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INSIDE
JANUARY 2011
VOLUME 43
NO. 1
COLUMNS The Editor’s Desk
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Another sweeping election on Capital Hill could affect key environmental legislation. By Roy Bigham
Legal Lookout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 Big changes may be ahead environmentally as the House of Representatives decidedly turns in a new political direction. By Lynn L. Bergeson
Green Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Better, greener and convenient packaging changes are being driven by the market. By Barbara Quinn
The Environmental Professional . . . . . . . . . 11 An environmental professional’s services include honest and ethical conduct on behalf of your client at all times, even when they don’t think so. By Christopher Young
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State Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Environmental Rules change daily. BLR brings a few of the latest changes needed to stay in compliance. By BLR
FEATURES Technologies for 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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It is that time of year again as the PE staff takes a look at new technologies that could impact our environment.
The Right Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTO solutions for environmental compliance in the cement industry don’t have to be complicated, but they do need the right ingredients.
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32
EPA Protocol Gas Verification Program: 2011 . . . . . . . . . . .
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The EPA published results of a Protocol Gas Verification Program in 2008. Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look at part two three years later.
Black Carbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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In critical areas of the globe, other pollutants are more potent than CO2, and governments are taking steps to increase control.
Member
May 16-19, 2011
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INSIDE SPECIAL REPORTS Technical Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
DEPARTMENTS EnviroNews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08
PROVEN SOLUTIONS
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ON THE WEB
Day 1 opening keynote speaker for the RemTEC Summit will be Jerry Schnorr from the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The morning sessions will be chaired by distinguished professors from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Arizona State University as well as representatives of GeoSyntec and Microseeps. Turn to page 36 for more information. Go to www.remtecsummit.com for a complete agenda listing.
POLLUTION CONTROL SOLUTIONS FOR AIR, WATER, SOLID & HAZARDOUS WASTE
ON THE COVER
DECEMBER 2010
Carbon nanotubes could present a material revolution from membranes to the electrodes in preciptators.
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Pollution Engineering JANUARY2011
Designed by Pollution Engineering's Art Director Tammie Gizicki.
EDITOR'SDESK Is There a Doctor in the House? Another sweeping election on Capital Hill could affect key environmental legislation.
W
ith the change of political alignments in the 112th Congress, many people have asked what we can expect. Our legal editor Lynn Bergeson weighed in this month to suggest that she expects spending for EPA projects will be lowered, and that the House may try to frustrate the administration’s attempts to accomplish specific tasks. Any attempt to predict the actions of the new Congress are just opinions and there is no end to the number of those available (have you met the Internet?). Having said that however, I don’t expect there will be a great deal of change in direction over the next two years. While the House is controlled by the Republicans, the Democrats control everything else. I would expect President Obama would use the power of the executive order even more than previously if he believes it is needed. I also do not expect that the Republican Party will be as cohesive as they have been because there appears to be some resentment amongst at least some of the established members. There are forces within Washington that are inexorable. They work totally behind the scenes and are not definable. They are sort of like a black hole in that we know they are there but we cannot observe them. We only see that they impact everything. No matter how determined any new member has been when he or she arrives in town, they soon discover that they have to give in or disappear. Here is an example. Nearly every session, at least one member tries to cut costs by eliminating elevator operators at the Capitol Building. The elevators are
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Both sides of the aisle have said that energy is a key item of interest.
