|
WASTE DESCRIPTION |
TYPE OF PROJECT |
POUNDS REDUCED, REUSED, RECYCLED
OR CONSERVED IN 2005 |
WASTE TYPE |
POTENTIAL COSTS FOR TREATMENT
& DISPOSAL |
COST OF RECYCLE, PREVENTION |
ESTIMATED COST SAVINGS |
PROJECT DESCRIPTION DETAILS * |
|
Aerosol Can Disposal System |
Recycling |
66 |
66 pounds of hazardous waste |
$991 |
$1,700 |
$991 |
Allows spent aerosol cans to be
recycled scrap metal rather than sent to WMD as hazardous waste |
|
Formaldetox |
Source Reduction |
128 |
128 pounds of lab pack
industrial wastes expected to be removed |
$2,120 |
$1,040 |
$2,120 |
Neutralizes non-hazardous
para-formaldehyde, chlorix, bleach and rat blood |
|
Replacement of IO Mercury
Thermometers |
Substitution |
20 |
Mercury |
$2,350 |
$250 |
$2,350 |
Approximately 20 lb of
mercury-containing thermometers were removed from IO laboratories during
2005. Savings are based on the cost of one mercury spill and cleanup. |
|
Replacement of PO Mercury
Thermometers |
Substitution |
30 |
Mercury |
$2,350 |
$450 |
$2,350 |
Approximately 30 lb of
mercury-containing thermometers were removed from Physics laboratories during
2005. Savings are based on the cost of one mercury spill and cleanup. |
|
Photon Counting
Spectroflurometer |
Substitution |
54 |
2 ft3 of mixed waste and 1000
man-hours |
$10,540 |
$46,350 |
$25,540 |
Eliminated the need for
radioactive assays and the subsequent generated radioactive waste. Cost savings include 1000 man-hours and
savings on material costs |
|
Replacement of Mercury Utility
Devices |
Substitution |
120 |
Mercury |
|
$12,000 |
$2,350 |
Approximately 120 lb of
mercury-containing devices were removed from utility devices during 2005.
Savings are based on the cost of one mercury spill and cleanup. |
|
Animal Bedding Conveying System
Dismantling * |
Recycling |
2,000 |
250 ft3 of LLRW |
$38,974 |
$5,000 |
$38,974 |
This is a multi-year / multiple
Department funded initiative that will eliminate LLRW and provide a safer
work environment in the Medical Dept. |
|
PCB Transformer Carcus Removal |
Removal |
4,000 |
High level risk to the Lab |
|
$6,251 |
$6,000 |
This was the final stage of a
multiyear / multiple Department funded initiative to eliminate some
electrical components which were PCB contaminated |
|
Recovery of CFC R-113 from
Building 511 Chiller |
Substitution |
490 |
Reduction of Class 1 Ozone
Depleting Substances |
$4,250 |
$500 |
$3,750 |
Recovery and reuse by another
DOE facility of 490 pounds of R-113 (a Class 1 ODS) |
|
Halogen 1211 Fire Extinguisher Substitution
* |
Substitution |
1,700 |
Reduction of Halogenated Ozone
Depleting Substances |
|
$10,000 |
$6,250 |
1700 pounds of halogen 1211
removed from service and replaced with non-ozone depleting substances |
|
EP Grounds Vehicle Wash * |
Waste Minimization |
8,000 |
oils/grease to soils |
$16,000 |
$3,000 |
$16,000 |
This is a multi-year / multiple
Department funded initiative that will eliminate the potential of oil and
grease being released to soil |
|
208 Hopper Demolition |
Recycled |
12,000 |
Legacy Waste and Safety Risk to
Lab |
$12,000 |
$8,100 |
$4,000 |
This is a multiple Department
funded initiative that eliminated a potential legacy waste and a severe
safety concern. |
|
Lab-Wide Earth Day Mercury
Disposal Amnesty |
Removal |
30 |
Mercury |
|
$6,000 |
$2,350 |
Approximately 30 lb of
mercury-containing waste was removed from use during this 2005 amnesty
program. Savings are based on the cost of one mercury spill and cleanup. |
|
Automotive Waste |
Substitution |
510 |
Hazardous Waste |
$1,061 |
$0 |
$1,000 |
In
2004, solvent-based brake cleaners were replaced, reducing the hazards
associated with their use and disposal. |
|
Mercury Utility Devices |
Substitution |
60 |
Mercury |
$1,750 |
$0 |
$1,750 |
Approximately 60 lb of
mercury-containing devices were removed from Buildings 463 and 490 in 2004.
