The Experiment. 2.1 The Partners agree to undertake the Experiment as the same has been specified in the Proposal and in accordance with the requirements of this Funding Agreement. Any and all changes to proposed work or budget as described in the Proposal need a prior technical evaluation by the FFplus management and written consent of the University.
The Experiment. The HADCO project was ex- amining whether valuable copper metals could be recovered more safely and cost-effectively through direct reuse by a primary metals smelter rather than through following the current requirement to first ship copper sludge wastes long distances to inter- mediate processors. Based on HADCO’s experi- ences with this project through close out, EPA can develop a framework to address the potential is- sues that this type of project may encounter and that can hinder a company’s ability to achieve su- perior environmental performance. 88 The Flexibility: To improve recycling and reduce risks to the surrounding communities, EPA, the State of New York, and the State of New Hamp- shire offered flexibility in solid waste disposal to three HADCO facilities. Testing of the facilities’ sludge from wastes from electroplating processes indicated that these sludges had a high concentra- tion of several valuable metals, especially copper, and relatively low toxicity in comparison to typi- cal electroplating sludges. New Hampshire deter- mined that the sludge was eligible for a solid waste variance or a conditional delisting. New York de- termined that the sludge was eligible for a solid waste variance. Although the project is in the pro- cess of being closed out, the company intends to proceed with the delisting in Region 1 and the pro- cessing of a solid waste variance in Region 2. The Superior Environmental Performance: Under the original project, HADCO committed to using all savings realized from this project to ex- pand its pollution prevention and recycling pro- grams. HADCO also committed to recycling copper dust, which is another byproduct of its op- erations, and to examining the potential of install- ing additional sludge dryers to reduce the volume of sludge wastes as HADCO currently employs some sludge drying in each of the three facilities. Progress in Meeting Commitments (Last reported results as of July 2000) HADCO and EPA began discussions of closing out the project early in 2001. As of July 2000, the following commitments were met by HADCO: • HADCO met its commitments to submit samples of its sludge waste for analysis. • HADCO filed a petition seeking a conditional delisting in the State of New Hampshire. • The New York Owego facility filed for a solid waste variance in the State of New York on September 28, 1999. Updated revisions to the variance application are required to be submit- xxx by HADCO as a result of the closeout of this...
The Experiment. The Imation XL project builds upon the 1996 covenant between Imation and the State of California and is testing whether innova- tive permitting and NSR strategies can be used to enable the company to make facility changes with- out delay (i.e., avoiding case-by-case approvals) while producing superior environmental perfor- xxxxx. To avoid potential delays and streamline approval, this experiment is employing two prin- cipal mechanisms. First, the company has accepted a plant-wide cap on VOC emissions, and second, the company’s Title V permit (required by the CAA) was designed to characterize Imation’s an- ticipated changes as alternative operating sce- narios. Imation Camarillo will be subject to a voluntary VOC emissions cap (called a plant-wide applica- bility limit, or PAL) for VOC emissions of 150 tons per year (tpy). The PAL will ensure that the emissions from the plant do not overly contribute to regional air pollution, do not interfere with rea- sonable further progress toward attainment of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and do not trigger the major NSR pro- cess. In addition to the 150 tpy cap on VOC emis- sions, Imation must meet a minimum control efficiency of 95 percent and a 100 percent capture efficiency for all organic compounds (VOCs and HAPs) emitted from coating manufacturing opera- tions at the facility, regardless of whether the amount emitted is below 150 tpy. This will ensure that Imation meets any emission standards that will apply to any of the changes contemplated by the company. To meet the capture efficiency standard, the coating and drying system is totally enclosed so that no VOCs escape to the atmosphere. Project Status and Results As long as Imation’s actual VOC emissions do not exceed the PAL, modifications can be made at the facility without triggering major or minor NSR approval processes. In addition, Imation has agreed to facility-wide emission caps for other CAA cri- teria pollutants: 30 tpy of carbon monoxide (CO);
