From the source [Vol. 13, no. 1 (Winter 2004)]

source from the

Winter 2004

Vol. 13, No. 1

A Publication of the Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division

Macon households remove 1,600 mercury thermometers

by David Gipson, Pollution Prevention Specialist
This January, the Medical Center of Central Georgia's non-profit Community Health Education and Career Center sponsored a thermometer swap in Macon's Colonial Mall. P2AD, with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has assisted approximately 20 other non-profits, local governments, and schools by providing training and replacement non-mercury thermometers, but none have been as successful as Macon's.
Betty Simms, publications coordinator at MCCG said, "we had an outstanding response to our thermometer swap due to the fact that the media really jumped on this as a public service." Gayle Bina, community education manager, added that cold and flu season is the perfect time to have an event like this because people are using their thermometers.
The Macon Telegraph ran regular announcements about the event and Channel 13 WMAZ also picked up the story. Charles Krauss, health educator at the Community Health Education and Career Center, said that
See Macon collection page 6

With more thermometers to come,MCCG's Charles Krauss (left), Gayle Bina (right) and P2AD's David Gipson (center) stand with approximately 1,300 mercury thermometers.

Metcam reduces wastewater by 94% through P2 innovation

105% rate of return on investment in Phase I provides a model for the metal finishing industry

by Colin Kiefer, Pollution Prevention Engineer

Two years ago, Metcam, Inc., a metal fabrication and finishing busi-

ness in Alpharetta, was searching for ways to increase profits and keep its

wastewater costs under control. Because the company was not connected

to a sewer line, it didn't have the ability to discharge non-hazardous

wastewater to the City of Alpharetta for treatment. Metcam's only options

for handling its wastewater were either expensive offsite treatment and

disposal, or onsite evaporation of its nonhazardous wastewater. There had

to be another option.

See Metcam page 3

inside Director's Column .......... 2 Food Waste ................. 7 Lockheed Martin ......... 9 Rain Garden .................... 4 Partnership Program ... 8 Calendar ...................... 10

DIRECTOR'S COLUMN

by G. Robert Kerr
As I retire from state government, and leave my jobs as the director of the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division of DNR and as Georgia's designated negotiator in the water dispute with Alabama and Florida over water allocation in the Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa Rivers Basin, and the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers Basins, I do so with mixed emotions.
I look forward with anticipation to new challenges and to having the time to do some of the things I have put off in the press of business. I look backward with great pride at what has been accomplished, but with a little sadness that I won't have a major hand in meeting the new opportunities that are in front of us.
My greatest source of pride is the people that staff P2AD. They are talented, skilled, and dedicated professionals, among the finest in

government at any level. Because of them, P2AD has become among the most respected technical assistance organizations in the country. When the legislature created P2AD in 1993, we began from scratch to build the expertise we have today. We first concentrated on manufacturing companies that used and/or created toxic substances, then expanded to all types of manufacturers and manufacturing processes. Gradually we added skill sets to meet the needs of commercial enterprises and institutions of all kinds, such as the hospitality industry, state parks and prison systems, hospitals, military bases, construction and demolition services, and the agriculture industry. P2AD is meeting its objectives of reducing contaminants in our environment, reducing use of raw materials, and improving the bottom line. Dollar savings that our staff have identified

source from the A Publication of the Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division
From the Source is a quarterly publication of the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). P2AD provides free, confidential, technical assistance in the areas of pollution prevention, resource conservation, waste reduction, by-product reuse, and recycling. Our clients include manufacturers, commercial businesses, institutions, military and government facilities, agricultural operations, consultants, and the citizens of Georgia.
Please contact us with address corrections, inquiries, and opinions. Articles in From the Source may be reprinted with permission from P2AD. Limited hardcopies of this publication are available upon request, and the full version of this edition (as well as back issues) are available online at www.p2ad.org.
For more information about P2AD's services, contact the Division at (404) 651-5120, (800) 6852443 (outside Atlanta), or via email at info@p2ad.org.
Editor: Suzanne Burnes Technical Reviewers: Chuck Boelkins, Bob Donaghue, Susan Hooper, and Iva Walls

