Electronic manifests are almost here!
By Sarah Sage
E-manifest, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's national system for tracking shipments electronically, is set to go live at the end of June 2018. The e-Manifest requirements are effective in all states once the system goes live, including Washington.
What does this mean for generators, transporters, and receiving facilities?
Once the system goes live, receiving facilities will begin submitting all manifests (paper and electronic) to EPA.
Generators and transporters of dangerous waste will be able to create, edit, and sign their manifests electronically. They will also be able to view and print their own manifest copies and manifest status information.
Who will pay for this?
Receiving facilities will pay all fees associated with electronic manifesting.
However, receiving facilities may pass on the cost of the fees to their customers.
How much will this cost?
EPA will charge fees based on a sliding scale. Visit EPA’s website for more pricing information.
Using electronic manifests will be optional for the first few years. However, using paper manifests will be more expensive.
Where can I find more information about e-Manifest?
Visit EPA’s website for details and to keep updated on the latest developments.
Help us gather info about metal working fluids
By Rolfe Parsloe
Does your business use metal working fluid to machine parts? If so, Ecology needs your help collecting information about the metal working fluids used by the 800 machine shops in Washington. We've already heard from 150 machine shops throughout Eastern Washington, but we'd like to hear from Western Washington shops, too.
We hope to help machine shops choose products that don't designate as dangerous waste and are safer for workers. Our first step is to learn more about the metal working fluids you use — take our three-question survey.
We'll use the information you provide to create an anonymous list of products. We won't link any of the information we collect to any particular shop.
Chemicals and worker safety
It can be difficult to determine how safe the chemicals you use are for your employees. Many product Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) don’t provide comprehensive information about safety. And this incomplete information can make it hard to designate when those materials become waste.
We want to help businesses find safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals — learning more about the metal working fluids most commonly used in Washington will help us get started.
Learn more about methods for assessing the hazards of chemicals.
Learn more about the technical assistance Ecology specialists offer to help you prevent waste and pollution.
Upcoming spray efficiency trainings
By Ken Grimm, Pollution Prevention Resource Center
Spray efficiency trainings are coming in 2018 to locations around Washington. Ecology and the Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) have scheduled afternoon and evening sessions in three cities. The workshops will run from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m., and will include dinner. Follow the links for address, directions, and registration info:
Join PPRC’s email list to stay up-to-date on upcoming training opportunities.
Who should attend these trainings?
Any workers applying paint or coating to metal, plastic, or wood: auto body shops, parts manufacturers, or cabinet manufacturers.
Check out the
Upcoming Events section of PPRC’s website for updated information on these and all workshops, including those currently in the planning stage.
Contact
Ken Grimm
206-352-2050 ext. 102
kgrimm@pprc.org
Pollution prevention success: Alliance Machine Systems
By Janna Ryan
Alliance employee Jerry Brightwell wipes down a steel sheet with DEVPREP 88.
Alliance Machine Systems International, LLC designs, manufactures, installs, and services corrugated box manufacturing machines. The company employs about 200 people in Spokane.
In 2014, Alliance started working to reduce waste “to be more environmentally friendly and reduce our costs of disposal,” said Brian Barnes, the company's vice president for manufacturing.
It worked — Alliance reduced their dangerous waste by more than 5,000 pounds per year.
How they made reductions
They decided to tackle paints first. One major challenge was that their customers like to choose custom colors. That resulted in leftover paint colors that didn’t get used. Alliance worked with their vendors to switch to a less-hazardous paint and change their ordering methods.
“We found that we could buy the amounts of paint needed for each machine,” Barnes said, so they end up with only a few ounces of paint left over.
Alliance uses solvents to clean their gun lines and paint pots. They installed two distillation units so they could recapture used solvents. This reduced both their dangerous waste and the amount of solvent they need to purchase.
They next looked at the acetone-soaked rags they used when cleaning and degreasing steel machine parts. According to Barnes, Alliance was spending over $14,000 per year to dispose of acetone-soaked rags. The rags were their largest waste stream by weight, and designated as dangerous waste for ignitability (D001).
Alliance contacted some vendors to find an alternative to acetone for cleaning steel. After testing several products, they chose to switch to a water-based cleaner, DEVPREP 88, which doesn’t designate as dangerous waste.
Safer for workers
“DEVPREP [88] is much more friendly to our employees as it is not an irritant to the eyes, lungs, and skin, plus it is not flammable like acetone,” Barnes explained. DEVPREP 88 is 80-90 percent water.
The benefits of being a small quantity generator (SQG)
In 2017, Alliance’s status changed from medium to small quantity generator. Any facility with dangerous waste is called a “dangerous waste generator.” Generators fall into three groups, based on how much waste they generate per month: small, medium, or large quantity generator.
Small quantity generators have fewer regulations to follow:
- No accumulation time limit.
- No Pollution Prevention Planning Fee.
