The GLRPPR Blog

The Michigan Retired Engineer Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) is sponsoring a free pollution prevention technology workshop on advanced coolant and filter media usage reduction technology for the metal working process. The workshop is October 2, 2007 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Crystal Filtration Company, 2938 Waterview, Rochester Hills, MI.

The (Diamler) Chrysler Detroit Axle plant, in cooperation with Kettering University and Crystal Filtration, integrated an innovative coolant filtration system into the facility’s primary metal working operation. The system achieved a 40 – 60 percent reduction in filter media usage resulting in an anticipated annual savings of up to $60,000.

Professor Terri Lynch-Caris, Kettering University, will present the technology, its implementation, and the project’s economical and environmental analysis. Mr. Glenn Rowe, Crystal Filtration, will describe the system installation and technology’s applications.

For more information, contact David Herb, RETAP Manager, at 517-241-8176 or herbdw@michigan.gov.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced that it will host a workshop on the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH). REACH is a recently adopted overhaul of the chemicals management system in the EU. REACH has important implications for United States firms exporting to EU member states and the rules became effective on June 1, 2007. The training session will take place on September 26, 2007 at DEC headquarters in Albany, NY.

An earlier post described a similar workshop that will be held in Lansing, MI on September 27.

For more upcoming events, check the GLRPPR online calendar and Sector Resources.

The Illinois EPA Office of Pollution Prevention is once again holding Safe Chemicals in Education workshops this fall. The workshops are geared for science teachers who are interested in learning ways to teach using less hazardous and non-toxic materials, and safely storing and disposing hazardous materials.

The dates and locations are:

• Sept. 20 in Quincy
• Sept. 21 in Springfield
• Sept. 25 in Charleston
• Sept. 26 in Greenville
• Oct. 4 in Bloomington
• Oct. 10 in Loves Park
• Nov. 14 in Rock Island

Schools that send a teacher to a workshop are eligible for a free pickup of hazardous educational wastes through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. See http://www.epa.state.il.us/p2/calendar.html for details and registration information. Contact Becky Lockart at IEPA, 217-524-9642 for more information.

The Retired Engineer Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) is hosting a free pollution prevention technology workshop on the successful adoption of advanced rinse water recycling systems within the electroplating process. The workshop is August 17th at the KC Jones Plating Company, Hazel Park, MI. The workshop is entitled A Chemical-Metal Zero-Discharge Technology for Profitable Pollution Prevention in Electroplating Processes.

KC Jones Plating, in cooperation with the Laboratory for Multiscale Complex Systems Science and Engineering at Wayne State University (WSU), integrated advanced rinse water recycling systems into their bronze cyanide plating line. These changes successfully reduced the line’s chemical and water usage requirements by 20 – 45 percent, while reducing associated wastewater treatment costs by up to 70 percent. The simple payback for the project was less than one year.

Professor Yinlun Huang will present the technology, its implementation, and the project’s economical and environmental analysis. Mr. Thomas Januszek and his team at KC Jones Plating will describe the system installation.

Due to limited spacing, please register in advance by contacting David Herb, RETAP Manager, at 517-241-8176 or herbdw@michigan.gov.

Thanks to David Herb of Michigan DEQ for providing this information.

The latest edition of the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) newsletter, Source is now available online. Included in this issue:

• Rx for the Environment: Hospitals are reporting tenfold increases in costs for managing pharmaceutical waste. Prevention options are helping some facilities reduce drug waste and costs.
• Pharmaceutical Waste Workshops: MnTAP is sponsoring three pharmaceutical waste workshops to help hospital-based pharmacies keep in regulatory compliance.
• Minnesota Health Care Facilities Win Honors: Three Minnesota health care facilities were recognized at the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment’s Environmental Excellence Summit.
• Disposing of Drug Waste at Home: Tips on how to manage unwanted medications from your home.
• Lou-Rich Cuts Water: This contract metal manufacturer reduced water used in cleaning and cooling operations by 8.9 million gallons per year, saving $42,100 annually—with assistance from a MnTAP intern.
• Non-contact Cooling Water: Evaluate your facility’s use of non-contact cooling water to identify opportunities to reduce water use and cost.
• Where’s Your Waste–MnTAP Interns: Nine MnTAP interns are reducing waste across the Minnesota. Join us on August 23 to hear about how their companies are working to reduce waste.
• Vacuum Bagging and Infusion Demonstration: Carstens Industries will share its process for vacuum bagging and infusion in Melrose on September 12.
• Lean and Green Seminar: Manufacturers Alliance is hosting the educational seminar “The New Scene is Lean & Green” on August 9. Three manufacturers will present their experiences.
• Minnesota Materials Exchange: A materials exchange program lists one company’s unwanted material and makes it available for use by another company. The listings in Source are examples of available and wanted listings, and successful exchanges from the Minnesota Materials Exchange.
• Calendar: MnTAP posts trainings and events related to manufacturing process improvement, waste management and environmental, health and safety.

Sign-up for a free subscription of the MnTAP newsletter. You can receive the newsletter via e-mail. Minnesota businesses and organizations can choose to receive a hardcopy in the mail, ideal for routing to colleagues.

Archived past issues of Source are available on the MnTAP web site.

The Chemicals Policy Initiative of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are offering a training on the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals) legislation in September 2007. The training, entitled Turning REACH into an Opportunity: A Training on Implementing The European Union’s New REACH Legislation, will be held September 27 at the Lansing Community College West Campus in Lansing, MI. The following press release from the DEQ describes the training:

“REACH— Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals— is the recently adopted overhaul of the chemicals management system in the European Union (EU). Entered into force June 1, 2007, REACH has important implications for US firms exporting to European Member States.

Attend this one-day training to learn from one of the few REACH authors and other experts about what you need to know to comply with REACH, stay competitive, and advance more sustainable chemicals management in your firm.

Why Should I Attend?
The new REACH system puts much more responsibility on companies to collect data on most chemicals on the market, assess the risk of these chemicals, and define safe use down the supply chain. It also requires companies to justify continued use of chemicals of very high concern. Any company exporting chemicals or chemical mixtures into the EU; competes in Europe, the US or elsewhere with products meeting European standards; or exports finished products to Europe has been effected by REACH.

This training session will help US companies prepare for REACH and turn it from a challenge into an opportunity. European companies have been preparing for the challenges and opportunities of REACH for several years— US companies must be prepared to remain competitive. Attendees will receive a database of tools and resources to help them make informed decisions about chemicals alternatives.

Complete conference agenda and registration information will be available on the Web by late July at www.chemicalspolicy.org. Registration fee is $100 and includes continental breakfast, lunch, and conference materials. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required. Registration and Information Contact: Yve Torrie, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, 978-934-3121.”

Note that this event has been posted to the GLRPPR calendar, and an electronic version of the registration brochure will be linked to that event record when it becomes available. As part of Michigan DEQ’s Green Meetings Initiative, all marketing of this training will be done electronically. For more information on DEQ trainings, see the Trainings and Workshops section of the DEQ web site.

Thanks to Jennifer Acevedo of Michigan DEQ for providing this information.