for Georgia operations have far exceeded our annual budget, providing quite an impressive return on the investment of tax dollars in our mission.
In addition, we have formed formal partnerships with the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Southface, and the military. Informal partnerships are numerous. We developed recognition programs to reward Georgia's environmental leaders, and are now upgrading them to make them more meaningful and relevant as vehicles for continual environmental improvement in our state.
I could go on about the current activities, and about future plans. But I will leave that reporting to my able successor, Bob Donaghue. Bob has been with me since the beginning, and has consistently demonstrated, integrity, vision, leadership and management skills. I am very proud that he is replacing me. Also, a minor reorganization has taken place: Stephanie Busch and Judy Adler now act as Program Managers for our commercial and manufacturing sectors, respectively. They report to Bob, and are responsible for day-today management in these sectors. I'm confident that this trio and their associates will continue to ably serve
See Director, page 5

Page 2

Winter 2004

From the Source

Metcam Phase I, continued from page 1

solutions for their waste-

water issues as well.

Metcam and P2AD are

now working together in

a three-phase project that

will allow the company to

receive recognition

through the new P2AD

Mary Beth Schwefel of Metcam, and P2AD's Colin Kiefer conduct a permeate flow rate visual check.

Partnership Program. The three phases of

By joining forces with P2AD in the Georgia Metal Finishing Initiative (MFI), Metcam found that option through pollution prevention (P2).
The MFI is a unique industrygovernment partnership that is helping metal finishers around the state discover how P2 practices can help reduce their wastestreams and improve their bottom lines.

the project are: Phase I - Alkaline Spray Cleaner &
Rinse Bath Life Extension Study Phase II - Non-chrome Substitute
Aluminum Coating Study Phase III - Implementation of an
Environmental Management System P2AD helped Metcam identify
the full cost of the company's nonhazardous wastewater to help justify

Through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant program, P2AD was able to provide matching funds to Metcam to support its P2 efforts. In return, Metcam is working with

Through participation in the
MFI Pilot Project, Metcam
reduced ... wastewater volume by 94% cleaner usage by 64% wastewater treatment costs

P2AD to accelerate implementa-

by 78%

tion of P2 practices throughout the industry in Georgia by offering facility demonstrations and presenting the company's success at industry conferences and meetings.
Metcam specializes in precision metal fabrication, powder coating and light assembly. It received honorable mention at P2AD's 2002 Governor's Awards for eliminating nearly all hazardous paint waste by switching from solvent-based liquid painting to powder coating, and this initial P2 success inspired them to seek P2

needed process improvements and learned that Metcam was spending $33,500 to evaporate 80,600 gallons of non-hazardous wastewater from a five-stage iron phosphate washer. Increases in production meant rapid build-up of oil and solids in a critical rinse tank, which could negatively impact product quality. One solution called for increasing the frequency that the rinse tank was dumped, but this meant purchasing another evaporator at a cost of $42,000 and increasing the full

wastewater costs to $60,600 per year. Another option was to dump the rinse tank daily and send half of the wastewater to an offsite treatment and disposal facility, avoiding the evaporator purchase but increasing wastewater costs to $70,600 per year. The best solution was to minimize the rinse wastewater at the source.
After considering three different P2 technologies that would provide source reduction, Metcam chose an ultrafiltration membrane system. By removing the oils and solids from the cleaner bath, the rinse would last much longer, and a portion could be returned to the cleaner as makeup.
The pilot project was a tremendous success with a 94% reduction in wastewater, a 64% reduction in cleaner usage, and a 78% reduction in wastewater treatment costs, while maintaining consistent product quality. The P2 practice selected proved effective in slowing the buildup of oil and solids in the rinse, allowing its life to be extended from two days to three months. It also rejuvenated a six-month-old spent cleaner bath, preventing this solution from being dumped as well. The project had a simple payback of eight months with a net savings of $29,000 per year, an internal rate of return of 105%, and a net present value of just over $300,000.
For more information on the MFI,
contact Colin Kiefer at (404) 651-
5128 or colin_kiefer@p2ad.org.

