Pollution Prevention Internship Program
1999 Intern Projects
Compiled by Richard J. Reese, Program Coordinator
with program coordination and assistance by Jim Janssen and Brian Rodely
Intern: Karen Hounsokou
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
The Village of Addison operates two publicly owned treatment work (POTW) facilities
with a total of 20 employees. The two facilities treat 6 millions gallons of
water per day.
Thirty percent of the POTW influent is from industrial sources. Since the plant
is very sensitive to fluctuations in the metal concentration of its effluent,
the sanitary district’s goal was to reduce the amount of metals coming into
the system. The goal of the intern was to help the POTW provide P2 technical
assistance to two targeted industry sectors, the printed circuit board industry
and the metal finishing industry.
Results:
The intern made site visits to five facilities that included:
- A resin generation plant was having high zinc discharges. Its separation
plant was not effectively removing metals from the attached resin particles
due to insufficient residence time. By implementing a new operating procedure,
the metal content of each batch could be more closely monitored before discharging
into the POTW.
- One metal finishing company was hauling off approximately 3,000 gallons
per month of a phosphoric and sulfuric acid cleaning bath solution from one
of its plating lines. The intern recommended that the facility purchase a
diffusion dialysis process that would selectively remove the metal ions from
the bath solution, thereby reducing the frequency of bath clean-out. This
unit has the potential to save the facility $30,000 per year on waste acid
disposal.
- A printed circuit board company was interested in operating its electrowinning
copper recovery unit at a lower cost. The intern advised the company to increase
the concentration of the solution and to purchase high surface-area electrodes.
By the use of either atmospheric or vacuum evaporators, the facility has the
potential to reduce its volume of liquid waste streams.
- One electropolishing shop that manufactures surgical needles had no major
wastewater pollutants. But a manual operation to dump rinsewater process sludge
could be replaced with an automatic clarification unit to collect the sludge
as it is produced. This would keep the process bath and heaters at optimum
performance.
- A nickel plater with no treatment system was encouraged to investigate the
purchase and installation of a resin exchange system followed by a pH adjustment
unit.
Intern: Meng-Hui Lai
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
The Argus Press, located in Niles, is a full-service graphics communication
firm. The plant is housed in a 56,000 square foot facility and has 110 employees.
Argus Press joined the Master Graphics company in September of 1997. This firm
is designated as an "Illinois Great Printer" and has an active pollution
prevention program. The intern conducted an environmental waste assessment and
identified additional P2 opportunities to reduce waste streams at the facility.
Results:
It was determined that by baling recyclable papers from the offices, pressroom
and bindery room, an additional $10,000 per year could be earned over the current
collection method. The facility intends to install a new automated baling system
that will be paid for using the increased revenues from the recycling improvements.
Waste segregation and recycling options were identified for photographic films,
plastics, aluminum plates (from the prepress and pressroom), cardboard, and
scrap paper.
A chemical inventory was performed and MSDS sheets were updated to better document
chemicals used at the facility.
Intern: Carlos Claros
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Located in Calumet City, Ashland Specialty Chemical Company produces acrylic
and phenolic resins. These resins are used in such industrial and domestic applications
as adhesives and specialty polymers.
The process vessels used for manufacturing acrylic resin are cleaned with solvents
after batch processing creating a spent solvent wash. This solvent wash is reused
for a set number of cleanings before it is sent off-site for disposal as a fuel
blend. Approximately 85,000 pounds of spent solvent wash is generated every
month. The intern investigated technologies to reclaim the spent wash solvent
and also to reduce waste streams in the material handling operations.
Results:
The intern conducted a technical and economical feasibility study for on-site
reclamation of spent wash solvent. It was recommended that a wiped film evaporator
or a plate evaporator could be used for solvent recovery. This technique has
the potential to save $200,000 or more per year.
The intern also identified procedures for increasing employee awareness of
hazardous waste minimization methods.
The intern concluded that the amount of waste generated by the material handling
operations averages about 19,000 pounds per month, with tanker truck loading
identified as the main source of waste generation. Further assessments need
to be conducted in this area.
