Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Roundtable

INTERNET TRAININGS

Northwest Business Assistance Network
    http://www.pprc.org/pprc/sbap/sbap.html
    (more information about this presentation at the roundtable)

Portland SoilTrader
    http://www.europa.com/environmentalservices/soiltrader/
    (more information about this presentation at the roundtable)

POLLUTION PREVENTION PROGRAM UPDATES

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
David Wigglesworth, 907-269-7582, dwiggles@envircon.state.ak.us
http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ENV.CONSERV

• P2 measures follow-up study planned by Institute for Social and Economic Research
• Three facilities sought for Environmental Leadership pilot
• Federal facilities roundtable scheduled March 25-27, 1998
• DEC working with SBDC and MEP on technical assistance

• Boise River effluent trading pilot project under way
• Request for proposals issued for Jobs Through Recycling project
• DEQ organization changed; Eileen Loerch is new P2 coordinator

• P2 toolkit with analysis and marketing tools developed for permit writers
• Cooperative purchase of sustainable goods being explored with other states
• Publications developed for dentists, vehicle recyclers
• Natural Step workshop planned for May 12, 1998 in Seattle area
• School Sweeps follow-up shows 75 percent of recommendations implemented
• Grants available for small communities to reduce wastewater loadings

• Machine shop visits this summer to focus on coolant life, health concerns
• Dental office visits focus on fixer waste, amalgam waste, sterilization
• King County will join in marinas, boatyards sweep this summer
• Water treatment tests reduce dry cleaning "perc" by four orders of magnitude
• EnviroStars has grown to 102 businesses. CoStars program established.

• Greenhouse gas reduction grants available
• Environmental Justice grants deadline is April 20. No match required.
• Alternative Paths workshop held

• PPIS direction being re-examined. Meeting scheduled April 27.
• More targeted outreach planned for environmental justice program.
• $10 million proposed for PBT initiative in FY 99. Strategy under development.

• White paper examines ISO 14001 pros and cons (http://www.p2.org/iso.html)
• Spring conference in Cincinnati April 28-May
• P2 Energy listserve established

Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC)
Chris Montovino, 206-352-2050, cmontovino@pprc.org
http://www.pprc.org/pprc

• Technical assistance providers survey will guide regional P2 network
• PPRC national coordinator of regional P2 networks
• Compliance project will target three industrial sectors
• Shipyard roundtables held, reports due soon
• "Living document" for fiberglass fabricators posted to Web site

OREGON PROGRAMS SPOTLIGHT

Metro
Genya Arnold, 503-797-1676, arnoldg@metro.dst.or.us
http://www.metro.dst.or.us

• Metro working with real estate and law firms to reduce paper waste

• BEST awards to be given April 17
• P2E2 program targets commercial, institutional sectors for efficiency services
• Fuel cell being installed at wastewater treatment plant (see PPRC's February/March 1998 newsletter)

• Billing envelopes now have 100 percent post-consumer waste, are elementary chlorine free
• Cross-bureau P2 activities report to be published by Earth Day

• EMS incentives project seeks improved environmental performance
• Dave Kunz (503-229-6237, kunz.david@deq.state.or.us) is acting P2 coordinator
• Rules developed to implement Toxics Use Reduction Act amendments
• Team developing "Green Stickers" recognition for auto businesses
• Western, eastern regions conduct hazardous waste technical assistance visits

• Lane County agencies cooperate on P2 projects

Dry Cleaning: Oregon Regulatory Issues and Wet Cleaning Alternative
Elaine Glendening, Oregon DEQ, 503-229-6015
Sid Leiken, Prestige Cleaners, 541-440-1533

Information on wet cleaning available at http://www.cnt.org/sus_man/home.html

Most dry cleaners wash clothes in perchloroethylene, or "perc," a solvent which raises air emission, hazardous waste and occupational health concerns. Oregon law requires dry cleaners using perc to pay into a state cleanup fund. Shops that pay are exempt from cleanup liability, with exceptions for gross negligence or willful violation of environmental laws. Statutory requirements taking effect on June 30, will prohibit discharge of perc-contaminated wastewater to sewers, require equipment changes to prevent air emissions, mandate installation of spill containment, and require perc delivery in closed systems.