From the Source

Winter 2004

Page 3

Rain gardens provide a creative solution for treating stormwater

by Dr. Rose Mary Seymour, Agricultural Pollution Prevention Program, University of Georgia

We're all familiar with traditional methods for treating stormwater runoff from paved surfaces--storm drains, combined sewers, retention ponds. While the effectiveness of these methods is debated, seldom are they considered features of our urban landscape that are pleasing to the eye. P2AD's Agricultural Pollution Prevention (AgP2) program, the Clean Water Campaign and the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service are working to change that urban landscape and protect our rivers and streams by promoting rain gardens as a new stormwater management tool.
Rain gardens are landscape features where the surface of the soil is shaped like a basin to capture stormwater, and is then planted with a variety of appropriate species of trees, shrubs, perennial herbaceous plants and/or ornamental grasses. A rain garden is designed to intercept some or all of the stormwater from a rainfall event, particularly the "first flush" of a storm. This first flush is considered the most contaminated stormwater during any storm (for Atlanta, this amounts to the first 1.2 inches that fall during a storm). In the Atlanta area, only about 15% of all rainfall events will exceed this amount, causing some runover of stormwater from the rain garden.
This winter, AgP2 program staff and Todd Hurt, county extension agent, held workshops for homeowners on how to construct rain gardens in their yards and

landscapes. Workshops (co-

sponsored by the Clean

Water Campaign) were held

in Morrow, Sandy Springs,

South Fulton, and Cobb,

Gwinnett, DeKalb, and

Cherokee counties, and were

well attended. Participants

were given an overview of

stormwater issues including the importance of onsite

Workshop participants visit a new rain garden outside the Physical Plant at the University of Georgia.

capture and treatment and instructed on how to construct a rain garden. Two

additional workshops are planned for March 22 in Conyers and March 31 in

Alpharetta.

Not only is a rain garden functional, but with the right plants, it adds

beauty to the landscape. Homeowners have many choices in creating the

character of their rain gardens. They can create a butterfly garden in a bright

sunny location with bright flowering perennials, or they might want their rain

garden to be a more native area of the landscape filled with native plants.

Rain gardens are an exciting new idea in Georgia that allows

homeowners to prevent pollution and contribute to sound stormwater

management in their communities.

See Rain Gardens page 5

Frequently Asked Questions: Rain Gardens

What should I consider when designing a rain garden?
Location, appropriate sizing and selection of plants that can survive in saturated soil as well as in drought conditions.
How do rain gardens work?
Stormwater may be channeled to the rain garden through swales or pipes or may flow into the rain garden as sheet flow along the uphill edge. The stormwater is retained in the rain garden and infiltrates into the soil. Rain gardens can be placed to capture runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs, patios or driveways. Reducing the volume of stormwater leaving the home landscape can reduce the need and cost of downstream stormwater pollutant removal systems.
Why are rain gardens more effective than traditional treatment ?
Traditionally, residential landscapes (typically planted in turfgrass) are graded to carry stormwater to storm drains quickly and directly (taking with it pollutants and trash), providing no treatment or removal of pollutants before the stormwater is dumped into local streams, rivers and lakes.
Rain gardens have been shown to hold 30% more runoff than graded turfgrass lawns. By allowing more stormwater to infiltrate and remain onsite, the groundwater and nearby streams are replenished. The soil, plants and mulch within rain gardens also utilize and treat pollutants through physical, chemical and biological processes.

Page 4

Winter 2004

From the Source

Local student wins national radon poster contest

by Marci DeSart, Pollution Prevention Specialist

In an effort to raise aware-

ness and promote understanding

about the dangers of radon gas, a

statewide poster contest was held

last fall. Students were charged

with creating either a hand-drawn

or computer generated poster.

Mark Calvert's winning poster.
Georgia made an admirable showing in the 2003 National Radon Poster Contest, held Jan. 13 at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Washington, D.C. headquarters.
Marki Calvert, a sixth grader at Loganville Middle School, won first place in the computer generated category and was presented with a $750 U.S. savings bond, plaque and 10 t-shirts emblazoned with her design by EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt. Included in the all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. and beaming proudly from the audience were Marki's parents, younger sister and Becky Chenhall, one of four regional radon educators in Georgia supported by P2AD's State Indoor Radon Grant (SIRG) from EPA.

The University of Georgia's (UGA) President Michael Adams honored first place winners Calvert, and Jeneka Avery of Monroe at a ceremony in Athens last December. The Georgia contest winners then went on to the national competition.
The statewide radon poster contest was sponsored by UGA's College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) and funded by the U.S. Department of AgricultureCooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service, Division of Housing and the Environment. "Due to our successful partnership with P2AD's radon program, we were able to leverage additional funding to hold this poster contest for middle school students, a population not typically targeted with the radon message," said Dr. Jorge Atiles, assistant professor and extension

housing specialist with UGA.