Intern: Syed Ali
University of Illinois at Chicago
Caterpillar’s Track–Type Tractor Division (TTTD) is the largest tractor manufacturing
facility in the world. The facility is situated on 700 acres in East Peoria
with 3.9 million square feet of manufacturing space. Caterpillar manufactures
earthmoving track-type tractors ranging from 70 to 850 horsepower with the largest
having a blade capacity of 57 cubic yards.
The goal of the student intern was to reduce or eliminate Toxic Release Inventory
(TRI) chemicals.
Results:
The intern worked on several projects that collectively have the potential
to reduce TRI chemicals by as much as 31.5 tons. The projects could also reduce
the number of reportable TRI chemicals used at the facility from fourteen to
nine. These projects included the following:
A new formulation for the facility’s electrostatic paint was identified that
contained no butyl cellosolve, a TRI chemical and a hazardous air pollutant.
This would save the company $6,900 per year in chemical costs, cause one less
report form to be filed, and result in an eight ton reduction in reportable
TRI releases.
Material Safety Data Sheets for coolants used at the facility were analyzed.
The intern discovered that all coolants had already been reformulated to eliminate
the use of diethanolamine. This would result in one less report form to be filed
and result in a TRI reduction of six tons annually.
Alternatives were suggested for applications of sodium nitrite, methyl isobutyl
ketone, and glycol ethers totaling 17.5 tons per year of reportable TRI chemicals.
These alternatives are pending further testing and qualitative analysis prior
to implementation.
Intern: Laura Terdy
University of Illinois, Chicago
The City of Crystal Lake, a suburb northwest of Chicago, relies on eleven groundwater
wells for its drinking water. In 1995, trace amounts of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) were detected in three of these wells. The discovery of the VOCs prompted
the city to work on the development of a wellhead protection ordinance that
has not been enacted to date. The goal of the internship was to assist industries
in recognizing and reducing the threat of further contamination of the drinking
water supply through pollution prevention.
Results:
Four industrial facilities were visited for on-site technical assistance. Three
shops were very small and were not a major concern. The following recommendations
were provided to a local decal print shop which allowed the student to perform
a comprehensive waste assessment of its facility:
Acetone was suggested as a replacement for isopropyl alcohol to clean the initial
screens.
Employees should be required to keep lids on ink containers to reduce VOC evaporative
emissions.
All mercury bulbs should be replaced. Since fluorescent bulbs have a ten-year
life span and are non-hazardous, they should be considered as a replacement.
Recycle all adhesive backed vinyl.
Install a reclaim wastewater unit to help decrease suspended solids, biological
oxygen demands, and actual water and chemical consumption.
Intern: Brian Hahn
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Dixline Corporation is a metal fabrication and finishing company that primarily
produces decorative and functional burial casket hardware. Established in 1924,
Dixline is the largest employer in the city of Galva, employing over 100 people.
The goal of the intern was to research packaging alternatives to minimize the
generation of cardboard waste and investigate the die casting processes to reduce
material losses.
Results:
Returnable plastic containers were proposed for shipping products to the facility’s
largest customer, which on average used each cardboard box twice. A plastic
returnable container could be utilized up to fifty times. This would result
in saving $36,000 per year with a 1.9 year payback period on the initial investment
for the reusable containers. By implementing this project across the board for
all outgoing customer shipments, the facility would save an estimated $113,000
annually and eliminate its cardboard waste stream.
A diecast bath guard was designed and installed to fit in between one of the
facility’s diecast machines and cooling bath. The guard would eliminate the
loss of castings, tools, cooling water and downtime needed to remove the tank
during maintenance of the cooling bath.
Intern: Brian Langkan
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Eli Bridge Company has been in the business of manufacturing amusement park
rides since 1900. Currently it manufactures the Ferris Wheel, the Scrambler,
and a new ride for tots called the Construction Zone. The intern was assigned
to perform an energy efficiency assesment at the facility and investigate a
material substitute for sandblasting.
Results:
The intern designed an alternative heating system for use within the manufacturing
areas of the building. The new system would make use of a more efficient method
of infrared radiant heating as opposed to the company's present use of steam
to heat the air. This alternative heating system is estimated to save approximately
$7,600 a year in natural gas bills.
The intern developed a program to use the company's lighting fixtures more
efficiently. By cutting the power leads on unused ballasts and switching to
energy saving light bulbs, the facility, could save approximately $220 per year.