Savings are based on the cost of one mercury spill and cleanup. |
|
PCB Oils |
Retrofill |
1,200 |
Hazardous Waste |
$2,850 |
$0 |
$2,850 |
Approximately 150 gal of
PCB-laden oil were removed from the ATF Klystron in 2004. Savings are based
on the cost of one PCB spill and cleanup. |
|
Organic Solvents |
Substitution |
678 |
Hazardous Waste |
$1,410 |
$0 |
$26,000 |
Life Sciences purchased a
Microwave Peptide Synthesizer in 2004 to significantly reduce the amount of
hazardous wastes generated. Saves ~1,000 work hours/year (reflected in cost
savings). |
|
Organic Solvents |
Purification/Reuse |
480 |
Hazardous Waste |
$998 |
$0 |
$10,915 |
The
primary cost saving of the BES solvent purification system, new in 2004, is
in not purchasing new solvent. |
|
Cooling Water |
Reuse |
80,000 |
Deionized water |
$0 |
$0 |
$10,000 |
A
closed-cycle water recycling system for the Building 480 melt spinner was
purchased in 2004. This saves a minimium of 10,000 gal of ultra-pure water
and extends the life expentancy of equipment worth $100,000. |
|
PCB Oils |
Removal |
3,110 |
Hazardous Waste |
$6,469 |
$0 |
$2,850 |
In 2004, ~300 gal of pure PCB
oil were drained from the transformer and rectifier in Building 901 (former
PET Facility). Also removed were 30 PCB capacators and 11 PCB transformers.
Savings are based on the cost of one PCB spill and cleanup. |
|
Mercury Utility Devices |
Substitution |
40 |
Mercury |
$2,300 |
$0 |
$2,300 |
OMC replaced mercury-containing
equipment with non mercury-containing equipment in 2004. Savings are based on
the cost of one mercury spill and cleanup. |
|
Radioactive Waste |
Source Reduction |
1,500 |
Radioactive Waste |
$6,000 |
$0 |
$6,000 |
A sorting table was purchased in
2003 for the Waste Yard, so clean waste could be sorted from radioactive
waste. |
|
Radioactive Emissions |
Emission Reduction |
0 |
Radioactive Emissions |
|
|
$0 |
A shroud was installed over the
16-inch diameter shaft in the Hot Cell of the BLIP, isolating cooling water
from the rapidly moving air of the exhaust system and allowing radiological
decay within the water system. Slowing the diffusion into the hot cell air
will effectively reduce gaseous emissions into the exhaust stack, as these
radionuclides have very short half lives. |
|
Radioactive Waste generated
through wet chemistry |
Waste Minimization |
30 |
Mixed waste / Liquid Radioactive
Waste |
$17,600 |
$0 |
$22,500 |
The purchase of a Kinetic
Phosphorescence Analyzer (KPA) system for uranium analysis eliminated mixed
waste generation in this chemistry laboratory, reduced by 90% the volume of
liquid waste, reduced by 90% the amount of radioactive material handled, minimized
exposure to uranium by laboratory personnel, and decreased labor time by 75%. |
|
Radioactive Waste from labeled
chemicals |
Waste Minimization/ Volume
Reduction |
0 |
Solid Radioactive Waste |
$2,168 |
$0 |
$2,168 |
A vial crusher for glass vials,
pipettes, and other glassware was purchased to reduce volume of rad waste. |
|
Radioactive and Mixed Wastes
from radio-labeled chemicals |
Waste Minimization |
112 |
Mixed Waste
|
$27,690 |
$0 |
$27,690 |
A microplate scintillation
counter was purchased to to reduce mixed waste generation.