"There have been so many positive

outcomes from this [contest], we will definitely pursue funding to carry out

this event next year," he added.

The trip to Washington, DC was a first for Calvert, who learned

about the poster contest at a 4-H

meeting. The best parts of the

experience, she said, were "The

awards cer-

emony and

The 2004 P2AD

riding around and visiting the sights in a limo." "We went to the JFK memorial, the Museum of Natural History,

Radon Grant Application
is now available at www.p2ad.org. Applications
are due April 26th.

Arlington

Cemetery, and I saw the changing of

the guards. We went by the White

House, the Capitol and the Penta-

gon--it was one of the best days of my life!"

For more information on the SIRG

program, contact Marci DeSart at

(404) 657-5204 or

marci_desart@p2ad.org.

Rain Gardens, cont. from page 4 For more information, visit the
Clean Water Campaign at www.cleanwatercampaign.com/ what_can_i_do/raingardenwork shop.html. For details on the Conyers workshop, call (770) 785-5952 or email uge1247 @uga.edu. For information on the Alpharetta workshop, call (678) 297-6200 or email tporter@alpharetta.ga.us.

Director, cont. from page 2
P2AD and its client partners after I pass the baton. I sincerely wish that I could visit with each of you who have used one
or more of our services and express my personal appreciation for the confidence you have shown in our work and the staff. All P2AD has to "sell" is its credibility, and you have helped us achieve that credibility, while becoming more efficient in your own right. I leave with the satisfaction that P2AD has made a significant contribution to the well being of the state, and that it is in good hands. If you have a desire to contact me, you can do so at kerdis@mindspring.com.

From the Source

Winter 2004

Page 5

Vehicle maintenance P2 tips
Waste reduction for any fleet or garage operation
by John Allen, Pollution Prevention Engineer
When you think of vehicle repair, cleanliness and good environmental performance may not be the first things that pop into your mind. This does not have to be the case. There are several ways in which you can make your automotive repair shop a shining example of pollution prevention and waste reduction. Here are just a few suggestions:
P2 Tips for the Garage
Wipe, brush, scrape and hand clean parts before cleaning them with solvents, to reduce the contaminants in your solvent solution.
Use dirty solvent for initial cleaning and then a clean solution for the final cleaning. When the clean solution starts to get dirty, use it for your first stage. Dirty solvent can also be filtered and reused.
Use citrus-based solvents or switch to an aqueous cleaning system instead of a solvent-based parts washer. When buying a new cleaner, check the Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) for important information on safety and proper disposal.
Keep lids on all solvents and turn off your solvent sink when not in use. This will help prevent losses due to spills and evaporation.
Keep spent solvents and other wastes such as oil and antifreeze separate. Mixing wastes will limit your ability to recycle them and increase the amount of hazardous waste that must be managed.
Use funnels or pumps when handling liquid products or wastes when possible.
Consider using a pressure washer or steam cleaner to wash engine compartments and vehicles to reduce water use.
Practice good housekeeping to prevent spills, reduce the need for absorbents, and minimize floor washing.
Collect any wastewater from uncontained washing such as floors and large components for proper disposal or recycling.
Try using retreaded tires, re-refined motor oil and engine oil analysis to reduce waste generation.
For items that cannot be reduced or reused such as used antifreeze, lead-acid batteries, motor oil, oil filters, contaminated solvents and scrap tires, visit www.earth911.org to find recycling options.

Macon collection, continued from page 1

Channel 13 was taping another event at the mall and "got

wind" of the swap and taped it as well.

Long lines started forming early on Wednesday and Saturday mornings as people waited to swap their

mercury thermometers for

mercury-free models. The large turnout for the event demonstrates that the

Mercury Collection

citizens of Macon recognize the dangers posed by mercury in thermometers.
School collections In addition to support-
ing events such as this one across the state, P2AD, in

Impact
155 pounds have been collected to date, which
equals 70,215 grams. If one gram can
contaminate a 20-acre lake, how many lakes could 70,215 grams
contaminate?

cooperation with the

Georgia Department of Education, has facilitated the

removal of mercury in school science labs and health clinics. Three school districts have taken advantage of

the program, removing elemental mercury and devices that could release mercury in the school if broken. In

total, 155 pounds of mercury have been removed from

schools and households. This process has also shown a

number of schools the importance of taking the time to inventory other old lab chemicals no longer in use, and properly dispose of them.