By repairing all leaks in the compressed air lines and by converting the secondary
compressor to the main compressor, approximately $1,200 could be saved annually
in energy costs.
Guidelines were developed for the company for the use of its electrostatic
precipitators that would improve collection efficiencies to at least 97%.
Presently, silica sand is utilized in the facility’s sandblasting area. Almost
11,000 pounds of waste silica sand is disposed of as a hazardous waste each
year. An alternative sandblasting material, garnet, was proposed. Garnet could
be recycled and reused at least ten times and result in savings of $200 per
year in disposal costs.
Intern: Aysun Cakan
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Founded in 1989, Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals, Inc. is a division of Fuji
Film. This Rolling Meadow facility sits on an eight-acre plant site, employs
about 200 people, and manufactures chemicals for the photo-processing and printing
industry. In 1997, this facility was registered as an ISO 14001 certified facility.
The intern focused on two primary projects. One project addressed powder waste
that is generated during the product mixing and filling process. The other project
focused on wastewater that is generated from a single pass cooling operation.
Results:
In the powder packing area, several different chemicals are vacuum-packed in
layers to prevent reactivity prior to customer mixing. Screening powders at
critical points of the collection system was suggested prior to mixing all fugitive
powders that are captured by filter bags. Critical powder collections allow
captured powder to be directly reused with virgin material. Reusing the powder
could result in a powder waste reduction over 15 tons per year and annual savings
of approximately $29,000.
Average cooling water consumption for the facility was determined to be 11,000
gallons per day with an annual usage of 5 million gallons. The intern determined
that reusing cooling water currently discharged after a single pass through
reactor cooling jackets could reduce water usage. Spent cooling water was proposed
for storage and used for process cleaning to reduce wastewater generation by
4 million gallons. The cost savings were estimated to be $16,000 annually.
Intern: Danny McLaughlin
Bradley University
The Illinois State Fabricare Association (ISFA) is the Illinois affiliate of
the International Fabricare Association headquartered in Joliet. ISFA has represented
drycleaners for over 84 years. Drycleaners are faced with a myriad of rules
and regulations that can and do vary at the county and local levels. The intern
assisted the ISFA in researching all existing federal, state, and local ordinances
and regulations including emergency planning committees and other regulatory
groups pertaining to the drycleaning community.
The ISFA believes that making a regulatory database available to its constituents
would promote greater compliance and pollution prevention (P2) by the drycleaning
industry.
Results:
The intern developed a mass mailing survey that went out to all municipal clerks
in the state inquiring as to what local requirements exist for drycleaners.
All responses were compiled into a database and indexed by town name and zip
code for quick reference. This database will also be used to establish compliance
criteria for ISFA’s newly established Illinois Drycleaner Star Recognition Program.
This program was developed to identify and to reward drycleaners who are willing
to go further than just compliance and who are actively involved in P2.
The intern was able to compile information on P2 techniques for the industry,
including energy conservation, solvent use reduction, leak detection and repair
programs, spill/leak prevention devices, newer technologies for current solvents
and alternatives to traditional solvents such as water-based wet cleaning and
CO2 solvent drycleaning machines.
Intern: Amadou Cisse
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Located at the John A. Logan College in Carterville, the Procurement Technical
Assistance Center (PTAC) helps small businesses obtain federal government contracts.
This center serves the seventeen southernmost counties of Illinois. An intern
was placed at PTAC to offer pollution prevention (P2) assistance to its clients.
Results:
The intern conducted P2 assessments and follow-up consultation at six small
businesses. These facilities included a screen-printer, sandblaster, metal welder,
fiberglass fabricator, manufacturer of connectors, and drill manufacturer. Recommendations
included:
- The intern identified several P2 projects for the screen printer including
a screen reclamation system using high-pressure washers without volatile solvents,
cleaner bath reuse, silver recovery units, and prolonged ink shelf-life practices.
- The sandblaster uses bottom ash to sandblast various equipment and steel
structures. The intern recommended that a solidification/vitrification process
be used to convert the waste bottom ash into a marketable product. The process
is quite expensive and would require a large investment.
