E

The Q u a r t e r l y News le t te r o f the M i n n e s o t a Technica l Ass i s tance P r o g r a m

Harry, Let‘s Order Out Ever felt so overloaded that you’ve caught yourself saying, “So much time, so bittle to do. Wait ... stop ... reverse that?”

completed paperwork without understanding the concepts it contains.

Time to say “Harry, let’s order out.” Order out and satisfy some of your company’s many environmental, health and safety (EHS) needs. Consultants can be hired for a variety of projects from paperwork to process evaluation, specialty training, audits and technical engineering projects. They can fill any number of roles within these projects.

Paperwork

* needed 25 to 30 hours a month, except during peak reporting times.

consultant’s familiarity with environmental paperwork, don’t simply allow the consultant to turn in your

While you can benefit from a

Like hiring tax preparers, hiring consultants who complete lots of the same paperwork as one of their core functions can be valuable to your company, saving you loads of time and ,confusion. Consultants can complete permits, reports, license applications, registration forms and other EHS regulatory paperwork for your company.

“My role is to take care of the day-to- day inspections and track Minnesota Pollution Control Agency requirements,” said Marc Daniels, environmental manager at Ford Motor Company. As an environmental staff of one,at Ford’s St. Paul assembly plant, Daniels relies on consulting help to take care of activities like month-to-month report filing and putting together data-the more mundane tasks. The consultant serves the role of a Ford employee that’s only

Be sure you are well briefed and understand the implications of any information submitted.

“We recently reviewed a permit completed by a consultant. The calculations were wrong and the company didn’t need the permit and didn’t need to be paying fees,” said Phyllis Strong, MPCA Small Business Assistance Program specialist.

This may be rare, but choose your consultants wisely. Ask consultants how many similar projects they have wor.ked on before. How long did the projects take to complete? Call client references to make sure others were happy with the consultant’s previous work.

.

Skip the Daily Special Companies that ask o r settle for the daily special and get the bare minimum to meet environmental requirements

Cleaning ..: ............ 2 Buyer Beware ........ 3 Painting System ..... 4 Condenser Water .. 5 Rules ..................... 6 Exchange Listings .. 7 Calendar .............. 8

Route this issue Ll Health,& Safety

U Maintenance

U Owner/president

U Process engineer

CI Purchasing

Call MnTAP 6 1 2/624- 1 300 800/247-00 15

Copyright 2001 MnTAP Repr in t articles on ly with written permission from M n T M Route then file or recycle.

www.mntap.umn.edu

shortcut themselves on opportunities to make improvements in their facilities. Consultants need to understand your company’s processes to complete the paperwork well. When you hire a consultant that is familiar with your operations to complete environmental paperwork, the consultant may be able to engage you in discussions about how you could operate more efficiently.

“Have consult&ts customize pollution prevention plans and progress reports to your company’s situation,” said Bob Lundquist, MnTAP assistant director. “Using a generic plan is a disservice to your company. Good prevention planning looks for opportunities to be more efficient, make more money and have a good image.”

environmental consultants in your company. W Upcoming SOURCE issues will address other roles for

Page 2 MnTAP SOURCE m

Winter 2001 .

Clean and Green When Outsourcing Extending your company’s environmental efforts into contracts for cleaning services is a challenge. Purchasing may be mandated to select the lowest bidder. Then, the contract goes to the cleaning service using the least expensive products which are generally more toxic, flammable and corrosive-a1 words that flag oppartunities to reduce pollution. What to do?

St& with MSDSs When contracting out cleaning services, require material safety data sheets “ I review the (MSDSs) for all materials brought on site.

“I review the MSDSs to find out if the cleaning contract& plans to bring

MSDSs to find out if the cleaning contractor plans anything really nasty into our sites,”

said Jim Oukrop, health and safety administrator for Health Partners’ 30 health care facilities. Once when’

to bring anything really nasty into our sites.“ reviewing MSDSs, Oukrop flagged an

unacceptable spot cleaner and gum remover. “I required the contractor to switch to a n alternative that was not full

. , of VOCs [volatile organic compounds] for this type of cleaning.”

Try Alternatives Test “green” cleaners to ensure they are effective. When testing, educate people about the health and environmental benefits of the alternatives so they can be comfortable with any changes.

Mark Galloway, St. Paul City Hall Annex building superintendent, has worked with his contractor to test numerous alternative cleaners. “Tenants complained that they couldn’t’ smell or see the disinfectant,” said Galloway. Although odors can indicate harmful fumes and dyes are unnecessary and may be allergens, people were accustomed to them as signs that the space was cleaned.