Because of the inability to destroy mercury

without further contaminating the environment, the preferred management method for mercury is recycling.

This avoids the need to mine for new mercury to

produce the shrinking number of new (largely nonresidential) mercury-containing products.

If you would like more information about how your

school system can hold a mercury collection event, contact

David Gipson at (404) 657-5208 or

david_gipson@p2ad.org.

Source: Automotive Repair and the Environment, Georgia Tech Research Institute (1998).

Page 6

Winter 2004

From the Source

Commercial food waste--turning a problem into a product

Stakeholders search for new home for metro Atlanta food waste
by Teresa Shiflett, Pollution Prevention Specialist

Just think of what must happen to the food prep waste, spoiled produce, and uneaten scraps at every corporate cafeteria, sporting event venue, convention facility, concert venue, hotel, hospital, school cafeteria, grocery store and restaurant in the city of Atlanta! While there are currently no viable alternatives for businesses to process this waste other than landfilling, P2AD and a number of other organizations are working to change that.
The problem Waste food is one of the most
troublesome components of municipal solid waste. Typically composing over 14% of our solid waste volume, these organics reduce the life of our landfills, are the source of much of the odor concerns related to residential/commercial garbage, and their weight (due to high liquid content) makes them costly to transport. Once in landfills, their degradation causes production of global warming gases such as methane, and their liquid byproducts percolate through the landfill, carrying with them any metals, household chemicals and other contaminants that must be pumped and treated lest they become a cause of groundwater pollution.
First steps toward a solution The positive side of food
waste is that it is largely a recover-

able waste stream, and by diverting it for proper composting, it not only ceases to be a problem to be managed--it becomes a valuable product for sale. Compost has many benefits as a soil amendment, including building soil structure, improving moisture retention, increasing organic content necessary for plant growth, and reducing soil erosion.
Did you know?
2.6% of all food residuals in the US are currently recovered
21 tons of food waste are generated annually in the US
Composting of this waste would be the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road, in carbon emission reductions
27% of all food that is produced in the US is thrown away
Disposing of food waste in the US costs approximately $1 billion/year
Source: EPA, www.epa.gov/jtr/docs/food.pdf
A series of discussions have begun in metro Atlanta regarding food waste composting for commercial businesses and institutions. A diverse group of stakeholders from universities, state-operated cafeterias, private food service compa-

nies, corporations generating food wastes, grocery stores, processors of organics and food wastes, haulers, university researchers, state regulators, non-profit community-based organizations, local governments, and the federal government are meeting to develop an action plan to address perceived barriers to the successful implementation of a food waste composting infrastructure.
On Dec. 4, 2003, P2AD hosted a Commercial Food Waste Composting Roundtable for Metro Atlanta. Stakeholders listened to researchers from the University of Georgia and from experienced food waste composting planners from Massachusetts regarding the status of large-scale composting in Georgia and the lessons learned from implementing a grocery store pilot food waste composting project in an urban area. This facilitated session generated much discussion on significant issues that need to be resolved before successful food waste management options can be implemented in metro Atlanta. Issues raised were grouped into the following general categories: collection and transportation, processing facilities, end-use markets, regulations, and incentives.
Working groups established At the request of the stake-
holders at this meeting, P2AD assumed the role of coordinator for
See Food waste, page 10

From the Source

Winter 2004

Page 7

P2AD launches Partnership Program

Performance Track

Partners benefit from technical assistance, regulatory flexibility

P2AD officially opened enrollment in its new Partnership Program Feb. 1. A voluntary initiative, the Partnership Program is open to any organization that operates in Georgia, and includes four Partnership levels designed to fit the goals and efforts of various organizations interested in reducing pollution and saving money.
"Our goal for this program is to support and reward the voluntary efforts of our members to prevent pollution," said Bob Donaghue,
Partnership Levels
White Ribbon Partner Open to government and non-governmental agencies, environmental groups and others that provide services and support to the Partners.
Yellow Ribbon Partner Organizations that are starting to develop proactive environmental policies, management plans, and educational efforts.
Red Ribbon Partner Organizations that are proactively implementing pollution prevention and cost-saving strategies, while integrating environmental stewardship into daily business operations, all within the framework of an environmental management system.
Blue Ribbon Partner Organizations that have reached the highest achievement level and are model environmental leaders. Blue Ribbon Partners commit to strengthen their environmental management systems over time through the use of pollution prevention, community outreach, and other sustainability practices, and act as mentors for Red and Yellow level participants. The Blue Ribbon level coincides with EPA's National Performance Track recognition program.