|
|
Pump Oil |
Substitution |
51 |
Hazardous Waste / Industrial
Waste |
$3,520 |
$0 |
$3,520 |
Oil-displacement pumps were
replaced with dry pumps for both laboratory and aircraft missions. |
|
Photographic Waste |
Substitution |
3,840 |
Hazardous Waste / Industrial
Waste |
$7,600 |
$0 |
$16,489 |
A
photographic processor reduced the amount of chemicals used and waste
generated by up to 80%. |
|
Electrophoretic Mini-Gels |
Microscale Chemical Use |
2,200 |
Hazardous Waste - Lab Pack |
$10,576 |
$0 |
$10,576 |
This system minimizes silver
waste from silver-staining electrophoretic mini-gels. Savings reflect avoided
waste disposal costs and lower material purchase costs ($6,000). |
|
Hydraulic Oil |
Product Substitution |
3,000 |
Industrial Waste |
$26,000 |
$0 |
$26,000 |
Hydraulic lift bays in the Motor
Pool Shop were retrofitted to vegetable-based hydraulic oil in 2002. During
2005 an underground hydraulic pipe leak occured. The hydraulics were re-piped above ground and the oil was
allowed to biodegrade in place. |
|
Sewage Sludge |
Volume Reduction |
122,570 |
Radioactive Waste |
$232,080 |
$0 |
$226,480 |
Disposal
of 60,000 gal of radioactive STP liquid waste by a contractor would cost
$910,000. Instead, the waste is dried using rolloffs, absorbent, and lime and
shipped via rail to a disposal facility. A second drying bed was built to dry
sludge (96% volume reduction) from the anaerobic sludge digester. |
|
Film and other
radioisotopic imaging |
Substitution |
300 |
Hazardous Waste / Industrial
Waste |
$22,000 |
$0 |
$22,000 |
Replacement
of film-based autoradiography and other radioisotopic imaging with a
Phosphor Imager reduced hazardous waste generation by 200 lb and industrial
waste generation by 100 lb. Additional projected savings are in annual supply
costs and labor reduction. |
|
Digital Imaging
System |
Substitution |
282 |
Hazardous Waste / Radioactive
Waste / Industrial Waste |
$25,000 |
$0 |
$25,000 |
Reduction of hazardous (134 lb),
radioactive (80 lb), and industrial (68 lb) waste with installation of a
digital imaging system. Additional
projected savings are in annual supply costs and labor reduction. |
|
Fluorescence-Based
Assay |
Substitution |
200 |
Mixed Waste |
$30,550 |
$0 |
$30,550 |
Development of a
fluorescence-based assay for the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs),
replacing the 32P assay. |
|
Lead Acid
Batteries |
Recycled |
9,200 |
Hazardous Waste |
$19,136 |
$0 |
$19,136 |
Estimate 40 lb/battery and
avoided disposal costs as hazardous waste. |
|
Ion Exchange
wastewater |
Source Reduction |
1250 |
Hazardous and Sanitary
Wastewater |
$2,600 |
$100 |
$2,500 |
Prefilters, added to the
deionization system, polish makeup water entering the ion exchange system.
