Other Environmental and Energy Impacts

Other environmental impacts include solid waste (slag, dust, etc.) and water. The facility recycles all solid wastes generated as described below. 

The gypsum produced by the alkali scrubber is sold as an agricultural supplement or soil conditioner to California farmers. It is generated at a rate of 10 tons/day and sold for 5 per ton.1 

The facility s original waste water treatment and evaporation system was too small to handle the required volume, and some wastewater had to be treated offsite.9 

One of the initial requirements made of the Modesto Project was installation of a comprehensive fire system. The large and unwieldy tire pile was surrounded by an underground sprinkler system and fire hydrants. Further, tire removal from the pile follows a carefully drafted plan to result in optimal fire lanes among the tires.1 

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This chapter describes the use of whole tires and TDF in the cement industry in five sections. First, an industry description is provided. Second, the cement production process is described, including traditional fuel use and use of both whole tires and TDF as supplemental fuel. Third, air pollution implications are discussed in detail, including emissions, control techniques, and control effectiveness. Fourth, other environmental and energy impacts are evaluated. Last, cost considerations of tire use are described. 

The assumptions that the future transition will be driven by fair market rules are somewhat at variance with the present situation. On one hand, there are hidden subsidies in many regions (e.g., to fossil and nuclear energy, where society pays for environmental and health impacts and assumes the responsibility for risk-related events), and on the other hand, monopolies and generally differences in size and power of the energy industries involved in different technologies make the actual price setting likely not to follow those prescribed by the life-cycle analysis in a fair market philosophy. 

Hydrogen and fuel cells are means to other ends. Based on the image of the future we develop here, we foresee two problems in achieving those ends. The first is our ability to capture collective benefits. This problem is not specific to FCVs. The second is how (or whether) to market collective benefits of new automotive energy systems. This may also not be specific to FCVs but does point to a need for reanalysis of the likely environmental and geopolitical impacts of both FCVs and their likely competitors. We address this in the following section. 

In this chapter we described some of the industrial aspects of ceramics. Ceramics make money. Unfortunately obtaining the raw materials can have some undesirable environmental and societal impacts. The environmental impact of nanomaterials is an issue that has not yet significantly concerned the ceramics industry because no one knows exactly what that impact is. But as the market for ceramic nanopowders and other nanostructures (such as wires and tubes) increases the environmental concerns will have to be addressed. Many of the grand challenges we face as a society, such as energy, the enviromnent, and health care, will require innovative technological solutions. Ceramics can play an important role in these areas, e.g., nuclear waste immobilization, catalytic conversion, and viral nanosensors. 

PSD requirements are applicable to 28 categories of new or modified sources which have the potential to emit more than 100 tons of pollutants per year, and all other new or modified sources which have the potential to emit more than 250 tons of pollutants per year. 16/ While new or modified sources which are subject to PSD review may not be constructed without a permit, PSD permit requirements are somewhat less stringent than Part D permit requirements. For example, facilities in PSD areas must adopt "best available control technology," (BACT) 17/ an easier standard to meet than LAER required in Part D. For BACT takes into account factors such as "energy, environmental, and economic impact and other costs" on a case-by-case basis, none of which are considered in LAER. 18/... 

Coal used in power stations has the potential to be partly replaced by fuels derived from pre-treated plastics and paper waste, reducing both dependency on fossil fuels and reliance on landfill. APME reports on a project in the Netherlands which it co-sponsored to develop a substitute fuel from plastics. The environmental assessment of the project compared the environmental impacts of coal substitution with other plastics recovery methods, including gasification in feedstock recycling and energy recovery from plastics waste in cement kilns. The study also compared coal substitution with the generation of power from burning biomass. 

TES systems can contribute to increased sustainability as they can help extend supplies of energy resources, improve costs and reduce environmental and other negative societal impacts. 

Thermodynamic principles can be used to assess, design and improve energy and other systems, and to better understand environmental impact and sustainability issues. For the broadest understanding, all thermodynamic principles must be used, not just those pertaining to energy. Thus, many researchers feel that an understanding and appreciation of exergy is essential to discussions of sustainable development. 

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