Waste-Generating Operations

Typical Sequential Metal Product Operations Generating Hazardous Metal Wastes 

Foundry Activities (Casting) Surface Surface Treatment Process Chemical Coaling 

Waste Minimization Issues and Options. Volume 2. Appendix B Process Studies. Prepared by Jacobs Engineering Group for USEPA, Office of Solid Waste, Waste Treatment Branch. EPA/530-SW-86-042. 

Wapora, Inc. 1975. Assesment of Industrial Hazardous Waste Practices. Paint and Applied Product Industry. Contract Solvent Reclaiming Operations, and Factory Application of Coatings. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA-530-SW-119C. 

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The waste audit program is Intended to provide assistance to California s small quantity generators of hazardous waste. This is accomplished by issuing contracts to evaluate waate reduction opportunities in industries typically comprised of small to medium businesses. Waste-generating operations are studied to identify potentials for reducing waste, recycling or recovering resources, or alternative treatment measures. The economic feasibilities of the various alternatives are analyzed, and the study results are compiled in a final waste audit report. 

Small and medium sized businesses or even large businesses with only a few waste-generating operations should attempt to assess their entire facility. It is also benefici to look at an entire facility where there are a large number of similar operations. Similarly, the implementation of good operating practices that involve procedural or organisational measures should be implemented on a facility-wide basis, such as employee awareness programmes, inventory or maintenance procedures. 

Information about the facility s waste streams can come from a variety of sources, such as hazardous waste manifests, biennial reports, environmental audits, emission inventories, waste assays, and permits. Mass balances should be developed for each of the important waste-generating operations to identify sources and gain a better understanding of the wastes origins. 

Ideally, assessments should be conducted on all of the waste-generating operations in a plant. However, in larger plants this often... 

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) ... 

Managerial information environmental policies and procedures prioritization of waste-management concerns automated or computerized waste-management systems inventory and distribution procedures maintenance schediiling practices planned modifications or revisions to existing operations that would impact waste-generation activities and the basis of source reduction decisions and policies... 

A systematic program should he undertaken to examine all sources of waste production and to develop alternative operations and processes to reduce waste generation. 

Can they provide a list of solid wastes generated from operations within the past year ... 

As a fuel, municipal solid waste (MSW) does not compare too favorably with more traditional solid fuels, such as coal. M.SW averages somewhere around 4500 Btu/lb, versus coal at 10,500-13,000 Btu/lb. Flowever, given the current U.S. population of 250 million and the annual generation of waste per person of fifteen hundred pounds, the potential energy content in the annual waste generated in the U.S. alone is comparable to nearly seventy million tons of coal and has the potential to generate over 13,000 MW of electrical power. As of a published report in 1993, 128 facilities were actually in operation, with an additional... 

Most nonexempt nonacute hazardous waste generated on location is considered a small quantity. In this case, the waste may remain on location for 90 days. At that time, a Department of Transportation licensed motor carrier must transfer the waste to a EPA certified TSDF for disposal. Appropriate documentation and packaging must be conformed to. The operator continues to be liable for the waste as denoted by the cradle to grave concept [233],... 

Primary waste generation is small because of the high density nature of the fused salt operations. Nearly all primary waste residues show excellent potential for recycle. (The present main processing sequence for plutonium does not include significant reagent and residue recycle). 

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