similar to most any other system in this country in that one enters the small space and presses a button to reach a particular floor. At the Capitol, some of the elevators that are used by the members are manned by operators that push the buttons for the members of Congress. The members claim the operators are needed to police the traffic and make sure that visitors do not use the well-marked, members-only machines. I guess with all the money they spend on parking lots and sports arenas for their home states they cannot afford to install ID fob readers. Both sides of the aisle have said that energy is a key item of interest. The 112th Congress will certainly try to tackle this problem again as everyone knows that jobs need to be stimulated and energy -saving technologies are in high demand. It has been proven in the past that environmental protection can also be a tremendous job starter. PE
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Roy Bigham is Editor of Pollution Engineering. He can be contacted at
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ENVIRONEWS PE Events JANUARY 2011 31-2
EUEC 2011, Phoenix, www.euec.com
FEBRUARY 2011 7-10
6th International Conference on Remediation of Contaminated Sediments, New Orleans, www.battelle.org/sedimentscon
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IHS Defense Energy Conference Efficient & Renewable Technologies in DoD Operations Energy Initiatives, Washington, D.C., www.cvent. com/EVENTS/Info/Summary. aspx?e=1fe8b4b1-f4ed-430c-99c35cac088a1712
13-16 Hydrogen Conference and Expo,
Washington, D.C., www.hydrogenconference.org/2011.asp 23-25 WasteECo-2011 International Exhibition
and Conference, Kharkiv, Ukraine,
EPA Announces Enforcement Achievements More than 1.4 billion pounds of harmful air, land and water pollution will be reduced. It’s not a mid-life crisis; just an active adult. Not a week removed from its 40th birthday, the EPA on Dec. 6, 2010, proclaimed the release of annual enforcement and compliance results for FY 2010 that suggest the agency is still quite full of youthful vigor. The agency reported that agreements reached $110 million in civil penalties meted out to polluters, and another $12 billion was committed toward environmental improvements by the recalcitrant enterprises. The actions will result in the reduction of an estimated 1.4 billion lbs. of pollution. The EPA’s criminal enforcement program opened 346 new environmental crime cases in FY 2010. These cases led to 289 defendants charged for allegedly committing environmental crimes, the largest number in five years. The enforcement program alone convicted 198 criminals and assessed $41 million in fines and restitution. With FY 2011 already ahead of 2010’s enforcement curve, the spry agency does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
http://waste.com.ua/cooperation/ index_en.html
AIR MARCH 2011 9-11
Water China, Guangzhou, China, www. waterchina-gz.com/en/index.htm
9-11
Environmental Industry Summit 2011, San Diego, www.ebiresearch.com/ Environmental_Industry_Summit_2011
13-18 Pittcon, Atlanta, www.pittcon.org 22-24 FILTECH 2011, Wiesbaden, Germany, www.filtech.de
APRIL 2011 3-5
National Brownfields Conference 2011, Philadelphia, www.brownfields2011. org/en/home
12-14 2011 Energy Efficiency Global Forum,
Brussels, Belgium, http://eeglobalforum.org
13-15 Spring Carolinas Air Pollution Control
Association Meeting, Asheville, N.C., www.capca-carolinas.org
MAY 2011 5-7
IFAT China + EPTEE + CWS, Shanghai, www.ifat-china.com
16-19 RemTEC Summit 2011, The Westin
Chicago North Shore, Chicago, www. remtecsummit.com
The GHG Roadmap The EPA is working with states to get its greenhouse gas (GHG) control plans and regulations up and running. The agency is calling on 13 states to change their respective state implementation plans (SIPs) so that they can issue their own permits. Those states are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Wyoming. The Clean Air Act requires states to develop SIPs that are approved by the EPA. Whenever the federal agency changes its regulations, states must amend their plans to reflect those changes so that they can continue to issue Title V permits. The agency said that states are the best way to issue such permits and work with industry within their borders. The strategy will effectually delay implementation of the agency’s GHG control efforts, as many plants will not need to meet the regulations until significant modifications require them to apply for a new permit. The delay, however, could prove a double-edged sword for those enterprises that have put off major modifications to avoid previous changes to Title V permitting in their states, as GHG controls will likely be required in addition to other abatement installations. In January 2011, industries that are large emitters of GHGs, and are planning to build new facilities or make major modifications to existing ones, will work with permitting authorities to identify and implement the most efficient control technologies to minimize their GHGs. This includes the nation’s largest GHG emitters, such as power plants, refineries and cement production facilities. Emissions from small sources, such as farms and restaurants are not covered by these GHG permitting requirements. More information is available at www.epa.gov/nsr.
Visit the Calendar of Events at www.pollutionengineering.com for additional information.
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Pollution Engineering JANUARY2011
LEGALLOOKOUT By Lynn L. Bergeson
Synopsis of the 2010 Congressional Mid-Term Elections Big environmental changes may be ahead as the House of Representatives decidedly turns toward a new political direction. he decline in the number of elected Democratic members, especially the loss of the majority in the House of Representatives, will decidedly change EPA operations in 2011 and beyond. Significant differences are in the prospects for the agency’s budget, legislative proposals and policy initiatives. In the Senate, the Democrats lost much of their plurality, and some of the newly elected members have indicated a hard-line attitude against any expansion in the role of government and a concern on federal deficit spending; commitments that could also affect EPA.