Prestige Cleaners’ wet cleaning system provides controlled environment suitable for water-based cleaning of fabrics normally dry cleaned with perc, including wool, angora, silk, rayon, angora, and mohair. Wet cleaning reduces environmental liability and perc taxes, but dry cleaning shops and trade associations are resisting wet cleaning.

Additional details on this topic are available in the full meeting minutes.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Pollution Prevention Partners
Lisa Scampini, via Lane Community College SBDC, 541-747-4501
Joe Junker, MEP and IAC, 541-737-5034, junkerj@engr.orst.edu, http://www.omep.org
Dave Dzurec, Northwest PETE, 541-885-1646, dzurecd@oit.edu, http://www.pete.org
Andrew Franklin, NW Environmental Business Council 503-227-6361

Lane Small Business Development Center (SBDC) held a workshop showing businesses how to reduce waste and increase profit through P2. Plans call for workshop to be held statewide. Agencies can deliver information to businesses through SBDC’s, which are a "safe" environment for business.

Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP) have field engineers to help industries improve productivity and reduce costs, through P2 and other tools. MEPs could serve as an information link between agencies and business. A resource directory of industrial service providers is being developed.

Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE) works with business and agencies to develop environmental curricula for community and technical colleges. PETE can help develop curricula that will meet Northwest business needs.

Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC) represents consultants, law firms, engineering firms and other environmental businesses.

In discussion, the need for a one-stop industrial efficiency information resource for business was identified. Businesses want trusted partners to provide information to help them improve productivity and reduce costs.

Additional details on this topic are available in the full meeting minutes.

NEXT MEETING

The next regional roundtable will be held in June in Idaho. Potential topics are effluent trading, sales and marketing training, new federal Pollution Prevention Act, Idaho partners panel, cross-media P2 incentives, and P2 toolkits for permit writers.

Additional details on this topic are available in the full meeting minutes.

REGIONAL P2 NETWORK DISCUSSION

EPA is funding nine regional P2 resource networks. PPRC is coordinating the Region 10 network.

Technical assistance providers (TAPs) were surveyed to obtain guidance for developing the regional network, which will provide TAPs synthesized, peer-reviewed information in 15 minutes or less.

The survey showed that TAPs want a one-stop information resource that will provide short, pre-screened case studies, fact sheets and other materials they need for technical assistance.

The Northwest Business Assistance Network (NBAN) area on PPRC’s Web site will be the focus of the network. Sector "buttons" will lead users to information about specific industry sectors. Five sectors are on the site and more are planned. Links to industrial processes, cross references, and consistent terminology were suggested to make the site easier to use.

The site also will include technology reviews, which will summarize information on P2 technologies and their costs, pros, cons, economics, technical issues and research gaps. Adhesives is the topic of the first review. The reviews will be peer reviewed by industry and agency experts. Suggestions for making technology reviews more useful included links to fact sheets and manuals, environmental benefits, vendor contacts, life-cycle cost analyses, and cross-media issues.

PPRC is seeking agency assistance with peer reviewing technology reviews.

Case studies can show reasons for implementing P2, alternatives selected, implementation obstacles, and economic and environmental benefits. The fiberglass "living document" has a standardized case study format. Suggestions for making case studies more useful included housing them within appropriate sectors, details about implementation issues, and up-to-date contact information.

The goal of marketing the network is to show its value to the target audiences and increase usage via word-of-mouth advertising. Personal meetings and regular electronic mailings are marketing mechanisms that will be used. Advertising the network’s value as a one-stop information resource was suggested as a central marketing message.

Additional details on this topic are available in the full meeting minutes.