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Vol. 20, No.1
February 2010

 

 

 

The WRAP Sheet is published by the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program - a NIST MEP affiliate.

In this issue...

1. Pollution Prevention and Community Outreach

• Spotlight on Technology: Ultraviolet Finishes
• EPA Releases Final Specification for WaterSense New Homes
• New Category of Geothermal Heat Pumps Can Now Earn the Energy Star

2. Compliance, Enforcement and Regulatory Updates

• TDEC to Hold Hearing on Hazardous Waste Fee Increases
• John Wieland Homes Agrees to Clean Water Act Settlement
• EPA Proposes Stronger Air Quality Standards for Sulfur Dioxide

3. Compliance Training

• MARK YOUR CALENDAR - Environmental, Health and Safety WORKSHOPS.

1.  Pollution Prevention and Community Outreach

Spotlight on Technology: Ultraviolet Finishes

Ultraviolet (UV) wood finishes are beginning to come into the spotlight. However, that has not always been the case. Initially these coatings required specialized application and curing equipment, making them difficult to work with. The materials were also thick and difficult to apply, leaving the finished product with an undesired “plastic-like” appearance.

Advances in chemical formulations and equipment have allowed cabinet shops and furniture manufacturers to now use and benefit from UV curing systems. UV curing is a photochemical reaction, known as photo polymerization, which occurs when specialized coatings are exposed to UV light. The UV light cures the coating instead of relying on heat and time to evaporate carriers, like in solvent-based coatings.

Flat stock, such as cabinet doors, is an ideal application for UV coatings because all sides of flat panels are easily reached by UV light sources. As the technology advances, UV coatings are seeing greater use for more intricate or detailed furniture.

UV coatings can be applied by airless or conventional spray guns, with about 50 to 75% transfer efficiency, and are better used for three-dimensional pieces. Roller and curtain coater systems are best suited for flat-panel production and are nearing 100 % transfer efficiency.

The equipment for a new UV coating line costs from $50,000 at the very low end to $1 million, depending on the sophistication of the system.

One company gaining the benefits of UV finishing is Prefinishing Specialist, Inc. (PSI), a division of Western Building Products, Inc. This wooden door and mill work finishing company in Avon, Minnesota, provides wood finishing to commercial, architectural, and residential markets. As PSI’s business expanded, their use of wood finishing products grew, leading PSI to approach the limit on their air emissions permit. Changes were then implemented in the clear coat selection, which in turn, reduced the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content from four to three pounds per gallon. However, the solvent-based wood finishes were still releasing large amounts of VOCs, making a community group concerned about potential adverse health effects from the solvent odor.

To address this concern, PSI evaluated alternative coatings through months of product testing. PSI began using finishes free of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) and moved from primarily solvent-based stains to water-based stains containing no hydrocarbon constituents.

To further advance their work and eliminate any community concern, PSI modified their production process. Already using 100% solid UV curable coatings on their molding and millwork products for many years, PSI decided to convert to a water-based UV finishing system on their door line as well. When the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) granted PSI a permit that required emission reductions and allowed equipment modifications, the testing of new UV curable coatings on their door line was facilitated. PSI was then able to invest in the UV equipment which efficiently sprays UV curable finishes and therefore significantly reducing the facility’s HAP and VOC emissions.

Overall PSI was able to realize benefits including throughput that maintained or increased production capabilities, improved quality, reduced floor space and odor, and eliminated community complaints.

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EPA Releases Final Specification for WaterSense New Homes

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final WaterSense single-family new homes specification today, creating the first national, voluntary, water-efficiency specification for an entire new home.

“Home builders can now partner with EPA and earn the WaterSense label for their newly built homes, helping to create livable communities and quality homes that are easy to maintain,” said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “These homes will save homeowners as much as $200 a year on utility bills compared to their current homes.”

EPA worked with hundreds of stakeholders over the past three years to develop this specification, which was designed to complement existing green building programs. WaterSense labeled new homes, which will be 20 percent more efficient than typical new homes, must be independently inspected and certified by an EPA licensed certification provider to meet the WaterSense criteria for water efficiency and performance.

The new homes will feature WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures, Energy Star qualified appliances (if installed), water-efficient landscaping, and hot water delivery systems that deliver hot water faster, so homeowners don’t waste water—or energy—waiting at the tap.

By investing in WaterSense labeled homes, American home buyers can reduce their water usage by more than 10,000 gallons per year—enough to fill a backyard swimming pool—and save enough energy annually to power a television for four years.

If the approximately 1.27 million new homes built in the United States each year were WaterSense labeled, it would save more than 12 billion gallons of water.

With this announcement, EPA is inviting home builders to join the WaterSense program and commit to building water-efficient new homes.

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people simple ways to use less water.

More information on WaterSense labeled new homes: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/spaces/new_homes.html

To see a video message about the WaterSense new homes specification: http://www.epa.gov/multimedia/playercontents/video/watersense/index.html

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New Category of Geothermal Heat Pumps Can Now Earn the Energy Star

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing new requirements for residential geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), enabling water-to-water geothermal heat pumps to earn the Energy Star label for the first time. EPA’s stringent specifications for this new category of geothermal heat pumps will help protect the environment and reduce energy costs, because GHPs that meet the new standards will be up to 45 percent more efficient than conventional pumps.

Geothermal heat pumps use ground temperature air instead of outside air to provide heating, cooling and often water heating. GHPs can be installed in new and existing homes. Because they use the constant temperature of the earth, GHPs are among the most efficient heating and cooling technologies currently available in the marketplace.