T
EPA appropriations In addition to any expected widespread freeze in domestic program spending, EPA could be subject to restrictions in its operating programs. If the cap-andtrade approach to climate change via an act of Congress is not available, many will want to have EPA continue its efforts to control carbon emissions via existing authority. This could inspire an effort by those opposed to such a plan to use the appropriations restrictions to limit any EPA program. The key difference for the next two years is that EPA opponents will have a friendlier forum to direct or deflect agency behavior. Budget tightening could soon adversely impact EPA’s ability to process pesticide registrations, respond to data submittals, slow down any pending rulemaking, and generally limit the agency’s ability to implement even non-controversial components of its operating programs.
TSCA The particulars of possible changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) are largely moot. Although the leadership and majority in the Senate remain largely unchanged, the absence of Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) will have implications for TSCA legislation. Sen. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is expected to continue to support more extensive changes, but in the Senate some of the new members may oppose any legislation that seeks to expand government.
FIFRA/FQPA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) implementation has generally been quiet over the last two years. The new House Republican majority will likely lead to some level of oversight of all EPA programs, pesticides included. For the pesticide
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EPA could be subject to restrictions in its operating programs.
program, immediate candidates for an increased level of scrutiny include the use of good science in decisionmaking, the use of FIFRA/Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) authority in removing pesticide uses from the market without going through the FIFRA cancellation process, specific product decisions, and transparency in developing new program initiatives. Some of the most difficult issues facing the pesticides program, such as implementation of the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act, are likely to remain intractable.
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Administration reaction If the House attempts to undermine budget or legislative priorities of the White House, the Obama Administration retains ways to attempt to control the agenda in the environmental arena. Large areas of discretion remain in existing authority under both FIFRA and TSCA. Presidents can unilaterally sign Executive Orders or determine priorities under current law. One example of this authority was President Clinton’s 1995 decision, partly in response to the 1994 election losses, to accelerate the expansion of the Toxic Release Inventory. One additional consideration is that the 2012 presidential election cycle officially started on Nov. 3, 2010. This will influence any activity by either party or the administration over the next two years. Environmental issues are often used to make clear distinctions between the two parties, and this could lead to initiatives by either party intentionally driven to illustrate or exacerbate those differences. While much remains fluid, one thing is certain. The next two years will be interesting. PE
Lynn L. Bergeson is managing director of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., a Washington, D.C., law firm focusing on conventional and engineered nanoscale chemical, pesticide, and other specialty chemical product approval and regulation, environmental health and safety law, chemical product litigation, and associated business issues, and President of The Acta Group L.L.C. and The Acta Group EU Ltd. with offices in Washington, D.C., and Manchester, U.K.
JANUARY2011 www.pollutionengineering.com
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GREENCONNECTIONS By Barbara Quinn
Greening the Package Better, greener and convenient packaging changes are being driven by the market. onsumers want to be green. In a recent survey by Harris Interactive, respondents claim they feel green when they buy home products made from recycled materials, including plastics. That’s good news for the country’s $236 billion recycling industry and its 1 million employees. It is good news for curbside and drop-off recycling programs that are now accessible to some 80 percent of the U.S. population. It is also good news for the environment. According to the National Recycling Coalition (www.nrc-recycling. org), using recycled plastic cuts energy use by about 70 percent of the energy needed to make the same plastic. Equally positive, the Environmental Industry Associations (www.environmentalistseveryday.org) reported that at the end of 2009, landfill-gas-to-energy projects provided enough renewable energy to provide the environmental benefits of cutting oil consumption by 58 million barrels a year.
C
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Saves the company and its suppliers more than 125 million pounds of cardboard and 95 million pounds of plastic resin each year.
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Not surprisingly, American consumers also hate packaging, even though they demand the convenience, safety and protection it provides. Frozen foods, takeout lunches, tightly encased toys and protected shipments from mail-order houses have taken their places in modern life. Americans do not want to give up packaged dinners, lunches and birthday gifts; consumers want manufacturers and retailers to provide green packaging.
