This year's winners demonstrate that accomplishments in pollution prevention and waste reduction can result in a cost savings for businesses, while at the same time promoting environmental protection. Many of these award finalists have incorporated goals of zero discharge into their overall environmental strategy. Other businesses can look to these award finalists for inspiration and leadership as they too seek to advance their industrial competitiveness by instituting pollution prevention and energy efficiency strategies. The Department of Environmental Protection is pleased to highlight the 1996 award finalists case studies. Congratulations to each of the award finalists.
Pollution prevention is built into facility planning, systems, machinery and new construction.
The company has a comprehensive source reduction strategy that addresses both large and small residual and hazardous waste streams. The company's five year waste minimization and handling plan, developed by its Waste Minimization Team, includes facility mechanisms geared toward tracking and managing fifty-eight waste facility waste streams. The revised plan will be expanded to address approximately 80 waste streams. The facility recently implemented three major projects. The first eliminated the generation of 15,000-25,000 lbs. of a F006 hazardous waste by replacing the old chemical precipitation system used to remove heavy metals with a state of the art ion exchange system.