- No Dangerous Waste Annual Report (unless the company has an active RCRA Site ID number).
- May transport their own waste.
Continual improvement
Alliance looks to further reduce the amount of dangerous waste they generate and increase the safety of chemicals they use. They now only use acetone for a few specific tasks and are considering laundering those rags (read more about
managing used shop towels). Alliance is also considering switching to water-based painting and other means to reduce or eliminate dangerous waste in their drive for continual improvement.
Stay tuned — new TurboWaste coming in January 2019
By Sarah Sage
TurboWaste, Washington’s dangerous waste reporting tool, is getting a face-lift!
What does this mean for you?
Starting next year, dangerous waste reporters in Washington will notice a couple of changes to TurboWaste. Please keep in mind:
- You can’t start your 2018 Dangerous Waste Annual Report until January 2019.
- All TurboWaste users will need a SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account. We recommend you sign up for SAW if you don’t have one. TurboWaste will eventually be a service within SAW.
Visit our website for updates.
e-Manifest is now live
By Shawna Griffin
e-Manifest, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national system for electronically tracking shipments, is live. e-Manifest requirements are effective immediately in every state, including Washington.
What do you need to do?
- Verify your information is current in TurboWaste.
- If you are a generator or transporter, check with your hazardous/dangerous waste vendor to find out how they plan to move forward with the new e-Manifest requirements.
- If you are a treatment, storage, and disposal facility, register for e-Manifest in RCRAInfo.
Questions?
New toxics in firefighting law
By Janna Ryan
Firefighters from the 916th Air Force Reserve Fire Protection Flight fight a fire during an exercise on a mock fuselage. USAF photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian E. Christiansen.
A 2018 Washington state law restricts the use of a class of chemicals called PFAS (per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances) in firefighting foam and personal protective equipment (PPE). These restrictions affect manufacturers and users of:
- PFAS-containing firefighting foam.
- Firefighting PPE treated with PFAS.
What does the law include?
Firefighting foam training ban
Beginning July 1, 2018, use of PFAS-containing Class B firefighting foam for training is prohibited across Washington. There are no exceptions in the law for training.
Firefighting foam sales ban
Beginning July 1, 2020, this law will prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of PFAS-containing Class B firefighting foam. Four exemptions to this prohibition include: military, Federal Aviation Administration-certified airports, petroleum refineries and terminals, and certain chemical plants.
Firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) notice
Beginning July 1, 2018, manufacturers and sellers of PFAS-containing firefighting PPE must notify purchasers in writing if the equipment contains PFAS and the reasons for using the chemicals. The manufacturer, seller, and purchaser must keep the notice on file for at least three years, and provide it to Ecology if requested.
Why do we care about PFAS?
In recent years, PFAS contamination above EPA's health advisory level has been found in drinking water wells in:
- City of Issaquah.
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
- Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
- Fairchild Air Force Base/City of Airway Heights.
Check out our website for more information, including frequently asked questions. For other questions, contact Anne Knapp at 360-407-7601 or
anne.knapp@ecy.wa.gov.
Ecology close to adopting changes to Dangerous Waste Regulations
Upcoming green chemistry training opportunities
OSHA 7225 Transitioning to Safer Chemicals
September 5-6, 2018 Seattle
Register online
This course will guide participants through OSHA’s substitution planning process for understanding and evaluating chemical use, identifying and assessing alternatives, and implementing safer alternatives. OSHA 7225 is for professionals at all levels of chemistry understanding who play a role in product and materials selection.
Green Chemistry Online Certificate Program
Graduates of this three-course program will make a difference after learning to design safer chemicals and industrial processes. Today, businesses face increasing market and regulatory pressures to use less toxic chemicals in their manufacturing processes and products. They need professionals who can provide innovative solutions and more sustainable substitutes.
Program Dates: September 24, 2018 - June 7, 2019
Register for the three courses:
COURSE I: Sustainability, Toxicology, and Human Health
September 24, 2018 - December 7, 2018 | Cost: $910 | CEUs: 5, Course I Deadline: September 15, 2018
Overview of fundamental principles of toxicology, human health, and material science. Participants will review their own business’ sustainability drivers and barriers while investigating the health and environmental hazards that contribute to human disease.
COURSE II: Principles of Green Chemistry
January 7, 2019 - March 15, 2019 | Cost: $910 | CEUs: 5, Course II Deadline: December 22, 2018
Fundamental principles of green chemistry, including the human and ecological reasons for considering less toxic alternatives and the various green applications to chemical design. Overview of new tools and cutting edge research for the design of 21
st century chemicals that minimize hazards to health and the environment.
COURSE III: Assessment Tools for Safer Chemical Decisions
April 1, 2019 - June 7, 2019 | Cost: $910 | CEUs: 5, Course III Deadline: March 17, 2019
Decision-making tools and methods used for comparative chemical hazard assessments. Participants will have an opportunity to use these tools through the completion of a culminating project.