The Experiment. The Intel project’s goal is to implement an Environmental Management Mas- ter Plan that includes a facility-wide cap on air emissions to replace individual permit limits for different air emission sources. The Intel project provides a test case for two innovations for im- proving air permitting: the elimination of case-by- case review of specific manufacturing process changes, if emissions remain under a capped amount; and pre-approval of a major plant expan- sion, if emissions remain below a capped amount for the entire site. The Flexibility: The Intel XL project establishes a long-term plan to minimize the Ocotillo facility’s environmental impact on local air, land, and water quality; to minimize both its use of fresh water and its generation of waste; and to undertake a number of other actions to enhance the overall environ- mental quality of the community. As an incentive to achieve environmental performance at the Oco- tillo facility, EPA, the Arizona Department of En- vironmental Quality (ADEQ), the Maricopa County Bureau of Air Pollution Control, and the City of Xxxxxxxx will provide a more flexible and cost-effective process for regulatory management. The FPA provides regulatory flexibility in the ar- eas of air quality permitting, environmental per- formance reporting, and innovative technology. The FPA and the revised air quality permit pro- vide Intel with the flexibility to make equipment and process changes and construct new facilities at the site without air quality permit reviews, as long as the plant site emission limits are not ex- ceeded and all other FPA and permit limits are met. To provide an additional safety factor, Arizona Ambient Air Quality Guideline limits for hazard- ous air pollutants (HAPs) will not be exceeded at the Intel facility property line or elsewhere on the site. This flexibility in air quality regulation al- lows Intel to eliminate potentially 30 to 50 permit reviews a year and bring new products to market faster. This is exemplified by Intel’s plan to build a new production manufacturing facility. Early in 2000, Intel announced it would build its first high- volume production manufacturing facility capable of producing 300-millimeter chips at the Ocotillo site in Chandler, Arizona. The company said it would invest $2 billion to build and equip the wa- fer fabrication facility. It is expected that Intel will seek this expansion under the Ocotillo facility’s existing air emissions cap, which was established by the ori...
The Experiment. In our experiment, a laser beam at fixed wavelength (λ = 532 nm) is injected into a sym- metric stable (Xxxxx-Xxxxx) cavity to match its TEM00 mode. The cavity is constructed with two nominally identical highly reflective mirrors (specified reflectivity > 99.8%), hav- ing a radius of curvature of R = 50 cm and a diameter of D = 5 cm. We operate the cavity close to a frequency-degenerate point, where the eigenfrequencies of the Hermite- Gaussian (HG) eigenmodes separate into N groups of almost frequency-degenerate modes. At frequency-degeneracy, the Gouy phase θ0, being the round-trip phase delay between the fundamental HG mode as compared to a reference plane wave, is by definition a rational fraction of 2π: θ0 = 2π/N, the paraxial phase delay of higher-order modes (TEMmn) be- ing (m + n + 1)θ0 [12]. In a ray picture of a frequency-degenerate resonator, the ray path closes itself after N (equal to the number of hit points on each mirror) round-trips inside the resonator [21]. For stability reasons, we avoided the popular confocal (N = 2) configu- ration [12]. By way of example, we restrict the discussion to N = 4, this corresponds to a cavity length L = 14.6 cm at R = 50 cm. We measure transmission spectra by scanning the cavity length L over a few wavelengths
The Experiment. The XL project proposed by UEP uses a less costly and less complex mecha nism—a general permit and an environmental management system (EMS)-based program—to secure superior environmental results. This project is designed in anticipation of EPA’s final NPDES CAFO regulations, which were proposed in Janu ary 2001 (public comment period closed July 30, 2001) and are slated for promulgation in 2003. It is UEP’s understanding that the final CAFO regu lations may well require most UEP members, due to their size, to obtain individual NPDES permits. In lieu of obtaining an individual permit, this project includes a comprehensive program to help participating facilities achieve superior environ mental performance by implementing an EMS through a general permit issued by individual states or EPA. Because the new CAFO rules are not due to be promulgated until 2003, this project brings egg-producing facilities under an NPDES general permit that includes superior environmental per formance through the implementation of EMSs several years earlier than otherwise would have occurred. This innovative project, which will also include a third-party auditing component, will uti lize those common procedures and on-farm man agement practices most likely to result in superior environmental performance. EPA, working with UEP, states, and others, developed a model gen eral permit that states can choose to adopt where they are the permitting authority. EPA will use the general permit and the EMS program requirements in states where it continues to administer the pro- gram.
