POLLUTION PREVENTION INTERNSHIP FINAL REPORT
DES-UNH Pollution Prevention Partnership
POLLUTION PREVENTION OUTREACH AND CASE STUDIES PROJECT
STUDENT:
Amanda Heath
132 Exeter Road
Newfields, NH 03856
Home: (603) 772-5342
e-mail: ah@christa.unh.edu
FACILITY: New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Waste Management Division
NH Pollution Prevention Program (NHPPP)
6 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301-6509
CONTACT:
Vincent Perelli, Waste Management Specialist
Phone: (603) 271-2902
Fax:
(603) 271-2456
e-mail: des-vp@granite.mv.net
SUMMARY
The pollution prevention case studies project, which the
previous DES student intern initiated, was continued,
highlighting NH companies which have successfully implemented
Pollution Prevention (P2) measures. Serving as the student
internship liaison, I organized student intern activities and
paperwork, fielded their questions, and performed P2 information
searches.
The NHPPP staff was assisted with a variety of
activities, including participation in the monthly pollution
prevention task force meetings, conducting P2 information
searches, and assisting in the maintenance of the NHPPP
information clearinghouse database. The UNH project manager was
assisted on tasks related to the Pollution Prevention
Partnership's Advisory Committee, Internship Program, and
Curriculum Development work.
BACKGROUND
The 1995 case studies project was a continuation of the one
initiated by last year's intern. Companies were selected to
receive outreach letters by analyzing the 1992 Annual Reports,
1992 Biennial Reports, and the Toxic Release Inventory Form R
Reports, focusing on companies that had reported hazardous waste
reduction. Of these 160 companies, 70 companies, within the
Contoocook, Souhegan, and Nashua sub-basins in the Merrimack
watershed, were sent letters.
Six of these companies responded
and a total of seven case studies were developed.
The student liaison position was created last year. The
function of this position is to contact students about meetings,
workshops, and be available to answer questions and conduct
information searches for them.
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
The goal of the case studies project is to convince
companies, by example, that P2 makes good economic and
environmental sense. By developing case studies on NH companies
with successful P2 programs in place, these success stories
could, in turn, inspire other companies to implement their own P2
measures.
The goal of this summer’s program was to get a better
response from the case study outreach companies. Last year’s
outreach letter was printed on NHDES letterhead. Because the
NHDES is a regulatory agency, companies might have been hesitant
to become involved in the case studies project for fear of being
reported. Another factor was that the letter referred to an onsite visit, which might have further threatened the companies. I
hoped to correct these problems by sending out the letter on UNH
letterhead, assuring companies that the NHPPP is non-regulatory,
and deleting the reference to the on-site visit.
The goal of the student liaison position was to keep the
students well-informed as to the scheduling of monthly progress
meetings and various training sessions, and to be available to
answer their questions and perform information searches.
APPROACH
Possible P2 case study company leads were found by reviewing
the 1994 Hazardous Waste Annual Reports (HWAR) and making a note
of all companies which had reported waste minimization and either
indicated yes or nothing when asked if they were interested in
developing a success story on their P2 projects. These companies
were cross-referenced with the companies found by the 1994
intern, the case studies companies from last summer, and the list
of companies currently slated to receive outreach letters. This
process allowed for greater contact with companies that might be
willing to participate in the case studies project. Once this
final list of recipients was compiled, the case study outreach
letters were mailed out, along with the Hadco case study
conducted last year, and the DES-UNH Partnership brochure. The
case study outreach letters were mailed out on UNH letterhead, to
make them less threatening.
Only three companies out of 130 called back by the deadline,
with an interest in participating in the case studies project,
but only two of these companies were good leads. The companies
which had indicated that they would be interested in developing a
success story on the 1994 HWAR were called back to confirm that
they had received the outreach letter and to ask them directly if
they were interested in developing case studies.
A site visit was conducted at GE Aircraft Engines, in
Hooksett, in order to collect information for the case studies.
They have several very impressive pollution prevention projects
to develop as success stories. They replaced the 1,1,1trichloroethane in the degreaser with Penpower and then replaced
it again with Brulin, eliminating 100,000 pounds of hazardous
waste. In GE's electrochemical grinding process, Chromium VI is
reduced to Chromium III, so that it can be effectively treated in
the wastewater, and not as a hazardous waste. Haz-Com training
made GE employees think of using coalescers to separate the waste
oil, lubricants, coolants, etc. from the waste stream that
everything was dumped into previously, allowing the coolant to be
recycled. The wastewater in Plant 1 is recycled using a Calfran
cold vapor distillation unit, and it reused in a closed loop
system. The other P2 project which they have successfully
implemented is silver recovery from the developer process.
Silver is now being recovered and sold, instead of being
discharged in the wastewater. GE staff representatives were very
enthusiastic about their pollution prevention successes, but
wanted assistance with areas for further improvements. We sent
them the requested information on recycling glass beads, oil,
fluorescent bulbs, and batteries, as well as information on
regenerating acid baths and aqueous cleaners.
WORK ACCOMPLISHED/PROJECT RESULTS
Three case studies have been developed for GE on silver
recovery from the film developing process, coolant recycling, and
the elimination of TCA as a parts cleaner.
Additional Activities:

The NHPPP information files were thoroughly reviewed and
sorted.

Data from the NH household hazardous waste collection days
from 1993 and 1994 was organized into a format that can be
easily entered into a database.

Information searches were done on coolant recycling,
recycling of fluorescent bulbs, high volume low pressure
paint guns, pesticides, auto salvage yards, general P2
practices, bakeries, ethanol, solvent distillation, etc.

Budgetary information was reviewed for the NHPPP Manager,
and a format was devised for its presentation.

The bi-annual DES-UNH P2 Partnership progress report was
compiled, printed out, and copied for Dwight Peavey.

The lists of glass and fluorescent bulb recyclers were
revised.

A pollution prevention assessment was performed for Textron
Automotives, Tooling Division in Dover, concentrating on
ways to reduce co-mingled plating and wet blasting
wastewater streams.
Student Liaison Activities:
Information searches were done on alternatives to solvent
parts cleaners, acid and metal recovery systems, chemical
inventory software, controlling VOC emissions, and reusing spent
xylene.
POLLUTION PREVENTION BENEFITS
By keeping things well organized, the other interns have
benefited by gaining important access to the NHPPP's Pollution
Prevention information clearinghouse and to key departments,
programs, and staff. I have benefited from this particular
internship, because of my exposure to the wide variety of
internship projects, both through informational searches and
dealing with the other interns. I have also learned through the
various P2 activities conducted with the staff in the NHPPP
office, as well as the database and oral presentation experience.
The pollution prevention case studies project showcases NH
companies involved in reducing their generation and release of
hazardous wastes and environmental pollutants. These companies,
as forerunners in the push to reduce wastes before they are
created, deserve recognition for their strides toward
environmental protection. This project serves to benefit these
companies, as well as informing the public and other companies of
P2 activities occurring within their state.
APPENDIX
I.
II.
Case study outreach letter
GE Aircraft Engines case study drafts