- It was proposed that the fiberglass fabricator consider an industrial chopper
or grinding machine to reuse waste fiberglass and also convert to an alternative
cleaning solvent. A list of possible contacts for the industrial grinders
and potential solvent alternatives were given to the client.
Intern: Robin Holmberg
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Matsushita Universal Media Services manufactures and packages audio compact
discs. This facility replicated over 70 million compact discs during 1998 and
employs over 700 personnel. An intern was placed to investigate ways to reduce
approximately 42.5 tons of polycarbonate scrap sent off-site for disposal in
1998. The scrap was generated from disc moldings not meeting specifications
and disc cutouts from the center of each disc (sprues).
Results:
The intern proposed the use of an in-house system to grind and re-pelletize
the scrap. Implementation of this system could save over $85,000 per year. The
capital investment payback period would be less than eight months.
Intern: Job Daniel Guzman
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
McWhorter Technologies manufactures resins used in the paint and coatings industry.
Its main facility is located in Carpentersville, west of Chicago. A significant
amount of wastewater is generated during resin production at the facility. The
intern investigated potential methods for reuse of the wastewater onsite.
Results:
Upon analysis, 30% of the wastewater is generated from evaporation during the
manufacture of the resins. Scrubber operations, cleaning operations, leaks and
rain infiltration generates the other 70%. Significant decreases could be achieved
by:
- Installing flowmeters in key process areas to focus on the higher wastewater
flow areas.
- Installing a hard piping system or spill-free quick disconnect/coupling
hose connections to reduce the potential for spills.
- Recycling of the floor wash-water.
- Automating the operation of the scrubbers.
The intern found several methods to treat the wastewater prior to reuse including
carbon adsorption, distillation, dissolved air flotation, and chemical oxidation.
A laboratory scale setup for the chemical oxidation of the wastewater is currently
being tested. The anticipated savings in waste disposal fees resulting from
a combined waste minimization/treatment effort were projected to be $80,000
per year.
Motorola
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Intern: Michelle Villasin
University of Illinois, Chicago
Motorola Network Solutions Sector (NSS) is responsible for manufacturing, sales,
and integration of Motorola’s cellular infrastructure with numerous plants worldwide
and the sector headquarters is located in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The Arlington
Heights facility accommodates 1.3 million square feet, employs approximately
5,000 personnel and manufactures cellular infrastructure circuitry for digital
and analog cellular technologies. During the manufacturing of printed circuit
boards, solder paste contaminant is generated and disposed of as hazardous waste
due to the lead and silver content. The intern focused on the reduction of solder
paste waste generation.
Results:
The intern documented that 45% of the annual soldering paste purchased was
being lost due to inconsistent practices. As a result, the intern researched
opportunities for improving operator procedures. It was determined that the
facility could reduce the amount of solder paste used in the screen printing
process from 45% to 9%, resulting in savings of $125,000 annually with no capital
investment.
If the improved operator procedures were applied at two other Motorola NSS
facilities, an estimated saving of $500,000 could be achieved.
Intern: German Avila
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Motorola’s AIEG facility located in Northbrook is the main design and engineering
center for its automobile products that includes autobody controls, powertrain
controls and sensors. To aid engineers in designing products with the least
amount of environmental impact over its useful life, AIEG is currently perfecting
a software tool called the Green Design Advisor (GDA). This tool will also provide
designers with an analysis of product "demanufacturability" (taking
the product apart for recycling). It will measure the toxicity of the materials
used in the product and the energy required to operate it. Design engineers
will be able to compare different materials and the processes used to create
that particular product by use of the GDA software. The intern focused on assessing
and updating the GDA’s database for the automotive group and generating a model
of an existing product with the tool.
Results:
The intern established a step-by-step procedure to obtain both internal as
well as external company information as it related to the GDA. It was proposed
that this procedure be incorporated into supplier and component qualification
forms, thus collecting the data more efficiently.
The software’s database was updated with the most frequently used components
within the automotive group. Glitches in the software were reported to program
developers for correction.
An engine control unit was modeled with the GDA tool, analyzed and recommendations
made for future improvements.