EPA worked with industry stakeholders to revise the requirements in response to growing consumer demand for water-to-water geothermal heat pumps. Water-to-water geothermal heat pumps provide heating and cooling and/or water heating to a building using liquid rather than forced air. The new requirements for water-to-water equipment complements existing efficiency and performance requirements for water-to-air and direct geoexchange GHP models. Homeowners who install geothermal heat pumps with the Energy Star are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

More information on the heat pumps: http://www.energystar.gov/ghp
More information on the tax credit: http://www.energystar.gov/taxcredits

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2. Compliance, Enforcement and Regulatory Updates

TDEC Expects Annual Hazardous Waste Fees to Increase

Final approval decision currently is in hands of Legislature. Generators will receive an invoice in spring for difference owed from the fees paid by March 1, 2010. These Solid Waste fee increases are expected to generate $606,419 additional revenues. The Division is hoping for these rules to become effective and one quarter of the new fees would be collected before July 1, 2010.

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John Wieland Homes Agrees to Clean Water Act Settlement

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods Inc., and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods of the Carolinas Inc., based in Atlanta, Ga., have agreed to pay a $350,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.

The companies have also agreed to implement company-wide storm water compliance programs at their construction sites that go beyond current regulatory requirements. EPA estimates that the agreement will keep approximately 37 million pounds of sediment from polluting the nation’s waterways each year.

“The Clean Water Act requires environmental controls in order to protect nearby waterways from pollutants that commonly are found on construction sites,” said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement requires these companies to now take steps beyond the law to protect public health and the environment.”

“Failure to properly control storm water runoff at construction sites can have serious consequences for the environment,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator. “This agreement will result in better management practices that will ultimately lead to greater protection of rivers, lakes and streams across the Southeast.”

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhood, Inc., and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods of the Carolinas, Inc., primarily build homes in the southeast including Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Along with the federal government, the state of Tennessee has joined the settlement. The state will receive a portion of the penalties based on the number of sites located within the state.

The government complaint alleges a common pattern of violations that was discovered by reviewing documentation submitted by the companies and through federal site inspections. The alleged violations include not obtaining permits until after construction had begun or failing to obtain the required permits at all. At the sites that did have permits, violations included failure to prevent or minimize the discharge of pollutants, such as silt and debris, in storm water runoff.

The settlement requires the companies to develop improved pollution prevention plans for each site, increase site inspections and promptly correct any problems that are detected. The companies must properly train construction managers and contractors, and are required to have trained staff present at each construction site. They also must implement a management and internal reporting system to improve oversight of on-the-ground operations and submit annual reports to EPA.

Improving compliance at construction sites is one of EPA’s national enforcement priorities. Construction projects have a high potential for environmental harm because they disturb large areas of land and significantly increase the potential for erosion. Without onsite pollution controls, sediment-laden runoff from construction sites can flow directly to the nearest waterway and degrade water quality. In addition, storm water can pick up other pollutants, including concrete washout, paint, used oil, pesticides, solvents and other debris. Polluted runoff can harm or kill fish and wildlife and can affect drinking water quality.

The Clean Water Act requires that construction sites have controls in place to prevent pollution from being discharged with storm water into nearby waterways. These controls include basic pollution prevention techniques such as silt fences, phased site grading, and sediment basins to prevent common construction contaminants from entering the nation’s waterways.

This settlement is the latest in a series of enforcement actions to address storm water violations from construction sites around the country. Similar consent decrees have been reached with companies like Home Depot and multiple home building companies.

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. The companies are required to pay the penalty within 30 days of the court’s approval of the settlement. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Justice Department Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

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EPA Proposes Stronger Air Quality Standards for Sulfur Dioxide

For the first time in nearly 40 years, EPA is proposing to strengthen the nation’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) air quality standard to protect public health. Power plants and other industrial facilities emit SO2 directly into the air. Exposure to SO2 can aggravate asthma, cause respiratory difficulties, and result in emergency room visits and hospitalization. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to SO2’s effects.

“Short-term exposures to peak SO2 levels can have significant health effects – especially for children and the elderly – and leave our families and taxpayers saddled with high health care costs,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re strengthening clean air standards, stepping up monitoring and reporting in communities most in need, and providing the American people with protections they rightly deserve.”

EPA is taking comment on a proposal to establish a new national one-hour SO2 standard, between 50 and 100 parts per billion (ppb). This standard is designed to protect against short-term exposures ranging from five minutes to 24 hours. Because the revised standards would be more protective, EPA is proposing to revoke the current 24-hour and annual SO2 health standards.

EPA also is proposing changes to monitoring and reporting requirements for SO2. Monitors would be placed in areas with high SO2 emission levels as well as in urban areas. The proposal also would change the Air Quality Index to reflect the revised SO2 standards. This change would improve states’ ability to alert the public when short-term SO2 levels may affect their health.

The proposal addresses only the SO2 primary standards, which are designed to protect public health. EPA will address the secondary standard – designed to protect the public welfare, including the environment – as part of a separate proposal in 2011.

EPA first set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for SO2 in 1971, establishing both a primary standard to protect health and a secondary standard to protect the public welfare. Annual average SO2 concentrations have decreased by more than 71 percent since 1980.

The public comment period will be open for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. The agency will hold a public hearing on Jan. 5, 2010 in Atlanta. EPA must issue final standards by June 2, 2010.

More information about the proposal: http://www.epa.gov/air/sulfurdioxide

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3.   Compliance Training

UT CIS offers Environmental, Health & Safety WORKSHOPS throughout the year to help meet your compliance needs.

For course information, please visit our Web site, call us at 615.532.8657 or toll-free at 888.763.7439.