Pollution auditing

Table 17.12 Some items in a typical environmental pollution audit...

As well as providing technical controls, management must consult local legislation and conduct pollution audits. 

In addition to fulfilling the in-house requirements for quality control, state and local air monitoring networks which are collecting data for compliance purposes are required to have an external performance audit on an annual basis. Under this program, an independent organization supplies externally calibrated sources of air pollutant gases to be measured by the instrumentation undergoing audit. An audit report summarizes the performance of the instruments. If necessary, further action must be taken to eliminate any major discrepancies between the internal and external calibration results. 

Prevention versus Control Principles of pollution prevention How pollution prevention works Pollution prevention auditing Comparing P2 to control options... 

What are some pollution prevention opportunities you could focus on in an indoor air quality audit. 

All pollution prevention programs start the same - with an audit. The objective of an audit is to gather information aimed at developing a baseline description of the operations. Once we understand how much the costs of compliance to air and other pollution media are, then we can apply engineering tools and management practices to reduce these costs. 

Such sessions often help to bring to the surface those parts of the plant where suspect waste issues or pollution problems are most critical. Such areas of operations are most likely to benefit from an audit and P2 program. 

In other words, our primary focus is on waste- and pollution-reduction opportunities if these could reduce energy consumption as well, all the better. If energy usage is a particularly prominent factor, then the team should recommend a separate energy audit. 

Step 6 Write the Component Material Balances. The Phase II auditing steps define the pollutants and wastes that are among the team s focus. Its objective has always been to identify specific wastes or pollutants that the enterprise can reduce these are the components the team needs to assess in the material balances. It is important to note that once the material balance for each unit operation has been completed for raw-material inputs and waste outputs, it is necessary to repeat the procedure for each contaminant of concern. 

The following references will help you develop techniques for applying pollution prevention audits. Use the examples in Chapter 2 as a basis to tailor audit questions and to focus on areas of opportunities. Finally, Chapter 8 will help you in developing the tools needed to assess the financial attractiveness of the pollution prevention opportunities you identify. 

Process flow reduction should be targeted and must be in such a way that it will not impact upon the operation of the process or plant. The normal first response by a plant engineer is that air flow reduction cannot be done. However, subsequent investigation has resulted in that most of the time flow reduction can be done. This should be a significant area to focus on when conducting a pollution prevention audit. 

In reading over this chapter, glance back at Chapter 6. Many of the principles covered here complement the pollution prevention audit, and will assist you in developing approaches to assessing prevention versus control options. 

The characteristics of the downstream pollution discharge must be monitored (see Fig. 13.18). It is essential that the operation and maintenance of the pollution control equipment be included in a quality audit procedure, assisting in determining the operation efficiency of the equipment and the formation of unwanted and possibly toxic compounds in the pollution control steps. Unsuitable operation of an incinerator may result in partial oxidation and formation of unwanted combustion products or excessive formation of MO. 

A recent study of programs for existing facilities of several companies reveals that a pollution-prevention initiative will tend to progress in stages.9 After a training period and an audit of the wastes in the process, the first reduction efforts emphasize the simple, obvious, and most cost-effective alternatives and are generally directed at extrinsic wastes. 

Emerson Electric, a manufacturer of power tools, implemented a Waste and Energy Management Program to identify opportunities for pollution prevention. An audit resulted in the following actions5 ... 

A pollution prevention audit was carried out to reduce environmental pollution, improve working conditions, and improve efficiency. One of the results was that low concentration plating and... 

Control of pollution and waste disposal 349 Auditing 353 Legislative control 353... 

Task 2, Eco-auditing Identify specific examples of materials use, energy use, and pollution and waste reduction (any form of throughput) ... 

Periodic performance audits are required to validate the accuracy of the air-monitoring system. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requires that performance audits be conducted at least once a year for criteria pollutant analyzers operated at state and local air monitoring stations (SLAMS). The EPA recommends that each analyzer be disconnected from the monitoring station manifold and be individually connected to the audit, from which it will receive the audit gas of known concentration. The audit gas concentrations are usually generated in a van, using a gas calibrator to dilute multiblend gases with zero air. 

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