Intern: Mary Ann Bliss
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Motorola is one of the world leaders in manufacturing communication products
and electronic components. Its 325 acre Schaumburg campus employs approximately
6000 people and includes the Commercial, Governmental and Industrial Solutions
Sector (CGISS) that produces wireless communication base stations. In 1994,
CGISS implemented a program to identify, track and reduce its significant environmental,
safety and industrial hygiene aspects. Metrics was established for these aspects
and aggressive 5-year goals were set for environmental improvement. Motorola
has supported and utilized an intern student since 1995 to supplement staff
efforts in reaching its environmental goals. The intern projects have concentrated
on reducing packaging waste.
Results:
The intern conducted an extensive waste assessment of high volume packaging
wastes and compiled a list of suppliers that shipped products in excessive or
problem packaging. These suppliers were contacted and requested to reduce or
redesign their packaging. Eight of the suppliers are in the process of changing
their packaging. These packaging reductions and redesigns will significantly
reduce solid waste shipped off-site for disposal and will result in thousands
of dollars in savings for both Motorola and its suppliers.
The intern established a program to recycle polyurethane foam and packing peanuts.
A local company was found that would regrind the foam and make carpet padding
out of it. The intern also determined that almost 85% of incoming packing peanuts
could be reused in-house for outgoing product shipments. Both of these recommendations
would result in a reduction of ten tons of wastes per year and save Motorola
$17,000 per year in disposal and shipping material costs.
A Packaging Reduction Initiative was developed to revise Motorola’s packaging
specifications. Packaging criteria will be considered when product contracts
are negotiated. Suppliers will be required to reduce packaging, use returnable
packaging, and to use environmentally responsible packaging materials whenever
possible. This policy will reduce problem packaging from entering the facility
and substantially reduce material, shipping, storage, handling, and disposal
costs.
Intern: Zachary Fijal
University of Illinois, Chicago
Navistar’s Engine Plant in Melrose Park manufactures six cylinder diesel engines
for medium to heavy- duty trucks. The facility is in the process of obtaining
its ISO 14000 certification. The intern worked on several P2 projects and helped
develop the environmental management system for the facility.
Results:
After research by the intern, a new parts cleaning solvent tank with self distilling
features was purchased to replace the old system. This will save approximately
$64,000 per year.
The robotic painting process was reprogrammed to reduce overspray and reduce
VOC emissions by 15%. This will lead to an annual saving of $26,000.
By shutting down one of its four boilers for three months during the summer,
the facility will save $75,000 per year.
Intern: Eric Roethe
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Nestle USA, the manufacturer of Coffee-Mate non-dairy coffee creamer has a
facility located in Jacksonville, IL. This facility is situated on 30 acres,
contains more than 260,000 square feet of manufacturing space, and produces
more than 120 million pounds of Coffee-Mate annually.
The intern investigated ways to reduce wastewater and loading of wastewater
solids. Wastewater is generated from cleaning baths and rinses at the facility.
Results:
The intern researched and proposed an ultra-filtration system to reuse the
alkaline cleaning bath. Currently, the cleaning in place system uses a wash
bath once and then organic solids washed from the processing lines are discharged.
The proposed ultra-filtration system would remove most of the suspended organic
solids from the cleaning bath and enable the solids to be used as by-products
such as animal feed. An annual potential reduction of approximately $70,000
in wastewater surcharges could be realized after a 21-month capital payback
period.
Intern: Steve Peterson
Northern Illinois University
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Rock Valley College is one
of several regional centers funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and
Community Affairs to provide small business owners with financing, business
planning, and other types of technical assistance. With the assistance of an
intern, the SBDC expanded its services to provide pollution prevention (P2)
outreach to local businesses. In addition, the SBDC responded to a request by
the city of Loves Park to promote P2 to local businesses that potentially could
affect its municipal water supply.
Results:
The intern conducted P2 assessments at 17 facilities in 11 different business
sectors. One P2 recommendation identified a project that has the potential to
save one facility $46,000 per year by recovering and recirculating its non-contact
process water. Most of the P2 suggestions focused on helping facilities manage
their raw materials better, including better management of floor drains, improved
material inspection, and enhanced waste segregation practices. A common recommendation
was the substitution of aqueous parts washers for hazardous solvent washers
traditionally used in automotive or machine maintenance operations.