The Experiment. The Puget Sound Naval Ship- yard proposes to develop and demonstrate an al- ternative strategy for protecting and improving the health of Xxxxxxxx Inlet of the Puget Sound. This proposal would achieve its objectives through the use of sound ecological science and risk-based management and employ techniques consistent with the EPA Ecological Risk Assessment Guidelines. Key elements include development of a unified ambient monitoring program, comprehensive elec- tronic database, risk-based pollutant prioritization, and data to support the development of total maxi- mum daily loads (TMDLs). Development of these components is intended to suggest alternatives to current National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements otherwise appli- cable to PSNS. The project would be a pilot pro- gram to demonstrate concepts currently under development to address water pollution associated with naval shipyards. The project would involve two main phases. The first phase would involve a thorough study of Xxxxxxxx Inlet watershed. It would include an ex- tensive study/research project involving a mapping- design process and database development. The second phase would implement the mapping/de- sign process phase. The second phase of FPA de- velopment would be developed for and described XxXx¬➢ v &q tfro¿➢ct Statzs aud {➢szLts in a subsequently negotiated and signed phase-spe- cific addendum to the FPA. The Flexibility: In Phase I, no regulatory flex- ibility is being sought. Rather, PSNS is proposing to conduct preliminary data collection and modeling for Xxxxxxxx Inlet and the watershed. Upon comple- tion of the data collection and review of its findings, PSNS may seek regulatory flexibility in Phase II. The Superior Environmental Performance: To assist in reaching the goal of superior environmen- tal performance, Puget Sound shipyard will use the unified database in: • Identification of overlapping data collection efforts; • Determination of areas needing increased data collection; and • Assessment of the stressors affecting the health of the Inlet. Superior environmental performance would be measured by changes in water quality, sediment quality, biological health, and biodiversity within the Inlet ecosystem. Environmental benefits are not expected to flow from Phase I implementation, but rather implementation of the whole project. XxXx¬➢ v qo tfro¿➢ct Statzs aud {➢szLts “ast¬au ¶odaL So¬μauy ROCHESTER, NEW YORK; WINDSOR COLORADO; PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS; ...
The Experiment. Auto insurance rates are tra- ditionally based on variables, including vehicle age; vehicle manufacturer and value; driver’s age, sex, marital status, place of residence, and driving record; types of coverages; and deductibles se- lected. However, more specific information about customer driving patterns, such as mileage driven and time of day and location of driving, are gener- ally not taken into account because of the difficulty involved in monitoring and tracking the informa- tion. Progressive has piloted a unique voluntary in- surance program in the State of Texas that uses the new auto insurance product, AutographSM, to determine a consumer’s auto insurance rate based on actual vehicle usage, including when and how much the vehicle is driven with the use of a global positioning system installed in the vehicle. When a consumer decides that AutographSM is right for him or her, the consumer and Progressive enter into an agreement that gives the company access to the data and affords the consumer protection as to uses of the data—only the company or the consumer have access to it. With this system, Progressive seeks to create a variable insurance cost that will be influenced by the customer’s driving activity and provides a financial incentive to drive less and choose alternate forms of transportation. This project gives EPA a unique opportunity to work with a nonregulated entity to study and determine the environmental impact of this new insurance product. Progressive will make available to EPA aggregated data on participants’ driving mileage in response to the use of the product. Progressive is also interested in working with auto manufac- turers to increase pilot activities and national prod- uct availability. The Flexibility: As this project is an analytical experiment, no regulatory flexibility is being re- quested and Progressive does not obtain modifica- tions of any future laws or regulations. However, as the project progresses, if it is found that the in- surance system proves to be environmentally ben- eficial, it is possible that some alternatives would be explored for offering incentives to key groups who enable the expansion of this type of insurance. The Superior Environmental Performance: EPA’s interest in the Progressive pilot program derives from the possibility that insurance pricing plans like AutographSM might alter driving habits, as well as distinguish existing differences in habits, as drivers learn how their driving habits affect ...