The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide < www.swmcb.org/ EPPGll-l.htm> reviews cleaners (section 10.2) and provides environmental and performance rankings for products tested for the State purchasing contract.

Get Specific When soliciting contract proposals for janitorial services, specify the names of environmentally preferable products or ask for their equivalents. Or, you can specify general criteria, such as no ignitable chemicals, to guide vendors in choosing cleaners. Once you’ve selected a contractor, periodically follow up with them to assure environmentally preferable products are being used.

For environmental, health and safety fact sheets on janitorial cleaning see the Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network Web site <www.westp2net. org/Janitorial/jp4.htm>.

Natural gas is one of JIT Powder Coating’s top operating expenses. This cost has risen 280 percent ,Minnegasco, Minneapolis, 612/321-4337 . since the same period last year. According to Xcel Minnesota Power Co., Duluth, 218/722-2641 Energy, demand for all forms of energy has increased because of the strong U.S.

economy. About 40 percent of natural gas used in this country is consumed by industrial customers.

If your company hasn’t already had an energy audit, your recent gas bills make investing time and

technologies and others. Contact your local natural gas supplier for conservation technical assistance, audits and financial assistance.

www. minnegasco. com

www.mnpower.com

Maple Grove, 763/424-1020 www.mrea.org

www.xcelenergy.com

www.otpco.com

Minnesota Rural Electric Association,

Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, 800/481-4700

Otter Tail Power Co., ‘Fergus Falls, 218/739-8200 .

money in conservation efforts more feasible. Audits can identify significant sources for energy and cost savings in your business. Savings can result from participating in programs for efficient lighting, rate savings, energy rate comparisons, more efficient

Contact Minnesotans for An Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3) for Minnesota utilities not listed here,’ <www.me3.org/enlinks.html> or 651/225-0878.

m Winter 2001 MnTAP SOURCE Page 3

Site Visit Story-Caveat Emptor, Buyer Beware When tantrartiig for Services

helping

businesses

reduce

and

mauage waste ,

Story: Juggling all the peripheral activities of a business-including reviewing

For small businesses with limited paperwork, . resources, it’s an even greater Donna challenge. Small businesses often determined have to rely on the expertise of their that the contractors, Buyer beware. disposal

. “Managing waste for us is very difficult. It’s not a primary function of operating the business, It’s extra and not a profit c&nter,” said Bill

Results: After

. waste management-is a challenge. . Budget’s

.company was incorrectly classifying . these nonhazardous waste streams as hazardous. The profiles used to characterize the waste did not .

d, owner of Budget Printing correctly match the wastes. . ards, in Long Lake. “As the Testing your own wastes can be

expensive. As an acceptable, money- saving practice,’ vendors may use

last thing on the burner, it can be difficult to spend much _ _ time on. Large companies have people

data on comparable waste streams as substitute profiles for your waste. ”fHazalrdous waste]

Was g&*#MJ be a who spend time on This practice works well.when major expense and waste- As a vendors compare apples to apples, .

using truly comparable profiles. we thou& t h e e s that l~~xury.” Budget now sewers its waste got t~ be something developer and fountain solution. By

not sending these wastes out as,

money in fees and taxes. Its county and state records of hatzardous waste generated are no longer exaggerated causing a potential for unnecessary

printer, we don’t have

For help with . hazardous waste

. management, Budget . hazardous the company is saving better.“

e th

nding a tremendous

hazardous waste-well over $2,000 a year,” said Hibbard. “It was getting

ght , about your waste management or ”

money on managing - increased liability. .

Prevention Tips: If you feel uncertain

disposal methods, check into them. Be surelo clarify with your . . hazardous waste inspector any changes she may suggest in the way you manage your waste. Following up on feelings or suggestions could end up saving you money. Once you look more closely at yodr waste

ey label

out

MnTAP

printing . management methods, you may find unities to reduce waste.

Request a visit from a MnTAP t engineer or scientist to get . .

operation, call 612/624-1300. W

d to ship its waste

. suggestions customized for your

Page 4 MnTAP SOURCE Winter 2001

Fine-Tuning the Paint Spraying System After all the hard work of evaluating and selecting options for improving your . system, the pallets of equipment arrive. Step one: install equipment. Step two: tweak it to meet operating expectations.