Changing the package The packaging industry, along with brand owners and retailers, has developed innovative ways to inject sustainability into packaging materials and containers. Anyone who has been to a Wal-Mart store quickly learns that many products on the shelves are small. For example, Wal-Mart only offers concentrated detergent in compact containers, which saves the company and its suppliers more than 125 million pounds of cardboard and 95 million pounds of plastic resin each year. Although it might be less 10
Pollution Engineering JANUARY2011
noticeable to the total Wal-Mart consumer base, the pet products section spotlights a longer value chain for used packaging and containers. PoochPlanet and SmartyKat pet products are made by WorldWise through a unique partnership with Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club called “Full Circle.” Used packaging and containers collected at the stores, including cardboard, plastic bags and bottles, are sent to WorldWise, which uses the materials as feedstock in the manufacture of pet products. The finished goods are then sold through Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. Shrinking the package is the way forward for hundreds of companies, and the results are significant. For just one of its products sold in the U.S. (Oscar Meyer Deli Creations), Kraft Foods’ package redesign uses 30 percent less paperboard and keeps about a million pounds of packaging out of the waste stream every year. Clorox has cut the plastic used in its iconic bleach bottle, annually saving some 5 million pounds of plastic. Companies are using new materials to replace traditional packaging or container ingredients. The Coca-Cola Company uses sugar cane and molasses to create the 30-percent plant-based content of its PlantBottle. Dell is using bamboo in packages to ship two of its computers, with plans to increase the number of products using the new packaging. Mother Parkers is replacing the metal cans for several of its coffee brands with paperboard composite containers made by Sonoco. The switch increases the overall recycled content of the final package while reducing its material weight by 27 percent and slashing energy inputs by 34 percent. The sustainable packaging industry and initiatives will continue to grow. Companies remind us that packaging has a role to play in communicating to consumers. Now, consumers are sending their own message: they want greener products and greener packaging. PE
Barbara Quinn has written about environmental, public policy and economic development issues for over 25 years. She has been published in magazines serving the environmental, industrial and municipal communities. She can be contacted at
[email protected].
THE ENVIRONMENTALPROFESSIONAL By Christopher Young
Your Duty to Your Client An environmental professional’s services include honest and ethical conduct on behalf of your client at all times, even when they don’t think so. According to an old adage, “the customer is king.” However, there is also a much older saying to keep in mind: "no king is above the law." Depending upon how the customer perceives the relationship with his environmental consultant, it is not unheard of for some clients to ask for so-called “little favors,” e.g. to backdate a report, sign another person’s name on the report, move the decimal on one or two sample analyses, delete or “lose” reportable information, etc. On the surface, these little favors can be covering up gigantic violations of laws and regulations that can carry significant fines and/or criminal convictions. There can be situations in which a business friend might request unethical or illegal work. These situations can be stopped with the environmental professional always mindful of what the law requires and gently reminding the client that deviations are not permitted. The professional has to instantly be ready to make up his or her mind as to whether that friend is worth potentially ruining your life and your family if you end up going to jail for that infraction. Depending upon a number of factors, an environmental professional may engage a customer who is either their employer or a client from whom they are receiving payment for services. No matter what the relationship is, keep the following basic personal rules in mind at all times: • Follow all the rules created by the law, • Be ethical and seek advice from a lawyer or environmental agency, • Audit the situation and try to understand how the problem was created and its present status, • Consult with other professionals on possible alternative solutions, • Provide suggestions as to alternatives, • Regulate and control environmental activities, • Remove yourself from the situation before allowing it to go further. As a professional, do not be afraid of simply telling the employer or client that the situation is untenable and ask to be removed from any part of the proposed activity. It is important from the start that the customer understands that there are certain legal and
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As a professional, do not be afraid of simply telling the employer or client that the situation is untenable and ask to be removed from any part of the proposed activity.
personal responsibilities towards the firm’s integrity that cannot be compromised. Detail what the risks are and what the potential penalties could very well result from such a situation. When the shoe is on the other foot and you are the client, make sure all of the employees and consultants understand that all representatives: • Do not allow any illegal or unethical work. • Understand the situation and act responsible towards the environment and law. • Use and expect expert advice, which helps in following all the rules and regulations. Client expectations of a professional should be towards obtaining a healthy, safe and eco-friendly environment, and not by following unethical or illegal ways to gain monetary benefits. Environmental professionals are expected to provide the best service to clients to help them in moving towards ethical and legal solutions that will benefit everyone. PE
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Christopher Young is the director of operations for the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP), Glenview, Ill., an internationally recognized professional certification organization that specializes in credentialing environmental health and safety and homeland protection professionals. Chris is a certified registered environmental manager and has extensive experience in environmental inspections, auditing t i i and project management. Contact him at
[email protected].
