These mixtures of wastes are not necessarily high in toxicity. However, they comprise some of the largest volumes of our industrial waste. And, they're difficult to treat. The organics make it difficult to recover the ammonia, and the ammonia makes it difficult to remove the organics. D.C. Ammonia is a common household chemical and a widely used ingredient in fertilizers.
Organic chemicals are compounds containing carbon, including hydrocarbons and other petrochemicals.
Both are widely used in industrial processes and are much easier to treat separately than in combination. The process selected must recover the ammonia and remove at least 99 percent of the toxic chemicals from the waste streams. Proposals must be submitted by the end of the year, and any winner will be announced in 1995. Employees of Monsanto, retirees after 1993, judges named by CWRT, as well as immediate family members, are not eligible to participate. However, Beaver said, a program of internal incentives is being used to reward employees for further progress in reducing waste at the source.