Owners and vendors share in the responsibility for getting a new system to run efficiently. Allow time for troubleshooting and be sure to collect

Wenger Corporation Saves Over $93,000 by Reducing Powder Paint Use and Rework

powder coating

painting system. The system was not performing as expected and used more powder than projected. Manual touchup and the number of reject parts was higher than Wenger expected. The company needed to fine tune its new powder coating system.

Wenger wanted to reduce powder paint use and the cost of waste by 25 percent. MnTAP intern Tom Paitrick, a chemical engineering student at the University of Minnesota, worked full time at Wenger in the summer of 2000 researching solutions to this waste- related challenge.

“Our system was fairly new. We started the system at peak season and it was go, go, go once the vendors set up the booths,” said Scott Jorgensen unit manager at Wenger. “Tom brought all the problems, like the hoses and the hopper operation, to the surface.”

Powder Hoppers Wenger purchased 250-pound prototype powder-feed hoppers. Powder was inconsistently fluidized and high pressure caused seals on the hoppers to blow out, losing powder, time and compressed air.

intern made changes to increase air delivery to the membrane. The vendor then redesigned the hopper to better suit the large volume of powder.

Increased Transfer Efficiency The automatic guns were functioning incorrectly so operators disabled their control program. Guns were left to operate with limited movement and without being triggered off as desired, . reducing first pass transfer efficiency.

Reprogramming gun movement, distances to the parts and triggering timing, along with reducing gun pressure, helped achieve a higher first pass transfer efficiency.

Coating Thickness Testing - Wenger had difficulty achieving a consistent coating thickness. Manual touchup was needed on both the top and bottom of parts. The intern adjusted gun variables through eight different tests.

Testing. showed that the best way to improve reliability of the automatic guns and get the desired film consistency was to add four stationary guns at the top of each booth.

Overall Results With the intern’s help, Wenger decreased paint use by increasing transfer efficiency from 75 to 93 percent, saving over 12,000 pounds of powder and over $81,000 annually. Cost for rework has dropped by an estimated $12,500 annually. The company got a jump on troubleshooting and had its system tweaked much sooner with the assistance of a MnTAP intern.

To help the powder fluidize better, the

More Information The full summary Wenger Corporation Saves Over $93,000 by Reducing Powder Paint Use and Rework is available on the Web at < www.mntap.umn.edu>.

Winter 2001 MnTAP SOURCE Page 5

Reducing Water and Chemical Use Helps Pillsbury Keep Its Cool

Pillsbury Bakeries in Chanhassen is converting its recirculating cooling evaporatoricondenser water . system from a system that required chemical treatment of water to one that uses mechanical water treatment.

supplies process and warehouse refrigeration plus space cooling and chilled water for production. Minerals in water like calcium and magnesium build up in the evaporative condenser coils. Minimizing this buildup ensures proper heat transfer, allowing for efficient cooling.

The plant ammonia system

“Our ammonia

towers improve heat transfer which in turn reduces head pressure on the compressors nd pumps,

cutting power use. During the three-month

trial, Pillsbury saved $37,000. The savings came from reducing incoming water use and wafer discharge; and eliminating chemical and water softening salt use. To compensate for evaporation losses and to normalize total dissolved solids, water is bled from the system and replaced. The new mechanical system used under 48,700 gallons of water in one quarter versus 789,000 gallons used for the chemical system. The system will pay for itself in less than two years. When the reduced

sewer access refrigeration 11 Pi)lsbury hired a charges (SAC) operators have to inspect and work consulting firm to payback is less on the condensers. verify the vendor’s than a year.

fees are included,

For years, they’ve tesh.“ wanted me to find some type of water

treatment that didn’t require chemicals,” said Dotti Shay, environmental coordinator at Pillsbury. “They were worried about their exposure to the chemicals that keep dissolved solids in suspension, and the algicides and biocides. ” .

Shay’s been keeping her eyes open for new technologies. With assistance from Xcel Energy, Pillsbury conducted a 92-day test of a mechanical evaporator condenser system. Xcel helped fund the study because of the potential to reduce electrical use. Clean

In order to feel

the results of the trial, Pillsbury hired a consulting firm to verify the vendor’s tests.

Inside the Technology For cooling towers and condensers, the nonchemical water treatment technology works by creating an area of very low pressure. This allows the dissolved cafbon dioxide to become a gas that is then vented. The water chemistry is now changed and prevents calcium carbonate scaling.

