Business Oriented Air Quality News March/April 1997
Inside this Issue:
- Celite Benefits from APCD?s Boiler InitiativeChromium Standard for Metal FinishersPollution Prevention ABC?s
Index of Topics in Past Issues
Celite Benefits from APCD?s Boiler Initiative
The Air Pollution Control District, Celite Corporation, North American Manufacturing, and The Gas Company joined together under the APCD?s Boiler Initiative to demonstrate the effectiveness of an ultra-low polluting boiler burner for the Celite Diatomaceous Earth Processing Plant in Lompoc. The new piece of equipment replaces an existing unit which emitted over five times the pollutants of the new advanced technology.
The purpose of the APCD?s Boiler Initiative is to demonstrate natural gas boiler burners that exceed the standards of APCD?s Rule 342 by 50% or more and to increase the fuel efficiency of boiler burners. The current standard is 30 parts per million (ppm) nitrogen oxides (NOx) at 3% oxygen. Therefore, the goal is to demonstrate burners achieving 15 ppm NOx or less.
Facilities qualifying for this program are given incentives in the form of cost-share funding to install and operate ultra-low NOx technologies. Participants are requested to provide access to the equipment and emissions testing results as a ?showcase? for other interested parties.
The boiler operated by Celite is a Nebraska industrial-size water tube boiler. The boiler burner demonstrated through this program is a Magna Flame LE burner from North American Manufacturing Company. The Gas Company, APCD, North American Manufacturing Company, and Celite all contributed funds to purchase the new burner hardware. In addition, Celite paid all equipment installation costs. The Magna Flame LE Burner achieved a NOx emission concentration of 13.1 ppm during a performance test.
Celite benefits by obtaining equipment at a reduced cost that will meet present and future emission standards. Additionally, Celite will likely see operational cost savings from increased fuel efficiency. North American Manufacturing is given the opportunity to demonstrate their technology and The Gas Company benefits by helping an important customer save energy and money. The APCD and the residents of Santa Barbara County benefit from reduced NOx emissions and better air quality.
The primary funding for APCD?s participation in the program is provided by Chevron. Emission reductions for the program to date have amounted to approximately 4.3 tons per year of NOx.
For more information, contact Jeff Carmody of the APCD?s Innovative Technologies Group at 805-961-8884.
Chromium Standard for Metal Finishers
A new report from the Common Sense Initiative Metal Finishing Subcommittee provides assistance for finishers with a new Chromium Emissions MACT Standard. The report, Hard Chrome Pollution Prevention Demonstration Project – Interim Report, provides peer-reviewed information on the effectiveness and cost of simple pollution prevention technologies to help metal finishers meet or exceed the Chromium Emissions Standard that came into effect this January.
An important finding is that in-tank chemical fume suppressants, when used with existing control devices, can reduce emissions sufficiently to comply with the standard. A copy of the report may be downloaded from the National Metal Finishing Resource Center?s Web site, http://www.nmfrc.org. Or call the APCD?s Business Assistance Line, 805-961-8868.
Pollution Prevention ABC?s
Pollution prevention (P2) is good for business. The following P2 ideas can help you save money and improve employee and public relations.
- Avoid using aerosol spray cans. Buy low-emission equipment. Conserve energy and purchase energy efficient equipment.Drive less; cars and trucks cause approximately half of our smog-forming air pollution. Educate yourself and your employees; learn as much as possible about air pollution. Focus on pollution prevention. Ask yourself, ?Is this the most efficient way to do this?? Give employees incentives to find new pollution prevention ideas. Have your vendor give you information on water-based or low-polluting alternatives to the solvents, coatings, adhesives, and paints you use. Increase efficiency and minimize waste. Join government-industry partnerships for innovative ways to reduce pollution and save money. Keep all solvents, paints, and adhesives covered when not in use. Label all containers to prevent mistakes that might result in wastes requiring disposal. Maintain equipment and processes in good working order to avoid leaks and spills. Never top-off your car?s tank when buying gasoline.Oil: recycle it. Contact the Community Environmental Council, 805-963-0583, for information on how and where to recycle your used motor oil. Publicize your pollution prevention efforts. Quantify the amount of pollution and waste your business creates. How can you reduce waste and save money through lower permit and disposal costs? Reduce, reuse, and recycle paper, aluminum, cardboard, glass, and more! Landfills and the transport of solid waste cause air pollution, too. Smog Check: participate in the Smog Check program and do not remove smog control equipment. Tampering is illegal, expensive, and does not improve a car?s performance. Telecommute: work at home when your work allows it. Help develop a telecommuting pilot project for your company. Use a broom; leafblowers stir up fine particles and move the problem somewhere else. In an hour, a gas powered leaf blower can pollute as much as some cars. Vanpool; help set up vanpools for employees with long commutes. Call 805-963-SAVE. When replacing equipment, buy energy-efficient or low-polluting models. Xeriscape with slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants to save water and reduce yard waste. Your efforts make a difference! Zero emission vehicles: the next time you buy a car, consider a zero- or low-emission model.
Remember, a P2 program is never finished. It is an ongoing and integral part of the way you do business. or more information on what you can do to prevent pollution, or for a copy of our more detailed Introduction to Pollution Prevention at Your Business, e-mail or call the APCD?s Business Assistance Line at 805-961-8868.