The intern also developed a basic questionnaire for Rock Valley College students
and local volunteers to promote P2 to small businesses within the Loves Park
wellhead protection area.
Intern: Jeff Glover
The R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company located in Mattoon is a commercial printer
of catalogs, retail, magazines, books, and directories. This facility is a part
of the magazine division of the company and employs 1600 people. The primary
intern project involved investigation of approaches for reducing the loading
in the facility’s industrial water discharge to the local wastewater treatment
plant. The intern also focused on solid waste reduction at the facility and
researched less volatile solvents for use in the offset printing area of the
plant to reduce organic emissions to the atmosphere.
Results:
Aggressive water conservation efforts have reduced the plant’s sewer discharge
by one-half over the past five years. This has had the effect of increasing
both BOD (biological oxygen demand) and TSS (total suspended solids) loading
to the local wastewater treatment plant. The intern collected and analyzed wastewater
samples to assess approaches to reducing the loading. It was determined that
two sources of wastewater currently sent to the local wastewater treatment plant
could be effectively treated prior to being discharged to lower the BOD and
TSS levels. A system was proposed to lower the loading that would pay for itself
in two to three years.
The intern conducted a solid waste audit. The intern made the following suggestions:
PET strapping could be sold as recycled plastic if multiple grinders were purchased
and placed in areas where the waste is generated.
Paper dust samples were sent to a recycled fibers company for possible use
as animal bedding.
Additional space should be allocated for recycling to reduce contamination
of recyclables. Increased education of the workforce and possible adoption of
an employee incentive program could improve recycling efforts as well.
The intern identified several organic solvents that could work as effectively
as the existing solvents that would also be used in lower quantities and reduce
atmospheric emissions. The intern tested the alternative solvents and verified
their effectiveness. The company is interested in utilizing an incremental approach
that will implement these alternatives while minimizing any negative effects
on production, quality or economics.
Intern: Juan Antonio Verastegui
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
G. D. Searle (Searle) is the pharmaceutical division of Monsanto Company. The
Searle facility, located in Skokie, is a research and development center dedicated
to pharmaceutical research. The activities on site consist of bench-scale laboratory
operations and pilot-scale pharmaceutical (chemical synthesis) batch operations.
The intern identified opportunities to minimize waste streams associated with
batch reactor vessel cleaning and unit operations.
Results:
Batch reactor vessel cleaning generates the greatest amount of spent solvent
volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The solvents are considered spent if they
have been utilized for cleaning and cannot be reused. The intern made several
recommendations to improve vessel cleaning including:
Utilize alternative technologies such as high-pressure cleaning and ultrasonic
cleaning using aqueous-based non-solvent cleaning solutions. Equipment vendors
that sell these latest technologies agreed to perform pretesting at the Searle
facility.
Modify current cleaning procedures to minimum solvent use.
Convert to a standardized solvent, wherever possible. This concept would lend
itself to the use of a solvent distillation unit for solvent recovery on-site.
Currently, the facility only recovers acetone on-site.
Recycle spent solvents in chemical processing operations.
Intern: Nadim Dahdal
University of Illinois, Chicago
SWD, Inc. is a metal finishing company that employs 95 people and operates
out of a 60,000 square foot facility in Addison. The intern investigated pollution
prevention options for three waste streams at SWD that included a metal hydroxide
sludge, treated water with a high total dissolved solids (TDS) content, and
waste oil. The intern also investigated the bulk purchase of raw materials as
a side project.
Result:
The intern contacted several companies that recycle metal hydroxide sludge.
Listings were placed with the Illinois EPA’s Industrial Material Exchange Service
for possible use as a feedstock in another operation.
The intern recommended that the facility pilot test an ultrafiltration system
to recyle an aqueous cleaning solution. This will achieve a dramatic reduction
of the TDS levels in the effluent by keeping cleaners out of waste treatment.
The intern identified a system for filtering waste oil generated from coalescers
on cleaning tanks. The oil will be a saleable commodity. The system will cost
$14,000 and have a payback of three years.
The intern researched purchasing hydrochloric acid in bulk amounts. Bulk purchasing
will save the company $15,000 per year and reduce the chances of spills due
to mishandling of 55-gallon drums.