This extends the useful life of the ion exchange resins, requiring less
frequent regeneration. The regeneration process generates hazardous and
sanitary waste. There is a small annual cost for replacement supplies. |
|
Smoke Detectors |
Source Reduction |
513 |
Mixed Waste |
$112,039 |
$10,650 |
$101,389 |
In 2005, 171 Americium smoke
detectors were removed from service, returned to the manufacturer, and
replaced with non-rad detectors. This ongoing project reduces the risk of
americium being released to the environment and avoids eventual disposal as
mixed waste. |
|
Cooling Water |
Reuse |
6,800 |
Radioactive Waste |
$16,266 |
$0 |
$16,266 |
Approximately 850 gal (6,800 lb)
of cooling water were reused in the main magnet cooling water system,
avoiding disposal as radioactive waste water. |
|
Short Half-life waste |
Decay in Storage |
25 |
Radioactive Waste |
$2,308 |
$0 |
$2,308 |
Short
half-life isotopes, particularly phosphorus-32 and phosphorus-33, are
frequently used in life sciences experiments. In 2005, wastes from these
operations (6 ft3) were managed in accordance with BNL decay-in-storage
requirements, rendering the wastes eligible for volumetric release. |
|
Lubricating Oil |
Energy Recovery |
4,000 |
Industrial Waste |
$8,320 |
$500 |
$8,000 |
In 2005, ~4,000 lb (500 gal) of
lubricating oils were collected, tested for suitable for use as waste oil
fuel, and used for energy production at the Central Steam Facility. Avoided
disposal cost was $8,000. Cost of testing ($500) was offset by fuel use savings
($1.00/gal). |
|
Cooling Tower Chemicals |
Source Reduction |
6,375 |
Industrial Waste |
$15,000 |
$0 |
$15,000 |
In 2001, ozone water treatment
units were installed on cooling towers at two RHIC experiments to provide
biological control of cooling water. These systems eliminate the need for
water treatment chemicals (typically toxic biocides), save labor, and reduce
analytical costs for monitoring cooling tower blowdown. |
|
Blasocut Machining Coolant |
Recycled/Reused |
31,120 |
Industrial Waste |
$68,630 |
$0 |
$75,030 |
Central Shops Division operates
a recycling system that reclaims Blasocut machining coolant and supplies it
labwide. 3,890 gal (31,120 lb) of Blasocut lubricant were recycled in 2005.
Recycling involves aeration, centrifuge, and filtration. This avoids cost of
disposal as industrial waste plus an avoided cost of procurement of 8 drums
of concentrate ($800/drum) and 78 drums for waste ($50/drum). |
|
Used Motor Oil |
Energy Recovery |
34,560 |
Industrial Waste |
$75,785 |
$0 |
$83,370 |
Used motor oil from the motor
pool and the on-site gas station is picked for free up by Strebel's Laundry
Service and used to fire their waste oil dryers. In 2005, 4,320 gal of oil
were picked up, avoiding cost for disposal and 87 drums for shipping ($50/drum). |
|
Office Paper |
Recycled |
388,000 |
Sanitary Waste |
$19,400 |
$0 |
$19,400 |
Estimate $100/ton for disposal
as trash. |
|
Cardboard |
Recycled |
314,000 |
Sanitary Waste |
$15,700 |
$0 |
$15,700 |
Estimate $100/ton for disposal
as trash. |
|
Scrap Metal |
Recycled |
1,122,000 |
Sanitary Waste |
$56,100 |
$0 |
$56,100 |
Estimate $100/ton for disposal
as trash. |
|
Bottles/Cans |
Recycled |
42,000 |
Sanitary Waste |
$2,100 |
$0 |
$2,100 |
Estimate $100/ton for disposal
as trash. |
|
Construction Debris |
Recycled |
578,000 |
Sanitary Waste |
$13,005 |
$0 |
$13,005 |
Estimate $45/ton for avoiding
disposal as trash. |
|
|
TOTALS |
2,786,644 |
|
$943,584 |
$111,891 |
$1,018,966 |
|
|
* Cost savings of projects funded by the BNL
Pollution Prevention Council will be tracked for three years. |
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|
putressible waste / ton |
100.00 |
|
|
|
|
hazardous waste / pound |
2.08 |
|
|
|
|
industrial waste / pound |
2.08 |
|
|
|
|
Labpack / pound |
17.26 |
|
|
|
|
radioactive liquid / pound |
2.39 |
20 dollars per gallon per Ed
Richards on 2/28/05 |
|
|
|
|
sewage sludge / drum |
n/a |
|
|
|
|
non-compactible LLW / ft3 |
155.90 |
|
|
|
|
compactible LLW / ft3 |
92.30 |
|
|
|
|
high activity LLW / ft3 |
n/a |
|
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|
|
mixed waste / ft3 |
218.40 |
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