JANUARY2011 www.pollutionengineering.com
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It is that time of year again as the PE staff takes a look at new technologies that could impact our environment. By SETH M. FISHER, Publisher, and ROY BIGHAM, Editor, Pollution Engineering
s much as our industry reacts to regulations, the real progress of environmental engineering happens in the advancement of pollution control technologies. It’s telling that when the EPA decides it’s time to add abatement of greenhouse gases to its register of substance controls, after all the talk of how many tons of CO2e are being cut from the atmospheric daily dose, the active control on your permit ends up being the “best available control technology.” Advancements in remediation methods have changed the site reclamation business to such a degree that in 2009 PE even launched a new technical conference, the RemTEC Summit – back again in Chicago this May (www.remtecsummit.com) – to help specifiers keep
A 12
Pollution Engineering JANUARY2011
up. What was once accomplished with painstaking sampling and lab work can now be done with a handheld gun and monitored on your smart phone. There are far too many new technologies that will be changing our business this year to list, and their effects are so far reaching that valuing them is an exercise in futility. What follows, then, is a list of ten such techs, in no particular order, for environmental professionals to keep an eye on in 2011. The technologies were chosen by PE’s editorial staff with consultation from hand-picked industry leaders.
10. Synthetic photosynthesis Imagine an incredibly efficient energy production process powered by solar radiation and CO2, emissions of just
oxygen and water, and in which energy is stored in a microscopic footprint for thousands of years with minimal loss. Unbelievable? Not quite: the meanest blade of grass has been doing this for a billion years. In 2010, Chinese automaker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. and General Motors unveiled their design for a car that runs on photosynthesis. The car would represent a partial step toward synthetic biological energy, using an organic metal framework to absorb CO2 and water, then store the energy in a simple lithium-ion battery. Meanwhile, researchers at various universities are trying to coax biological organisms to give up the secrets of metabolic energy. Practical applications are far off, but the promise of factories that run on water, sunlight, air and a nutrient packet, and store fuel as carbohydrates is exciting.
Top 10 Technologies to replace, which would occur less often. In tests conducted with fly ash in the flow, the performance of the nanocomposite electrodes performed at least as well as high-end commercial electrodes; typically, the nanocomposite electrode provided 10 to 20 percent improvement in the corona current as compared to metal electrodes. Conversion to composite electrodes at a unit price of $100/piece is estimated to result in cost savings of $15,000 per installation for time and materials to replace traditional metallic precipitator electrodes.
7.
Metal-metabolizing microbes
Algae use CO2 and light in a process known as photosynthesis. What if the skin of our cars could do the same thing?
9. Not-so-nasty plastics Plastics had a well publicized falling out with the environment a few decades ago, as the realization that they don’t break down very well caused observers to look around at the dwindling available garbage space and say “uh oh.” Today, plastics and Mother Earth are finding new and better ways to reconcile their differences, largely thanks to major advances in organic plastics. Cereplast Inc., El Segundo, Calif., has developed a plant-based resin that can be made into compostable shopping bags. Plant-based, biodegradable plastics are changing the packaging industry, and could be great news to companies worried about their waste streams when packaging waste is heading out to feed the local park rather than the local landfill. Meanwhile, Novover Corp., Waltham, Mass., is working on creating various plastics and poly-
mers – including paints/coatings, diapers, and bottles – using collected CO and CO2 from power plants.