For more information, contact Karl DeWahl, M n T e at 6121624-4645. ,W

comfortable with

I fyou know someone who has helped make waste reduction happen give them 15 seconds of fame. Contact the editor (see page 8)

I defect productiscrap

setuphhangeover waste water use/wastewater

solid or hazardous waste air emissions, VOCs, HAPS

If you know af sources of waste in your facility

get solutions this summer

Wenger’s Intern “It was nice having a new pair of eyes for the summer. The intern noticed things that had simply become ‘the nature of the beast.’ At first the painters were a little perturbed with the idea of this college kid coming in,” said Scott Jorgensen. “But, Tom really proved his recommendations to everyone so there wasn’t a problem.” ’

Jorgensen noted that Tom required little supervision, other than general day-to-day contact to troubleshoot findings. He was very self sufficient and self motivated, working with minimal instruction.

Have an intern work on reducing your waste this summer- provided at no charge from MnTAP Call Deb McKinley, intern program coordinator, at

. 612/624-4697.

Page ti MnTAP SOURCE Winter 2001

Reporting threshold has been lowered to 100 pounds.

Discharge limits are being tightened for a number of metals.

lead-Using Businesses and Industries Change: The US, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule change for Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting of lead and lead compounds. The reporting threshold has been lowered from 25,000 (for manufacturediprocessed) and 10,000 pounds (for ancillary use) to 100 pounds, regardless of how the lead is used. In addition to current TRI reporters, any other facilities using lead and/or lead compounds should be aware of the new rule.

For the final rule and a fact sheet, go to <www.epa.gov/tri/>. Contact Steve Tomlyanovich, Emergency Response Commission, 651/282-5396, with questions about reporting in Minnesota.

Remiider: Form R’s for the other persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals, like mercury and dioxin, are due this July 1, while lead is due by July I, 2002.

Most companies that submit a Form R must write plans for reducing the emissions of Form R chemicals. Lead-using manufacturers may now have $0 develop pollution prevention plans or include lead in their current plans. MnTAP can help you with this process by identifying pollution prevention opportunities that will save you money. The Minnesota Guide to Pollution Preuention Planning which has all the requirements of the TPPA and suggestions on how to write a plan is available at <www.mntap.umn.edu>.

Metal Products & Machinery Proposed Wastewater Rule Change: EPA has published its proposed rule for the metal products and machinery industry (MP&M). The rule would establish technology-based effluent limits and pretreatment

‘standards for wastewater discharges in a wide range of industries. It would apply to both new and existing facilities that manufacture, rebuild, repair, or maintain finished metal products, parts or machines.

Discharge limits are being tightened for a number of metals. New Limits of note .include those for manganese, molybdenum, tin, oil and grease, and total organic carbon. Some new industries-machine shops, truck, bus, train and airplane maintenance facilities, and medical device manufadurers-are being brought under these federally enforced rules. In addition, circuit board manufacturers and metal finishing job shops will be shifted from another discharge ruIe to the MP&M rule and can expect significantly tighter discharge limits.

EPA develops effluent guidelines . . specific to individual industries in order to control discharge of pollutants into surface waters and publicly-owned treatment facilities. When implemented, the rules are expected to reduce the ’ discharge of 20 pollutants by 170 million pounds per year.

Regulation timeline: Draft published January 2001 Final rule expected January 2003 Compliance expected January 2006

Reminder: ’Begin exploring options naw to minimize metals entering your water discharge. Look at process improvement and efficiency efforts to reduce or possibly eliminate the impact of this rule on your facility. Use this time wisely to evaluate reduction possibilities. For assistance in researching and evaluating prevention options, contact Karl DeWahl, MnTAP engineer, at 612/624-4645.

More information on the- proposed rule can be found at <www.epa.gov/ost/guide/pm> , <www.nmfrc.org/mpm.cfm> and < www.PWBRC.org> .

m Winter 2001 MnTAP SOURCE Page 7

A materials exchange program lists one company’s unwanted material and makes it available for use by another company. The lists below are examples from the Minnesota Materials Exchange.

For information call MnTAP at 612/624-1300 or 800/247-0015. Or, visit www.mnexchange.org.