Intern: Rebecca Forbeck
Bradley University
The drinking water for several Tazewell County communities are drawn from groundwater
wells located in the Sankoty Aquifer. Some of the wells are located in areas
where groundwater has the potential to become contaminated. To decrease the
threat of contamination, Tazewell County developed a groundwater protection
ordinance that became effective August 3, 1998.
An intern was placed at the Tazewell County Health Department to continue the
work that was started by a previous intern during the summer of 1998. Assistance
was provided to businesses in the East Peoria, Mackinaw, and Peoria Heights
area, making them aware of the P2 opportunities to reduce potential groundwater
impacts.
Results:
Five out of nine East Peoria businesses that participated in last year’s program
were contacted and reassessed to determine if any P2 recommendations had been
implemented. One company is saving $7,800 per year in reduced wooden pallet
collection costs. Several new P2 opportunities were provided to each company
along with additional technical resources for their business.
P2 opportunity assessments were conducted at a total of 25 businesses in the
Tazewell County area, including eighteen businesses in East Peoria, five in
Mackinaw, and two in Peoria Heights. Once the site visit was conducted, each
facility was issued a follow-up letter containing specific P2 recommendations.
Ideas for groundwater protection for high school senior projects were developed
and presented to East Peoria teachers.
Intern: Sophia Sanicharane
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Underwrites Laboratories (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit organization
devoted to testing products for public safety. UL evaluates thousands of different
types of products that include among other things, electrical and electronic
equipment, mechanical products, building materials, construction systems, fire
protection equipment, chemicals, and alarm systems. The intern conducted a facility
wide waste assessment to locate the possible sources of mercury in wastewater
at the facility and evaluated the feasibility of replacing or eliminating mercury
altogether at the facility.
Results:
The most widespread use of mercury at the facility was found to be in the laboratories.
The lab facilities use mercury thermometers, manometers, and barometers. The
intern’s P2 suggestions included:
- Replacing 38 mercury thermometers at a cost of $1,300 with non-mercury alternatives.
Some thermometers will eventually be eliminated altogether.
- Purchasing mercury spill kits at a cost of $750 and placing them in areas
where mercury-containing instruments were required for specific testing methods.
- Identifying laboratory sink drain traps (P-traps) that needed cleaned by
maintenance. This would reduce the possibility of previously deposited mercury
in the trap from dissolving in the drain water and reaching the sewer.
- Developing a brochure to increase employee awareness on the environmental
effects of mercury and include information on the proper handling and disposal
of mercury products.
- Recycling spent mercury fluorescent lamps and purchasing new lamps with
less mercury content. Replacement costs will average $3,300 per year for the
next three years.
Intern: Rhonda McBride
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
The Northern Illinois (NI) District of the U.S. Postal Service, covers an area
of 5,700 square miles and is responsible for mail delivery to a population of
over 3.7 million people. Its headquarters is located in Carol Stream. The NI
district is comprised of 177 postal offices, 34 stations and branches, 3 vehicle
maintenance facilities, and 3 processing and distribution centers. This postal
district has been very proactive in developing and implementing P2 programs.
Results:
A federally mandated program, the Shared Energy Savings (SES) Program, states
that federal agencies must reduce energy consumption by 30% by the year 2005.
In 1998, Nicor Gas was hired to perform an energy audit and feasibility study
at the NI District facilities. Examples of energy saving activities included
lighting retrofits, high efficiency motor replacement, direct digital control
of building HVAC systems, conversion of electric equipment to gas-fired equipment,
and water saving lavatory fixtures. The intern provided technical support as
an internal review team member that developed an energy efficiency plan for
25 of the district’s facilities. At the end of the internship, the contractor
was hired to implement the energy saving projects.
The intern conducted a survey of lead and asbestos use at the facilities since
energy saving activities could potentially create a lead dust and/or asbestos
fiber release. The findings were transmitted to the contractor.
The intern encouraged postal facilities within the district to participate
in the Saving Of America’s Resources (SOAR) awards program. This voluntary awards
program is an incentive-based recycling program. Approximately 50 more postal
facilities joined the program after being contacted by the intern.
For more information on any of these 1998 intern projects,
contact Rick Reese at (217) 557-8671.
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