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Project Title: SMAC Chlorinated Water Minimization
Award Winner: Darrell Thomas, Solid State
Project Description: Four ion accelerators in the Surface Modification and Characterization facility were removed from once-through process water cooling and will be placed on recirculating water heat exchangers that are connected to the building Air Conditioning chilled water system. This project will eliminate the release of 50 gallons per minute of chlorinated process water and will reduce water use and emissions by 100,000,000 Kg/yr (26 million gallons/yr).
Project Title: Digital Conversion in Materials Analysis Labs
Award Winners:
Project Description: Traditionally, electron microscopy has used photographic film as the recording medium and photographic enlargements as the reporting medium. By installing charge-coupled device-based cameras with digital output and digital frame capture/instrument control modules, the five primary microscopes were converted to digital. Digital images are now passed to a large capacity disc server for storage and archive or on to other computers for image processing and incorporation into documents. One hundred percent of the photographic waste or 227 kg/yr was reduced at an estimated savings of $629,000 over 10 years.
Project Title: Photographic Waste Silver Recovery In Instrumentation and Controls Division
Award Winner: W. W. Koch, Jr., Instrumentation and Controls
Project Description: Bill Koch, Pollution Prevention Representative for I&C, investigated various alternatives for reduction of division hazardous waste. He coordinated Division efforts to reduce photographic waste by desilvering which resulted in a 30% reduction of Division RCRA wastes. Mr. Koch also coordinated the transfer of a Cold Evaporator from a division that no longer needed it to the I&C Division for volume reduction of electroplating waste.
Project Title: Lab Renovation for FFCA Treatability Studies
Award Winner: C. L. Francis, Chemical Technology
Project Description: Minimization of contaminated waste and rubble was accomplished by cleaning hoods, floors, and benches of contaminated spots, including cutting out spots of fixed contamination to minimize contaminated waste volume. Six labs were renovated in this way and would have required several B-25 boxes for contaminated lab benches and large pieces of sheet metal. Instead, much smaller volumes were disposed of as contaminated waste with the remaining material recycled or salvaged, saving 3 or 4 B-25 boxes or 300 to 400 cubic feet of contaminated waste.
Project Title: Reuse of Coal Ash
Award Winners: J. L. Baxter, Plant and Equipment
Project Description: Some 2000 tons per year of coal ash from ORNL's Steam Plant was diverted from a sanitary landfill to a cement manufacturing plant. This activity eliminates reliance on a commercial landfill and reduces disposal costs by $50,000 per year.
Project Title: Metal and Ceramics Division's Commitment to Pollution Prevention
Award Winners: D. F. Craig, Metals and Ceramics
Project Description: The ORNL M&C Division, through its director, D. F. Craig, has recognized that "mission success" is directly related to proficiency in environmental safety and health, and specifically in the area of pollution prevention. Pollution prevention is directly tied to wise management of resources and to overall productivity. The realization of the importance of pollution prevention has been demonstrated by the division's management goals that have led to a continuous reduction in hazardous waste generation over the past several years. Between 1991 and 1993 the division's efforts have resulted in more than a 50% reduction in hazardous waste generation.
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