Pollution prevention identifying

Assessment Phase The assessment phase aims to collect data needed to identify and analyze pollution-prevention opportunities. Assessment of the facility s waste-reduction needs includes the examination of hazardous waste streams, process operations, and the identification of techniques that often promise the reduction of waste generation. Information is often derived from obsei vations made during a facihty walk-through, interviews with employees (e.g., operators, line workers), and review of site or regulatory records. One professional organization suggests the following information sources be reviewed, as available (Ref. 7) ... 

Sources of Information The successful development and implementation of any pollution prevention program is not only dependent on a thorough understanding of the facility s operations but also reqmres an intimate knowledge of current opportunities and advances in the field. In fact, 32 percent of industry respondents to an EPA sui vey identified the lack of technical information as a major factor delaying or preventing the implementation of a waste-... 

The conservation of mass law finds a major application during the performance of pollution-prevention assessments. As described earlier, a pollution-prevention assessment is a systematic, planned procedure with the objective of identifying methods to reduce or ehminate waste. The assessment process should characterize the selected waste streams and processes (Ref. 11)—a necessaiy ingredient if a material balance is to be performed. Some of the data required for the material balance calciilation may be collected during the first review of site-specific data however, in some instances, the information may not be collected until an actual site walk-through is performed. 

The purpose of this subsection is to outhne the basic elements of a pollution-prevention cost-accounting system that incorporates both traditional and less tangible economic variables. The intent is not to present a detailed discussion of economic analysis but to help identify the more important elements that must be considered to properly quantify pollution-prevention options. 

Based on the above three areas of potential concern, a plethora of waste reduction ac tivities can be performed at home or in an office environment. One can easily note the similarities between these activities and those pollution-prevention activities performed in industry. The following few exampes are identified by categoiy according to this notation (Ref. 21) ... 

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. 

Implementation Phase the step in a pollution prevention assessment where procedures, training, and equipment changes are put into action to reduce waste. IMPROVE Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments, a collaborative monitoring program to establish present visibility levels and trends, and to identify sources of man-made impairment. 

At the end of the book is a glossary containing several hundred terms commonly used in pollution prevention and control practices. You can rely on the glossary for terms not identified in the text discussions, and as a general reference. 

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 ... 

The Pollution Prevention Act of 199027 requires facilities to report information about the management of Toxic Relief Inventory (TRI) chemicals in waste and efforts made to eliminate or reduce those quantities. The data summarized in Table 3.38 cover a four-year period and is meant to provide a basic understanding of the quantities of waste handled by the industry, the methods typically used to manage this waste, and recent trends in these methods.1 TRI waste management data can be used to assess trends in source reduction within individual industries and facilities, and for specific TRI chemicals. This information could then be used as a tool in identifying opportunities for pollution prevention compliance assistance activities. 

Several options have been identified that refineries can undertake to reduce pollution pollution prevention options, recycling options, and waste treatment options. Furthermore, pollution prevention options are often presented in four... 

Pollution prevention has become a hot topic in the last few years and it is being touted as a way of achieving sustainable development. A methodology should encourage agencies to use less hazardous products and to minimize the number of products to keep in inventory. Additionally, the method may be used to identify safer household products (Quan, 1996). 

This study identifies and examines source reduction, recycling, and treatment strategies for reducing California s metal-bearing waste streams. All of the strategies examined are alternatives to land disposal of the wastes. The methodologies stressed in the report are those that prevent the generation of hazardous wastes. Pollution prevention is preferable to "end-of-the-pipe treatment or recovery. 

ORD has defined six fundamental goals for the its pollution prevention research program. These goals build upon existing ORD pollution prevention efforts, and broaden the research scope to enable the Agency to identify, develop, demonstrate, and transfer effective pollution prevention technologies and techniques. These goals are to ... 

Identify and promote the implementation of effective non-technological approaches to pollution prevention. This research area includes socioeconomic and institutional factors that motivate behavior and foster changes in behavior as they relate to incentives for adopting pollution prevention techniques. Research is needed to understand the roles of non-technological factors in implementing pollution prevention approaches and their impact on the effectiveness of pollution prevention programs. 

The best pollution prevention options cannot be implemented unless these are identified. To uncover the best options, each waste stream analysis should follow four steps ... 

Identify the compounds triggering the concern, for example, compounds regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and carcinogenic compounds. Determine the sources of these compounds within the process. Then develop pollution prevention options to minimize or eliminate the generation of these compounds. 

Identify the highest volume materials (often these are diluents, such as water, air, a carrier gas, or a solvent) because these materials or diluents often control the investment and operating costs associated with end-of-pipe treatment of the waste streams. Determine the sources of these diluents within the process. Then develop pollution prevention options to reduce the volume. 

During laboratory studies, reaction chemistry is confirmed, waste streams are characterized, process variables are tested, pollution prevention options are identified, data are collected for the pilot plant and process design, and the potential impact of environmental regulations is determined. 

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