assistant director of P2AD. "Environmental stewardship makes good business sense, but some companies just don't know how to get started. We provide them with the assistance to develop a program, and offer increased benefits as their commitment to pollution prevention increases. On the other hand, we also have a number of recognized environmental leaders in the state. These Partners gain valuable opportunities to mentor others, are eligible for regulatory flexibility, and ultimately work side-by-side with policy makers to improve the environmental quality of Georgia communities."
Through the Partnership Program, P2AD's staff works directly with companies and organizations across a broad spectrum of industries and businesses, with both public and private sectors, and small and large workforces. The Partnership Program allows an organization wishing to begin pollution prevention activities to tap into P2AD's expertise to develop an effective environmental program. Interested organizations may submit applications for enrollment until Apr. 30. There will also be a second enrollment period this year, from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31.
The Partnership Program entry level for each business or organization is different and based on activities already in place as well as those to be completed during the term of Partnership: three years for

welcomes new GA
members
This winter, EPA welcomed Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America, International Paper, and Lockheed Martin as members in its National Environmental Performance Track Program. Participating facilities receive a low priority status for inspections; reduced regulatory, administrative and reporting burdens; and public recognition. Performance Track currently has 344 members from 43 states and Puerto Rico.
For more information on EPA's
National Performance Track, visit
www.epa.gov/performancetrack.
White, Yellow and Red Ribbon; unlimited at Blue Ribbon level.
All P2AD Partners become part of a cohesive network of organizations that share a common goal to prevent pollution at the source and create and maintain sustainable business practices. Benefits increase as a business or organization moves through the partnership levels. Becoming a P2AD Partner also enables organizations to more easily meet the requirements for national and international recognition programs, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Performance Track.
To apply for the P2AD Partnership
Program, visit www.p2ad.org. For more
information on the program, contact
Francisco Cordero at (404) 231-5522
or fcordero@envsource.com.

Page 8

Winter 2004

From the Source

Lockheed Martin reduces costs while improving aircraft

painting efficiency

by Bill Vondersmith, Pollution Prevention Engineer

Lockheed Martin Aeronautic Company (LM Aero), located in Marietta, manufactures C-130J cargo aircraft for the U.S. military and other governments around the world. A key component of its operations is paint spraying. Over the past nine years, as they have worked with P2AD, LM Aero has become a real pollution prevention (P2) leader in the state, and been recognized nationally for its efforts. One recent project with P2AD has reduced paint and solvent use while improving quality and profitability in paint spray operations.
Background Early in 2002, P2AD helped
conduct a waste reduction assessment at the C-130J painting operation. Consistent with LM Aero's ongoing P2 efforts, the project was authorized and a team was assigned with the mission of reducing paint and hazardous materials needed to complete the C-130J aircraft.
As a result of the aerospace National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1995, LM Aero converted to high volume low pressure (HVLP) paint spray equipment. HVLP equipment operated at 10 psi or less, as required by NESHAP, can produce a high application efficiency and good quality when applying low to medium viscosity coatings. How-

ever, over the years LM Aero had experienced problems with coating thickness when applying high viscosity two-component primers and topcoats to C-130J aircraft with the HVLP equipment. Adding more coating than is needed for corrosion protection results in additional hazardous emissions and increases the weight of the aircraft. Additional coating thickness on a large aircraft like the C-130J will increase fuel consumption, inflating operational cost and emissions to fly the aircraft.
Process Improvements Through hands-on paint and
coating training at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC), support personnel from the C-130J paint area were able to test alternative spray equipment using LM Aero's coatings. As a result, they identified an airless, air-assisted system produced by Kremlin that had potential for improving their process.
Back at the plant, initial tests were run comparing the Kremlin system to HVLP and conventional spray equipment. The results showed that the Kremlin unit was more efficient in spraying the high viscosity coatings.
In order to switch to this higher efficiency equipment, LM Aero had to first provide a test plan to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to have the airless, air-assisted equipment approved for use under NESHAP and the

