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Sector Strategies Connector
Archives
Fourth Edition, October 2005
Headlines
- Introduction
- Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conference
- Cement Sector Conducts Beneficial Use Workshop
- Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities Guide for Construction
- Foundry Association Emphasizes RCRA Compliance at Recent EH&S Conference
- Exploring Ways to Reduce Hazardous Waste and Increase Recycling
- Emission Reduction Incentives for Off-Road Diesel Equipment
- University Case Studies in Successful EMS Implementation
- Connect With Us
Welcome to the fourth issue of our electronic newsletter!
The environmental impacts of the Gulf hurricanes are enormous and complex, and many facilities of our sectors were hard hit. All EPA programs have mobilized to address the environmental and public health challenges associated with clean-up in the Gulf region. Our sector partners have, too - construction firms repairing a broken infrastructure; steel mills taking in waste scrap; colleges helping Gulf coast schools and displaced students; ports reopening quickly to transport essential supplies. Staff members of the Sector Strategies Program are consulting with our Agency colleagues and sector stakeholders in various ways - answering questions, providing information, and advising on policy issues where we can.
At the same time, we and others are thinking about opportunities to develop rebuilding strategies in innovative ways. Our participating sectors will be front and center in these efforts. Some of the areas where we already are active, such as beneficial reuse of byproducts and debris, may provide helpful models for sustainable practices on a larger scale. As is our standard practice, we solicit ideas from our stakeholders on ways in which our sector partnerships can be utilized to good effect in the revitalization efforts.
Bob Benson
Director, Sector Strategies Program
EPA Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation
College & University Sector -
Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conference
The upcoming Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference will bring together college and university leaders in the areas of campus planning and development, finance and business, facilities management, environmental health and safety, and procurement, as well as decision-makers in college and university towns. Conference participants will share information on innovative solutions to some of the challenging environmental problems facing campuses and their communities today. The goal is to share best practices in the areas of smart growth, sustainability, and "town/gown" relations.
The conference will take place on November 3 and 4, 2005, at the University of Maryland at College Park. It will be co-sponsored by EPA, the Society for College and University Planning, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, and the University of Maryland at College Park. Attendees will be able to participate in concurrent sessions, a half day of workshops, and four plenary sessions where schools will share their work, best practices, and innovations.
Please visit the Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference Web site for more information. All participants must register on-line
. Deadline for registration is October 21, 2005. Registration is limited to 300 people and will be handled on a first come first serve basis. For more information, contact Peggy Bagnoli (bagnoli.peggy@epa.gov) at 202-566-2957.
Cement Manufacturing Sector -
Cement Sector Conducts Beneficial Use Workshop
The Sector Strategies Division and the Portland Cement Association jointly sponsored an Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials Workshop on July 20th. Among the 50 participants were 15 trade associations, 7 cement manufacturers, and officials from the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and several EPA programs and regional offices.
The purpose of the workshop was to identify alternative fuels and raw materials that could be beneficially reused by cement kilns. The group considered such industrial byproducts as foundry sand, steel slag, fly ash, tires, used oil, wood chips, and spent aluminum potliner. Industry participants shared data on the volume of materials they generate, and the potential amount available to the cement sector, while the Sector Strategies program contributed an analysis of current materials utilization trends and state permit activities.
Participants discussed barriers to the use of these materials and opportunities to encourage their use at cement kilns. Not all of the barriers are regulatory - there are significant market/economic, technical specification, public perception, and geographic considerations that also need to be addressed. Several future projects were identified, including a look at the geographical distribution of raw materials vs. kiln location, a "barriers" matrix for materials that is focused on state and local issues, and another effort to look at the market forces that influence the movement of materials - such as to landfills rather than kilns.
For more information, contact Carl Koch (koch.carl@epa.gov) at 202-566-2972.
Construction Sector -
Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities (MYER) Guide for Construction
EPA's Office of Compliance has just published Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities: A Planning Guide for Construction and Development (the MYER Guide). This assistance tool was created through a joint effort by EPA, industry trade groups, states, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
The MYER Guide contains two sets of checklists and detailed information on environmental responsibilities of the construction industry (including storm water management). The Guide will help builders and developers understand which environmental regulations apply to them and then use that understanding throughout all phases of a construction project. Contractors can use the Guide at the Pre-Bid phase to learn about applicable environmental requirements, so compliance costs can be taken into consideration early. They can use the responsibility-assignment checklist during the Pre-Construction phase to allocate environmental responsibilities before breaking ground. During the Construction phase, they will find answers to many environmental questions and can conduct self-audits by using available checklists in the Guide. Each checklist and chapter can be pulled out and used in the field.
Download an electronic copy of the Guide from the Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center ) or EPA's Compliance Assistance Web site. Free hard copies are available from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at (800) 490-9198. Specify document number EPA305-B-04-003. For more information, contact Peter Truitt (truitt.peter@epa.gov) at 202-566-2950.
Metal Casting Sector -
Foundry Association Emphasizes RCRA Compliance at Recent EH&S Conference
At the August meeting of the American Foundry Society environmental safety and health conference, AFS representatives reported on the progress of its industry-wide effort to improve compliance with RCRA regulations and, ultimately, its environmental image with regulators and the public.
The "AFS RCRA Initiative" aims to identify the common root causes of RCRA violations in foundries, then provide technical assistance to facilities that are susceptible to violations. The Sector Strategies Program helped AFS work with the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) to provide vital information about major non-compliance areas in foundries, based on over 260 inspections completed during the past five years. Over half of the inspections found non-compliance issues, and enforcement actions were taken at 40% of those facilities -- room for improvement.
