Tracking Toxic Substances at Industrial Facilities Engineering Mass Balance Versus Materials Accounting (1990) / Chapter Skim
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5. Assessing Waste-Reduction Efficiency
5. Assessing Waste-Reduction Efficiency
Pages 39-56
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From page 39... ...
, to determine the waste reduction efficiency of different facilities, or categories of facilities, including the effectiveness of toxic chemical regulations promulgated under laws other than this title." In analyzing the use of mass balance data for this purpose, the committee defined efficiency as progress made by a facility in reducing its waste (see below)
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From page 40... ...
Congress defined waste-reduction efficiency by example: "For example, can this [mass balance] information reasonably be used to compare different facilities in the same business to determine whether one is applying more rigorous environmental control than another, or delineate whether reduced releases of chemicals reflect improved control or limited operation" (U.S.
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From page 41... ...
If progress were made in reducing the amount of waste generated from a specific production unit, then there would likely be less waste contributed to streams exiting the facility. The committee evaluated only MA information for practical applications to assess waste-reduction efficiency.
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From page 42... ...
Qualitative information is also requested on any resulting change in the toxicity of the waste and any change in the impact on air emissions and water discharges. The focus of this biennial reporting is on RCRA waste codes, not on specific chemical constituents and therefore would not add any information for assessing the efficiency of reducing the amount of specific chemicals in waste streams from facilities reporting to the TRI.
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From page 43... ...
and lo~ercasc letEc~s refer to unlisted chemicals. P~ oduc1-s E = 159, I f = 35 FIGURE 5.1 Id~lized mass balance diagrams for production units or facilities before and after waste reduction.
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How would the burden of additional measuring and monitoring requirements affect efforts to make progress in waste reduction? Among production units, facilities, or industries, is there some commonality among the chemicals that are to be measured?
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NP = Chemical "not present" in product system. ficiently similar among production units, facilities, or industries to make valid comparisons?
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From page 46... ...
4 3 2 2 4 2 Commonality of compounds Between production units? 3 2 3 3 4 3 Between industnes?
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From page 47... ...
Comparisons among production units, facilities, and industries become meaningless if the normalization
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From page 48... ...
This method of assessment provides unambiguous results for specific waste streams generated within a single production unit. Such ratios become less meaningful as waste data are aggregated from various production units within one facility.
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49 D _ ~ ~ 08 e g ·_ ~ O ._ - _ o ._ .g E ° zig a: o ._ s o ._ of 3 o C~ E z o ID C' >a C' ·c en In a, m ._ ~ _ _ c: ~ a 3c' c ~ 0 ._ ~ es Ace a: .o ·~ zip.
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(.05) - x 100 = 11% If Reporting Unit 1 waste generation in comparison year approaches zero' R= (310)
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From page 51... ...
those facilities or production units showing improvement in waste-reduction efficiency, (b) those showing no change, and (c)
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From page 52... ...
OTA also concluded that if government were to require waste reduction, it would face major difficulties in determining what is technically and economically feasible or practical for a specific industrial operation (OTA, 1986~. Alternative MA Practice Systems The approaches to waste-reduction reporting discussed thus far focused on specific mass balance components, such as production, to provide a better understanding of the amounts of waste generated at reporting facilities.
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From page 53... ...
For chemicals considered less toxic, the amount of waste generated would constitute the numerator. With this approach, inconsistencies in reporting could occur if a highly toxic chemical were totally replaced with a less toxic one.
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From page 54... ...
However, the diversity of chemical products and manufactured goods that involve the use of toxic chemicals often makes it difficult to normalize waste data on a consistent and comparable basis. Specific data on production units must be used if meaningful wastereduction statistics are desired at a national level; it would be difficult to assemble the data at this level.
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From page 55... ...
Basing evaluation of waste-reduction progress data on the reduction of specific chemicals is not necessarily more effective than basing it on the reduction in total quantity of waste-chemical constituents or waste toxicity. The reduction of a listed chemical might not reduce the total waste stream and could increase the quantity through greater use of a nonreguiated material of unknown hazard or toxicity.
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