EVALUATION OF INDUSTRIAL PROCESS MODIFICATIONS
TO REDUCE HAZARDOUS WASTES IN THE ARMED SERVICES
Thomas E. Higgins, Senior Environmental Engineer
R. Benson Fergus, Chemical Engineer
Drew P. Desher, Environmental Engineer
CH2M HILL
Reston, Virginia 22091
INTRODUCTION
At the 1984 annual meeting of the Water Pollution Control Federation, Abel Wolman proposed
a three-pronged attack on the hazardous waste problem: 1) Industry should reduce the production
and use of hazardous materials to a minimum; 2) The reduced waste volume produced by industry
should be treated to the greatest extent possible so that a minimum quantity of hazardous waste is
discharged to the environment; and 3) The water supply industry should provide final protection of
public health and welfare in removing whatever hazardous substances that remain.
In making this appeal, Dr. Wolman stressed that these three efforts should be undertaken in
sequence and that each should be performed thoroughly before moving on to the next. Just as it has
often proved more effective to protect a watershed through prior wastewater treatment than through
extensive water treatment, reducing the quantities of industrial waste produced can simplify hazardous waste disposal and wastewater treatment.
Frequently, when we refer to reducing industrial waste discharges, we think of end-of-pipe treatment facilities. Dr. Wolman emphasized that treatment should occur as a last resort after every effort
has been made to eliminate the hazardous waste produced from the process itself.
Since 1980 it has been Department of Defense (DOD) policy to limit the generation of hazardous
waste through alternative procurement policies and operational procedures that are both environmentally attractive and economically competitive. The Army, Navy, and Air Force were directed by
DOD to reduce quantities of hazardous waste, when feasible, through resource recovery and reclamation, recycling, source separation, and raw material conservation. In carrying out the intent of
these policies, many studies have been performed that recommended industrial process modifications
which, if successful, had the potential to significantly reduce the generation of hazardous wastes at
the source, rather than require treatment at end-of-pipe facilities. Several have been successfully
implemented, and many others either were not implemented or failed to meet their goals.
CH2M HILL was contracted by the DOD Environmental Leadership Project and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to evaluate 40 cases of industrial process modifications attempted by the three
armed services. Our task was to determine why some of these modifications have been successful
and others have not. We were to evaluate not just technical factors but also institutional and motivational factors that contributed to success or lack of it. The ultimate goal of the project was to
encourage the development and implementation of industrial process modifications that will reduce
the amount of hazardous waste generated by the armed services.
While there are specific circumstances and reasons behind the success or lack of success of each
modification attempted, two factors were found to characterize each of the successful process modifications: I) the end users were sufficiently motivated to make the change; and 2) the technologies
themselves were "elegant in their simplicity." Factors that have contributed to motivating personnel
include improved production rate or quality, a reduction in overall costs, decreased manpower requirements, and a decrease in the quantity of hazardous wastes to be disposed of. Technologies that
were "elegant in their simplicity" were easy to operate and maintain, reliable, and cost effective. In
short, successfully implemented process modifications combined effective technology and motivated
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