OECA showed significant interest in working with the foundry industry in the future to provide compliance assistance and improve compliance rates for the industry. In the future, AFS is hoping to develop additional compliance assistance tools and provide RCRA compliance workshops. For more information, contact Jeff Kohn (kohn.jeffrey@epa.gov) at 202-566-1407.
Paint & Coatings Sector -
Exploring Ways to Reduce Hazardous Waste and Increase Recycling
EPA and the National Paint and Coatings Association are partnering on an initiative to further increase hazardous waste recycling and reuse across the paint and coatings industry. In Phase I of the initiative, EPA sponsored a detailed review of hazardous waste data for 486 paint and coatings facilities, as reflected in EPA's Biennial Reporting System. The data review identified non-halogenated organic solvents from cleaning operations, off-spec/out-of-date products, and still bottoms as the primary categories of hazardous waste that have potential for increased recycling. The Phase I report was issued on December 29, 2004.
In Phase II of the initiative, EPA and NPCA cosponsored a series of interviews with industry managers, an environmental consultant, and a waste broker, as well as a roundtable discussion with 10 industry leaders. The purpose of these discussions was to identify and assess specific opportunities and barriers to recycling. The Phase II report will be available shortly. For more information, contact Barry Elman (elman.barry@epa.gov) at 202-566-2958.
Ports and Construction Sectors-
Emission Reduction Incentives for Off-Road Diesel Equipment
As part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign, EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality seeks to reduce emissions from over 11 million existing vehicles in the diesel fleet by 2014. This national program includes a major effort to promote voluntary actions to replace or retrofit existing diesel equipment, with a particular focus on freight carriers, school buses, construction vehicles, and port equipment.
Sector Strategies has played a major role in these efforts. As reported in the 2nd edition of the Connector, we issued a report last May which analyzed emission reduction incentives for off-road diesel equipment used at ports and construction sites. This report has informed members of a federal advisory panel, the Clean Diesel and Retrofit Workgroup, which in turn has presented interim recommendations on preferred incentives to a technical review panel of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. Recommendations include a combination of grants; low-interest loans; tax credits, deductions, and rebates; contract provisions; recognition programs; and technology development and support. The advisory group will review these recommendations in preparation for a National Policy Leaders Summit in December.
For more information, contact Kathleen Bailey (Ports) at 202-566-2953 or Peter Truitt (Construction) at 202-566-2970.
College & University Sector -
Case Studies in Successful EMS Implementation
EPA has developed case studies describing how five different universities have approached their implementation of an environmental management system (EMS). The five participating schools are: University of Massachusetts - Lowell, University of Michigan, University of Missouri-Rolla, University of South Carolina, and Washington State University - Pullman Campus.
This project is part of the overall environmental strategy for this sector. Each case study provides an overview of the institution, the champions who made it happen, lessons learned from their EMS implementation efforts, and actual benefits gained from their EMS. These experiences will help inform other campuses that are considering putting an EMS in place.
To read or download the case studies, please visit the Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) for Colleges and Universities Web site . For more information, contact Peggy Bagnoli (bagnoli.peggy@epa.gov) at 202-566-2957.
Connect With Us
You can get more information on the activities of the Sector Strategies Program on our Web page. Or you can contact staff liaisons for each sector directly - they serve as a resource on environmental issues for their sectors. Here's a list of our sector liaisons:
Program Director -- Bob Benson (benson.robert@epa.gov), 202-566-2954
Team Lead (strategic planning, program office relations) -- Shannon Kenny (kenny.shannon@epa.gov), 202-566-2964
Sector liaisons:
Agribusiness -- new liaison TBA, contact Bob Benson (benson.robert@epa.gov) in the interim
Cement -- Carl Koch (koch.carl@epa.gov), 202-566-2972
Colleges & Universities -- Peggy Bagnoli (bagnoli.peggy@epa.gov), 202-566-2957
Construction -- Peter Truitt (truitt.peter@epa.gov), 202-566-2970
Forest Products -- Rhea Hale (hale.rhea@epa.gov), 202-566-2965
Iron & Steel -- Tom Tyler (tyler.tom@epa.gov), 202-566-2969
Metal Casting -- Jeff Kohn (kohn.jeffrey@epa.gov), 202-566-1407
Metal Finishing - Bob Benson Paint & Coatings -- Barry Elman (elman.barry@epa.gov), 202-566-2958
Ports -- Kathleen Bailey (bailey.kathleen@epa.gov), 202-566-2953
Shipbuilding & Ship Repair -- Shana Harbour (harbour.shana@epa.gov), 202-566-2959
Specialty-Batch Chemical -- Bob Benson (benson.robert@epa.gov) (general inquiries) and Jeff Kohn (RCRA issues)
Cross-sector contacts:
Sector performance measurement -- Carl Koch
Environmental management systems -- Shana Harbour
Regional & state relations -- Peggy Bagnoli, Robin Kime, Tom Tyler
Please share your suggestions on ways to improve this newsletter. The next edition will be sent within the next month or two. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or if there are others who you feel should receive the Connector, contact Peggy Bagnoli (bagnoli.peggy@epa.gov) or 202-566-2957. Thanks to our stakeholders for your active participation and your good ideas in support of our 12 collaborative partnerships!