressurestats, and Firestats
Barometers
Batteries
Counterweights
DC Watt-Hour Meters
Flame Sensors
Gas Regulators
Lamps/Bulbs
Manometers and Vaccuum Guages
Permeters
Ring Balances
Switches and Relays
Following are some mercury-free
alternatives for your switches, relays and
thermostats.
Digital, Hybrid, and Light Sensing
Heat Thermostats
Hard Contact, Open Contact
Magnetic Snap, Sealed Magnetic
Snap, and Steel Ball Switches
Non-Mercury Mechanical and Solid
State Relays
Photoelectric sensors
Nontoxic Liquid Metal Alloys
Mercury Challenge:
www.epa.gov/minimize/mercchall.htm
Mercury and Removing Mercury:
www. epa.gov/mercury
EMS: www.epa.gov/ems
NPEP Bulletin page 2
Issue 4
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Recycling Nickel -
Cadmium Batteries
Cadmium and cadmium compounds
comprise up to 50 percent of the weight
of a nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery.
Cadmium, an extremely toxic metal, is
one of 31 Priority Chemicals (PCs) EPA
has targeted for reduction. Because
cadmium is so toxic, it is essential to
recycle all Ni-Cd batteries.
Start your battery recycling program by
visiting the Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Corporation (RBRC) at
www.rbrc.org . RBRC is a non-profit
public service organization dedicated to
recycling used rechargeable batteries and
old cell phones. It offers recycling plans
for businesses, public agencies, retailers,
and communities. RBRC provides
collection materials and pays recycling
costs.
Two NPEP partners, International Truck
and Engine Corporation and Smart
Modular Technologies, recycle their Ni-
Cd batteries. International sends theirs
to RBRC. Terri Sexton, Regional
Environmental Coordinator, reports that
this service is free except for shipping if
you sort the batteries yourself. Terri
adds that she likes this service because,
"It cuts out the middleman. Instead of
shipping the batteries to a waste vendor,
we ship them directly to the recycling
vendor. We're also saving money and
we don't have to report the batteries as
hazardous waste anymore."
International saves about 85 cents a
pound by recycling their Ni-Cd batteries.
In addition to recycling your Ni-Cd
batteries, here are some steps you can
take to reduce battery waste:
Replace Ni-Cd batteries with
rechargeable alkaline, nickel-metal
hydride, or lithium-ion batteries.
Alkaline batteries are not considered
hazardous waste. Nickel-metal hydride
and lithium-ion batteries are less toxic
and last longer than Ni-Cd batteries. All
three types can also be recycled.
Turn off battery-powered equipment
when not in use.
Remove batteries from equipment if
it will not be used for extended periods.
Purchase only the number of
batteries you know you will need during
the next six months.
Get the
Lead Out
Tire weights are clipped to the wheel
rims of every automobile in the U.S. in
order to balance the tires. Most tire
weights are 95% lead. Lead is a highly
toxic chemical and, is one of 31 Priority
Chemicals (PCs) EPA has targeted for
reduction. Tire weights often fall off
and rapidly degrade into airborne dust,
contaminating soil and groundwater with
lead. Sometimes people use lead tire
weights to make fishing sinkers and
bullets, etc. Every year in the U.S.,
about 50 million pounds of lead is used
to manufacture lead tire weights and
over 5,000 tons of lead tire weights ends
up on our roads.
Lead is not essential for properly
functioning tire weights, so the solution
to this problem is simple: replace leaded
tire weights with lead-free alternatives.
The most viable options include steel,
zinc, and ZAMA (an alloy of zinc,
aluminum, and copper).
Paul Grigsby, Lead Transportation
Specialist in EPA's Office of
Administrative Services, recently
oversaw the retrofitting of EPA's
Headquarters fleet with zinc tire weights.
He reports that the weights cost one
dollar each and that two vendors were
employed, the weight manufacturer and
a service vendor who replaced the
weights. Thirteen vehicles were fitted
with new weights at a cost of $80 each.
It took two weeks to replace the weights
without disrupting vehicle service. Paul
says that when you compare the cost to
the environmental impact of the project,
it was worth it. He adds, "If we could
get the entire federal government to do
this, the environmental benefit would be
huge."
Currently, lead-free weights are only
available from manufacturers. Visit
www.leadfreewheels.org for more
information.
Read more about lead at
www.epa.gov/minimize/chemlist.htm
Read more about lead tire weights at
www. epa.gov/minimize/leadtire. htm
GM Partners with School
District in CMS/RM Pilot
Throughout the U.S., K-12 school
districts struggle to find cost-effective,
long-term, comprehensive solutions to
their chemical and waste management
problems. Inspired by industry's success
with the servicizing models Chemical
Management Services (CMS) and
Resource Management (RM), EPA
recently supported a revolutionary pilot
program combining CMS and RM to
improve chemical and waste
management in K-12 schools.
The servicizing approach changes the
relationship between a customer and
supplier from one where profit is based
on quantity of product sold to one based
on quality of services provided. When
General Motors learned that EPA
wanted to test the servicizing approach
in a school district, they stepped forward
with a willing candidate, the Lansing
School District in Michigan. The goal
was to use the suppliers and their
expertise to improve chemical and waste
management without placing additional
burdens on teachers and other school
personnel. GM has extensive experience
with the servicizing model and was able
to offer technical assistance. GM's
support was a critical part of this
successful pilot that led to the first
CMS/RM contract ever issued and also
stimulated service provider interest in
the K-12 school sector market.