The Experiment. In most electroplating and metal finishing manufacturing processes today, wash and rinse water is used once then treated on-site and discharged. USFilter proposes to install an ion ex- change system at certain approved customers’ fa- cilities that removes metal contaminants from the water, making it available for reuse. The system consists of ion exchange canisters that USFilter would install on the customer’s (primarily metal fin- ishers and electroplaters) process lines that con- tain wastewaters. The ion exchange process causes the metals in the wastewater to adhere to the resin material in the canister, rendering the water free of metal contaminants. The water can then be reused in the customer’s process lines. USFilter would collect the spent ion exchange canister con- taining the metals (using Minnesota Department of Transportation hazardous waste licensed transport- ers), replace the spent canister with a fresh one at the generator facility, and treat the spent resin at USFilter’s facility in order to regenerate it. The Flexibility: Those facilities that seek to use the USFilter ion exchange system would generate spent resins that are regulated as hazardous wastes under RCRA. In order to promote use of this sys- tem, flexibility has been granted to allow partici- pating generators and transporters of the USFilter ion exchange wastes to replace certain existing RCRA requirements for hazardous waste genera- tors and transporters with a comprehensive pro- gram implemented by USFilter. This program seeks to ensure that generators and transporters prop- erly store and transport the USFilter water treat- ment ion exchange resins. The Superior Environmental Performance: The following environmental benefits are expected from the USFilter project over three years: • Reduction in discharge of neutralized effluent to the publicly owned treatment works by ap- proximately 2.3 million gallons; and • Recovery of approximately 2,250 pounds of copper, nickel, and zinc that would have been landfilled. XxXx¬➢ v jj& tfro¿➢ct Statzs aud {➢szLts Wast➢ )auag➢¬➢ut, Juc,, Vcrgcuca laud{cLL Đcor➢actors tfro¿➢ct KING XXXXXX COUNTY, VIRGINIA XXXXXX COUNTY, VIRGINIA FINAL PROJECT AGREEMENT SIGNED SEPTEMBER 29, 2000 The Project Sponsor: Waste Management, Inc. (WM), provides comprehensive waste management services to more than 10 million residential cus- tomers and 1 million businesses. Based in Hous- ton, Texas, WM operates a network of service facilities throughout the United S...
The Experiment. The Intel project’s goal is to implement an Environmental Management Master Plan that includes a facility-wide cap on air emis- sions to replace individual permit limits for differ- ent air emission sources. The Intel project provides a test case for two innovations for improving air permitting: the elimination of case-by-case review of specific manufacturing process changes, if emis- sions remain under a capped amount, and preapproval of a major plant expansion, if emis- sions remain below a capped amount for the entire site. The Flexibility: EPA, the State of Arizona, and the Maricopa County Environmental Services De- partment have revised Intel’s air quality permit cov- ering preconstruction review under the Clean Air Act. The revised air quality permit provides a sitewide cap on air emissions for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at levels that ensure that the current site, including any future semiconductor manufacturing plants built on the site, remains in compliance. The air quality permit also provides flexibility to make equipment and process changes and construct new facilities without triggering air quality permit reviews, as long as the air emission caps are not exceeded. This is exemplified by Intel’s plan to build a new production manufacturing facility. Early this year, Intel announced it will build its first 300-millimeter, high-volume production manufacturing facility at the Xxxxxxxx site. The company said it will invest $2 billion to build and equip the wafer fabrication facility. It is expected that Intel will seek this ex- pansion under the Xxxxxxxx facility’s existing air emissions cap, which was established by the origi- nal Project XL permit in 1996. Intel has noted that the new facility will allow the company to maintain its leadership in the extremely competitive world of semiconductors.