Materials Available: Atomic absorption with furnace: Perkin Elmer Zeeman 5100 and 600 HGA. Includes EDL System 2 Cool Flow DC-25 chiller, lead and copper lamps, computer, monitor and printer. Tests for trace amounts of chemicals. Fee charged. Mora. [MT:A12 121171

Drums, plastic: 55-gallo11, closed top with two bung holes. Clean, held shampoo. St. Paul. [MT:A08 121151

Incubator: Fisher Isotemp model 655D. Fee charged. Mora. [MT:A12 121221

pH meter: CMS Labcraft model #102. Includes standards. Fee charged. Mora. [MT:A12 121231

Printing press: Tandem offset. A:M. Multigraphics 2975. Owatonna. [SE:A12 121071

Sodium metabisulfate: 30 gallons. Oakite Chemical Products, Dispoz Aid #l. Changes ‘hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium. Plymouth. [MT:AOl 119241

Turbidimeter: Hach model 2 100A. Includes standards. Fee charged. [MT:A12 121211

Materials Wanted: Fabric: To make quilts for disaster victims. Anoka. [MT:W04 121031 ’

Fencing: Chainlink with posts. 6 feet or taller. Needs 1,000 feet. For animal shelter. Park Rapids. [NC:W07 120751

light fixtures: 12 high-pressure sodium, exterior wall- mounted. Any wattage. Tyler.

Pallets, wood: 42 x 48 inches. Any amount. Brainerd. [NC:W08 121021

Photographic plate glass: Prefer unexposed Eastman- Kodak treated with photo emulsion. For electronic circuit board manufacture. Any amount. St. Paul. [MT:WIl 43411

Titanium dioxide: Any grade. Any amount. Hamel. [MT:WOl 121121

Wood shavings: Pine or aspen. Must be dry. Semiloads. Bagley. [NC:W05 121001

Successful Exchanges: A property management company ‘received 165 gallons of boiler treatment chemicals from a county laundry facility.

A packaging broker bought 142,500 bags from a product distribution firm and sold them for reuse.

When going out of business, a knitting mill sold 16 drums of cleaner and detergent to a woolen mill.

A brewer provided 1,400 empty drums to various companies and organizations.

A circuit manufacturer gave 440 pounds of packaging materials to a decoy company and a woodworking firm.

A school district received approximately 1,500 pounds of furniture from an electronic computer company.

e Practices in Vehicle .

. . . . . . . . .

m Page 8 MnTAP SOURCE Winter 2001

u S. Postage I PAID ,.

Calendar March 6, April 3 or May 1,2001. Quality Classes. Rochester, MN. Sponsored by the Rochester Area Quality Council, 5071365-8257 or 5071285-7560.

March 15, 2001, Pamter Training. Whitebear Lake, MN. Sponsored by Chemical Coaters Association International, 800/9-COAT IT, < www.ccatc.com/ ccaigretreatment.htm> .

March 21-March 23, 2001, 64th Annual Wastewater Operations Conference. Bloomington, MN. Sponsored by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 651-296-8868 or 8001657-3864, < www.pca.state.mn.us/news/training> .

April 3-26, 2001, Statistical Process Control. Albert Lea, MN. Sponsored .by Riverland Community College, 5071379-3327 or 800/333-2584, ext 3327.

April 11, 2001, I S 0 Registration and Implementation. Minneapolis, MN. Sponsored by Dunwoody Institute, 6121374-8927.

May 2-4, 2001, Minnesota Safety & Health Conference. Minneapolis, MN. Sponsored by Minnesota Safety Council, 65 1/29 1-9 150, < www.mnsafetycouncil.org> .

For more information and links to Web pages for these events, go to your MnTAP Webbookmark <www.mntap,umn.edu>. ,

Printed with low VOC soy-based inks on , unbleached 100% postconsumer recycled paper.

Printed by a Minnesota Great Printer, a title earned by their efforts to reduce waste.

k3 .

About MnTW ,The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (hlnTAP) helps businesses and industries prevent pollution and better manage waste-which saves time and money. Located at the University of Minnesota, we provide free technical assistance tailored to individual businesses. MnTAP helps Minnesota companies become more efficient and find alternatives to using hazardous materials. By reducing waste and increasing efficiency, companies save on disposal and raw-material costs and make . working conditions healthier and safer for employees.

MnTAP is funded by a grant from the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance to the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health.

The University of Minnesota i s committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation. I I

MnTAP's SOURCE is published quarterly. Please contact us with address corrections, inquiries and opinions. Fax: 6121624-3370. WWW address: www.mntap.umn.edu. Copyright 2001, MnTAF! Articles published in SOURCE may be reprinted only with .permis$ion from MnTAP. This newsletter is available in alternative formats upon request.

M INN E SOTA P ROG RAM

McNamara Alumni Center University of Minnesota Gateway

200 Oak Street SE Suite 350 Minneapolis, MN 55455-2008

61 21624-1 300 8001247-0015 fax 61 21624-3370

TECH N I c AL AS s I STA N c E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~ _ _ _ . ~ ~ -

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