8. Nano-enhancements for ESPs
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) typically use all-metal electrodes that are relatively complex and expensive compared with thermoplastic materials. Applied Sciences Inc. and Ohio University, with assistance from industrial partner Southern Environmental Inc., are in the process of developing a carbon nanofiber to fabricate electrically conductive thermoplastic composites to reduce the complexity and cost of manufacturing and installation, and to decrease the power consumption of electrodes used to generate charged particles in electrostatic precipitators. The light electrodes would be cheap and easy
The remediation industry was revolutionized a few decades ago when scientists began harnessing microbes in earnest to eat up contaminants in- and ex-situ. The next great advance in microbial engineering could be a strain currently being researched which, in the right environment, can do quite a number on metallic and even radioactive contaminants. A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are studying a strain of bacteria known to successfully treat metals in various substrates such as fresh water, salt water, soils and rocks. The same research was first mentioned in the 2008 Ten Top Techs article. Recently, the researchers completed the first system-level assessment of the Shewanella microbes’ population diversity. Results from the study should provide the critical step of ascribing the proper applications to the microbe’s various strains. One such strain is a uranium-breathing bacteria that could be introduced to a contaminated groundwater source, where it could change the uranium to a non-soluble form that is trapped by the soil and thus is no longer transportable.
6. Membranes for gases Membrane filtration is a well-known technology for separating liquids, but can membranes break up air as well? Researchers have long known that certain metal organic framework membranes can be effective at separating gases. However, there are thousands of potential metal organic membranes and it could poten-
JANUARY2011 www.pollutionengineering.com
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Top 10 Technologies
Special membranes could cost-effectively filter the CO2 from the exhaust gases coming from coal-fired power plants.
tially take decades to find the correct membrane to separate desired gases. Or maybe less using high-powered computational modeling. David Sholl of the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering is working on a computer modeling system that would narrow down potential material candidates for various gases, from thousands to as few as 10. Sholl theorizes the models could develop a metal organic framework membrane that could quickly and very cost-effectively separate CO2 from coal stacks, or from methane contaminated with it, or many other mixes.
5. When Water and Electricity Mix
Imagine if every town’s municipal wastewater treatment facility was sitting on an oil well. In some ways, they are. Emefcy, an Israeli company, is attempting to change the energy economics of wastewater treatment, developing a microbial fuel cell system that pulls electricity from the water of municipal wastewater treatment plants. Named the Megawatter process, the company has developed large modules that are simply dropped into place in the proper tank. The electrodes have known strains of bacteria that do the work as they congregate on the electrodes and power the cell. So, rather than continuing to be an energy hog, the wastewater generates enough power to run its systems. The company is now looking at ways to use this technology to replace certain treatment processes, and add more fuel in the process. 14
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4. Automated data collection
All remediation sites and landfills are covered with monitoring wells. Permits require that such monitoring wells be measured and sampled at regular intervals. The data is used to produce maps showing the flow direction and speed of the groundwater and potential movement of any contaminants that may exist. This has led to millions of miles trekked by technicians as they “do the rounds.” But in a world where teenagers can tweet their updates from virtually anywhere to virtually anyone, why can’t monitors just send their information to their engineers? Well, they can. Various companies over the last few years have been developing gear that can be installed into a monitoring well that will automatically collect information such as liquid levels, conductivity, temperature, etc. This data can be stored in the collection device and downloaded as the technician visits each wellhead, or can be wirelessly transmitted at regular intervals to a computer system that automatically processes the data and provides accurate, real-time reports.
3. Stack scrubbers from the deep
Deep below the ocean surface, in many places around the world, entire ecosystems have managed to grow up around hydrothermal vents, geothermic fissures near volcanic areas. All of that life is supported by chemosynthetic bacteria that converts the heat and toxic compounds such as
sulfur, methane or H2S into life energy via chemosynthesis. Let’s rephrase this: the bacteria live in an environment completely devoid of sun or plant energy, yet thrive by “eating” typical combustion pollutants. If this sounds like a nice thing to have in a stack, you’re thinking the same thing as researchers at several universities around the globe. Hydrothermal vents are still relatively mysterious, and much research has simply gone toward ways to harness their energy. This year, expect some serious research to get underway on how to use the properties of chemosynthetic organisms as a natural, anaerobic scrubber system.