LM Aero staff painting the tail of a C-130J.
company's state air permit. Test results confirmed that the airless, airassisted Kremlin equipment was more efficient, producing less air emissions and waste, and the Georgia EPD Air Protection Branch approved the Kremlin unit for use.
In addition to converting to the airless, air-assisted equipment, the shop has replaced three 12-gallon pressure pots with a central supply, providing better control of paint waste and pressure settings. Six spray guns are fed through 100-foot air and fluid hoses from the paint supply. Also, pressure control has been added at the spray guns for adjusting the pressure based on the elevation at which they are being used.
By upgrading equipment, changing procedures, and providing its C-130J painters with specialized training and time to acclimate themselves to the equipment, LM Aero has reduced paint usage by 27% and hazardous waste by 19%, yielding a 30% material cost savings.
For additional information on
paint spray P2, contact Bill Vondersmith
at (404) 657-7446 or
bill_vondersmith@p2ad.org.

From the Source

Winter 2004

Page 9

Calendar of Events 2004

Mar. 26-27 Mar. 30-Apr. 3 Mar. 31
Apr. 19-22 Apr. 29 May 11

Staples and Best Buy are hosting a Computer Electronics Recycling Event at the Best Buy at 975 North Point Dr. in Alpharetta, from 10 am to 5 pm. The following items will be accepted: TVs, monitors, CPUs, scanners, printers, fax machines, printer cartridges, stereo equipment,VCRs, phones and rechargeable batteries. A $10 fee will be charged for TVs under 27" ($20 for larger) and computer monitors.
The 30th National Association of Demolition Contractors Annual Conference will be held in Orlando, FL. For more details, contact the NADC at (215) 348-4919.
Join the AgP2 Program, the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the UGA Extension Service for a workshop explaining data collected about Agricultural Water Use in Georgia and the Requirements for Installing Water Meters on all permitted irrigation wells. The workshop will be held in Dublin at the Cloverleaf Restaurant. Subsequent workshops on this topic will be held on Jun. 8 in Appling County, and Jun. 22 in Bulloch County. Contact Gary Hawkins at (229) 386-3914 or ghawkins@tifton.uga.edu for more information.
The National Environmental Assistance Summit will be held in Baltimore, MD, hosted by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable and U.S. EPA. This conference is a merger of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable Spring Conference and the National Compliance Assistance Providers Forum. For more information, visit www.p2.org/summit2004.
Dr. Karl-Henrik Robrt will be speaking at the Georgia Institute of Technology as part of the Anderson/Interface Chair Natural Systems Speaker Series. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development and the School of Industrial & Systems Engineering. Visit www.sustainable.gatech.edu for more details.
The AgP2 Program will be hosting a workshop Beef Cattle Forages and Finishing: Making the Most of Your Cattle Farm at the NW Georgia Research and Education Center's Redbud Farm. Lunch is provided, but there will be a registration fee of $5.00. For more information, contact Julia Gaskin (706) 542-1401 or jgaskin@engr.uga.edu.

Food waste, continued from page 7

stakeholder working groups to

address each of these categories.

One meeting for each designated

working group

For more information on the composting research of P2AD Partner, the UGA Engineering Outreach Program, visit www.engr.uga. edu/service/ outreach/ Articles.htm #composting

was scheduled. Presentations from stakeholders and a facilitated session to develop action items are included at each meeting. The goal is that

each working

group will

develop an action plan by June 30

for removing its specific food waste

composting impediments. Notices of the meetings are posted at www.p2ad.org, and all interested stakeholders are invited to attend.
Georgia Food Waste Density Mapping Project
During the first working group meeting hosted by the City of Atlanta on Feb. 5, P2AD announced efforts to map, through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the location of major commercial and institutional food waste generators in the 11 metro Atlanta area counties plus Bartow and Cherokee counties. Estimated quantities generated will also be input into this system. This Georgia

Food Waste Density Mapping Project is being developed by P2AD in cooperation with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 and the DNR Program Support Division, and patterned after the food waste mapping project implemented by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (found online at www.state.ma.us/dep/recycle/ files/foodwast.doc).
For more information about this
project, or to register for a working
group meeting please contact Teresa
Shiflett at teresa_shiflett@p2ad.org or
(404) 657-7440. For information
about other solid waste reduction
initiatives, please visit www.p2ad.org.