An effective pollution prevention program is the key to identifying and reducing environmental impacts from an industrial facility.

Pollution Prevention Strategies

 

An effective pollution prevention program is the key to identifying and reducing environmental impacts from an industrial facility.  There are a number of ways to prioritize your wastes. Each facility may develop its own unique approach, as long as the required elements are covered.

 

Using the learning resources provided in Weeks 1-5, your assignment is to design a reduction plan by prioritizingthe list of wastes below.  There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer, but you must provide written justification for your decisions. 

 

Pollutant

 

Process

 

Amount generated per year

 

Costs of Disposal

 

Methylene Chloride

 

 

 

Manufacturer:  Nexeo Solutions

 

Paint Stripping

 

(SDS found in Assignment folder)

 

 

 

200 gallons

 

$4,500

 

Chlorodifluoromethane (R-22)

 

 

 

Manufacturer:  National Refrigerants

 

Refrigerants

 

(SDS found in Assignment folder)

 

 

 

45 lbs(15 lb per cylinder)

 

$8000

 

Fluorescent light bulbs

 

 

 

Facility Maintenance

 

 

 

(SDS found in Assignment folder)

 

 

 

8 bulbs per month

 

$0.75 per bulb

 

Used Motor Oil

 

Vehicle maintenance

 

 

 

(SDS found in Assignment folder)

 

 

 

20 gallons

 

$1.00 per gallon

 

Paper

 

Administrative

 

150 lbs

 

$0.21 per pound

 

Aluminum cans

 

Employee breakroom

 

20 lbs

 

$0.15 per pound

 

 

 

Instructions:

 

1.            Research the product using the Safety Data Sheets provided in your assignment folder.  Pay particular attention to the form that the chemical is in (i.e. solid, liquid, gas). 

 

2.            Research industry best available practices and consider the waste hierarchy for each chemical.

 

3.            Document how your company will prioritize the product disposal.  Will you base your priority on disposal costs, health effects, ease of disposal or some other way?  Remember, there is no right or wrong answers, but you must provide written justification for your decisions.

 

4.            After considering the significance of each waste on the list, prioritize your approach to reducing the pollution at your facility.  You must address each pollutant listed in the table above.  Clearly prioritize the disposal by using a numbering system or other way that lets me know in what order your disposal plan will be executed.  Again, make sure that your justification is clearly documented.

 

5.            Other things to consider:

 

a.            If you make a recommendation for a more environmentally friendly chemical, you must list aspecific recommendation.  Document why you are choosing that recommendation and provide references.

 

b.            If you make a recommendation to change your operation, please keep in mind that it takes time to implement major changes.  So, you must account for the current waste operations and highlight why it’s important to make these changes.

 

c.             Always consider the pollution prevention efforts that go along with your recommendations.  For example, if you recommend to replace gas powered equipment with battery powered, you must account for the future pollution possibilities