2. In-situ remediation of PAHs
Coal tar contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) currently are difficult to treat in a timely and cost-efficient manner. The generally poor performance of conventional PAH treatment schemes, such as soil flushing or bioremediation, have led to research applications of innovative in-situ remediation methods. Enchem Engineering Inc., Newton, Mass., is trying out a treatment approach based on simultaneous desorption from soil or sediment, and oxidation via radical formation. A proprietary reactive agent developed by the company combines cyclodextrin-facilitated PAH desorption with the targeted delivery of a combination of powerful oxidants (ozone, buffered sodium persulfate, and hydrogen peroxide) in the treatment zone. It’s still in its testing phase, but the two-pronged
CASE STUDY www.siremlab.com
KB-1® Bioaugmentation and Hydraulic Fracturing to Facilitate Bioremediation at a Low Permeability TCE Site SiREM advertorial KB-1®, a leading bioaugmentation culture applied to over 200 sites in North America and Europe, is used to introduce beneficial dechlorinating microbes called Dehalococcoides (Dhc) to groundwater to remediate chlorinated solvents including trichloroethene (TCE) and its breakdown products.
RESULTS • TCE drinking water MCLs were achieved over much of SS7 within 13 months - in half the expected time-frame • Remedy-In-Place designation by Wyoming DEQ and EPA received in less than 2 years • Project won Association of Consulting and Engineering Companies, Engineering Excellence Award for Colorado “Empowering Nature, Delivering Results” Accelerated degradation of TCE and the production of ethene were observed after KB-1® bioaugmentation. Dechlorinating Dhc microbes were detected up to 70 feet from injection locations, indicating effective Dhc spread in a low permeability unit facilitated by the hydraulic fracturing process. Site closure schedule has been expedited by 10 years based on the rapid biodegradation rates achieved.
PROJECT OVERVIEW Location: FE Warren AFB (Spill Site 7) Cheyenne, Wyoming
Primary Contaminant: TCE up to 15,000 µg/L
Project Scale: 8 acres Project Management:
TCE
Contamination of groundwater
Hydraulic fracturing in progress at FE Warren AFB
3 Months After KB-1®
CHALLENGE at Spill Site 7 (SS7) resulted from TCE releases in the 1960’s. Site lithology is low permeability, including interbedded clays. Gene-Trac® testing indicated that dechlorinating Dhc microbes were not widely distributed, resulting in incomplete TCE dechlorination. Clean up criteria are stringent, drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) 5 µg/L for TCE.
Dhc
Before (Baseline)
URS Corporation, Denver, Colorado
SOLUTION Laboratory biotreatability testing indicated electron donor and KB-1® bioaugmentation were required to achieve complete dechlorination of TCE to ethene. Field pilot tests demonstrated hydraulic fracturing effectively enhanced electron donor and KB-1® delivery into the low permeability geologic materials. Building on a successful pilot test, full scale hydraulic fracturing and injection of 310 liters of KB-1® was performed at 39 locations accessing 165 fractures.
At baseline TCE plume exceeded 1,000 µg/L (top left-red) over large areas of SS7, 3 months after full-scale KB-1® implementation (13 months after biostimulation) large areas of SS7 were below TCE MCLs (bottom left-white) and Gene-Trac® testing indicated the presence of Dhc across much of the site (lower right–green). Note Dhc detected at baseline was the result of KB-1® pilot test in that area.
For more information contact SiREM at 1 - 866 -251-1747 or visit our web site www.siremlab.com. FE Warren AFB: John Wright: Flight Chief, Environmental Restoration. Sharon Hrabovsky: Site Project Manager. URS: Belinda Butler-Veytia:
[email protected].
JANUARY2011
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Top 10 Technologies approach is promising for treatment of PAHs at manufactured gas plant sites, and perhaps for DNAPL treatment as well.
1. Pocket pollution control
Smart phones could develop into a major data gathering and number crunching tool for the environmental professional.