We encourage other organizations
familiar with the servicizing approach to
partner with school districts in their
community. A step-by-step workbook
based on the Lansing Public School
District CMS/RM Pilot is being created
to assist interested organizations. By
offering your support and /or technical
expertise, you can help a local school
implement a program that creates a
healthier school environment and
contributes to enhanced learning while
reducing costs. To learn more about this
effort, contact Priscilla Halloran at
halloran.priscilla@epa.gov or (703) 308-
8802.
Read more about CMS at
www.epa.gov/minimize/cms. htm
Read more about RM at
www. epa.gov/wastewise/wrr/rm. htm
Volume 1
NPEP Bulletin page 3
Issue 4
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More Ways to Green Your Facility
Buy Recycled:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure
Coal Combustion Products
Partnership (C2P2): www.epa.gov/c2p2
eCycling: -www.epa.gov/ecycling
Environmentally Preferred
Purchasing: www.epa.gov/epp
Green Buildings:
www. epa.gov/greenbuilding
Green Landscaping:
www. epa.gov/GreenScapes
Green Suppliers Network:
www.greensuppliers.gov
Hazardous Waste Recycling:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycl
e/hazrecyc.htm
Product Stewardship:
www. epa.gov/epr
Recyclable Commodities and Waste
Exchanges: www.epa.gov/jtr
Voluntary Partnership Programs:
www. epa.gov/partners2
WasteWise: www.epa.gov/wastewise
EPA Achieves 100% Green Power
at Headquarters Facilities
Green power is energy generated from
renewable sources such as wind and
landfill gas. Using green power results
in few to zero emissions. EPA recently
achieved 100% green power for its
headquarters facilities and is now the
highest percentage green power user
among all major federal agencies.
This success is the culmination of a
multi-year effort involving several
purchases of Renewable Energy
Certificates, also known as Green Tags.
These certificates are tradable and allow
EPA to completely offset its estimated
headquarters electrical power needs.
The green power associated with EPA's
most recent Green Tags purchase was
generated from new wind power
facilities located in Nebraska, Wyoming,
Minnesota, and Oklahoma.
Nationally, EPA offsets approximately
88% of its electrical consumption
through similar green power purchases.
To learn more about green power and
Green Power Partnerships, visit
www. epa.gov/greenpower
NPEP Partner
Update
Federal Mogul,
Boyertown, Accepted to
Performance Track Program
Federal-Mogul (Boyertown, PA) has
been an NPEP partner since July, 2004
and received an NPEP Achievement
Award in October for eliminating 19,000
pounds of lead by changing to a non-
leaded solder in its manufacturing
process. Federal-Mogul recently joined
EPA's National Environmental
Performance Track Program and has
committed to four environmental
improvements over the next three years,
including reducing hazardous waste
generation and the amount of hazardous
materials used.
Performance Track is a voluntary
partnership program that acknowledges
top environmental performance. Being
an NPEP partner is a solid first step
toward Performance Track membership.
The new National Challenge
Commitment to reduce priority
chemicals offers NPEP partners the
potential benefit of considering their
pledges to reduce priority chemicals as
satisfying two of the four commitments
necessary to join Performance Track.
Visit Performance Track at
www.epa.gov/performancetrack
NPEP Mercury Successes
To date, twenty-six NPEP partners have
achieved their enrollment goals. Our
latest success stories come from
Anderson Instrument Company, Inc.,
and Consumers Energy. Anderson, in
Fultonville, New York, has completely
ceased production of mercury in glass
thermometers, eliminating 500 pounds
of mercury from its production process.
Consumers Energy is a combination
natural gas and electricity utility
headquartered in Jackson, Michigan.
Consumers eliminated 103 pounds of
mercury at their facilities by reducing
both elemental mercury and mercury-
containing equipment. Consumers plans
similar reductions in the future.
Director's Corner
National
'art nar ship
lor
Environmental
Priorities
Jim Berlow,
Director, Hazardous Waste Minimization
and Management Division
We all work in facilities that produce
waste. Even small amounts of
hazardous chemicals can be toxic to us
and our environment. When we add the
waste our facilities produce together, the
total volume can be significant.
Every hazardous chemical volume
presents an opportunity for reduction.
We can achieve those reductions through
environmentally preferred purchasing
and proven waste management and
waste minimization techniques.
We applaud our new facility
management partners for joining NPEP
and committing to reduce the presence
of hazardous chemicals in the buildings
they manage. Their membership
reminds us that priority chemical
reductions can be achieved through
many diverse activities, from simply
recycling a spent light bulb to
redesigning a production process.
I would like to challenge you to explore
the articles in this issue and identify
ways your facility can achieve hazardous
chemical reductions. It's healthy for
your employees, your community and
the environment. And, it's almost
always good for your bottom line.
Contact Us to Subscribe to the
NPEP Bulletin:
www.epa.gov/minimize/contactus. htm
Visit the National Waste
Minimization website today.
www. epa.gov/wastemin
Contact the Editors:
Linda Malcolm, 301-865-1454
malcolm.linda@epa.gov
Christine Guitar, 703-308-0017
guitar.christine@epa.gov
EPA530-N-06-002
Volume 1
NPEP Bulletin page 4
Issue 4
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