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My brother recently came over to show off his new F-150. As we got in the cab, his smart phone automatically connected to car’s audio system via Bluetooth. Using the command “read e-mail” the phone began piping the latest soybean report through the stereo. Portable devices are changing the structure of how we access and process data, as the personal computer model is replaced by a centralized or cloud structure accessible from multiple devices. This has had a mirror effect on the back end of computing. Mitch Beard, CEO of environmental data management firm EarthSoft Inc., Concord, Mass., described this change: “Many consultants, industrials and governments have moved from paper, to spreadsheets, to desktop databases and
now to Web, enterprise databases. More and more groups want to manage environmental data across their organizations, not just on individual sites. An explosion of more samples/tests/results collected every year drives the need for better data management. Consultants, labs, industrials, government and software companies are changing how they use this data. The marriage of relational databases and GIS puts the data on maps, which any member of the public can understand. Public dissemination of environmental data from state and other governments is growing rapidly. For the first time, a lab chain has entered the generic data management market. (In fact, several did). Hosted “cloud-computing” solutions have lowered price points and expanded use of data. (EarthSoft has gone from seven to 27 servers in the last two years). Web dashboards provide easy access to a variety of graphs, graphics and reports on an anywhere/anytime basis.” PE
THE RIGHT STUFF RTO solutions for environmental compliance in the cement industry don’t have to be complicated, but they do need the right ingredients.
By JAMES GRIFFIN, Business Development at Dürr Systems Inc.
R
ecently, the EPA published the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry, and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Portland Cement Plants in the Federal Register. First proposed on June 16, 2008, the new compliance regulations apply to facilities that commence construction, modification or reconstruction after May 6, 2009. The final amendments to NESHAP were completed Sept. 9, 2010. Affected facilities will have three years from submission to national register to comply. The NESHAP will regulate the total hydrocarbons (THC) in exhaust during normal kiln operations as 24 PPMvd as propane corrected to 7 percent O2. Initial estimation has these new compliance guidelines affecting over 140 Portland cement plants in the United States.
Cement manufacturing plants are dependent on quarry mining operations that supply clay and limestone to the plant processes. Materials are dried, pre-heated, calcined and sintered into a cement clinker. To comply with the passing of the recent cement NESHAP, pollution control equipment may now be necessary for the cement process as plants emit not only CO2, but also acid gasses, mercury, particulate, THC and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). All of these substances can originate from the plants’ unique source of limestone containing kerogen hydrocarbons, a variable mixture of organic chemical compounds and fuels found in sedimentary rock.
Choosing the right emission controls Visible emissions from plant exhaust, predominantly from sulfurous compounds and particulate, often justified the installation of improved fabric filters and bag-
A single rotary valve RTO at a cement plant is shown above. Photograph courtesy of Dürr Systems Inc.
houses. The baghouses replaced electrostatic precipitators that had been utilized in previous decades with limited success. A dry injection scrubber was often deployed to further reduce emissions and volatile materials in the exhaust gas. To further remove VOCs and sulfurous emissions, cement plants often installed add-on controls that included acid gas scrubbers and, in some instances, regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs). The intent of the RTOs was to further remove CO and THC. RTOs have been in existence for more than 30 years. However, only the latest generation rotary valve systems have demonstrated effective and reliable results for reducing emissions from a cement plant. RTOs with single rotary valves have proven that they can offer a 98-percent reduction of THC emissions that has been favorably received by state regulators and the community. The advantage of an RTO compared to
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THE RIGHT STUFF other means of controlling THC is that an RTO is substantially more forgiving while maintaining the destruction efficiency needed with little regard to the THCs expected in the cement process. Catalytic systems, chemical scrubbers, adsorption systems and the like are tuned to a particular organic or carbon family. The THC will vary with the source ore and to some extent the fuel or coal. RTOs will likely perform equally as the THC concentrations and species varies over the life of the quarry. For a plant to make a commitment to a 98-percent emission reduction, RTOs need to achieve greater than 98-percent destruction under all operating scenarios. Given the operational issues that cement plants continuously face, a high level of technical expertise and experience is important when choosing an environmental equipment supplier.
Choosing the right style RTO Generally, the environmental equipment supplier conducts an initial engineering
Above is shown an exploded view of a typical single rotary valve RTO. Drawing supplied by Dürr Systems Inc.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
GREEN JOBS ARE A GROWTH INDUSTRY. Today’s fastest-growing job opportunities are green. Companies need professionals who can improve corporate safety, efficiency and compliance with government regulations. Be ready, with a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a certificate in environmental management from University of Maryland University College (UMUC).
Enroll now. Copyright © 2011 University of Maryland University College
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