Industrial Ecology, Pollution Prevention Industrial Ecology, Pollution Prevention and the New York/New Jersey Harborand the New York/New Jersey Harbor

Kathleen C. Callahan

Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2

State-EPA Symposium on Environmental Innovation and Results

January 25, 2006

NY/NJNY/NJHarbor Harbor

WatershedWatershed

History of the Harbor ProjectHistory of the Harbor Project

EPA developed the concept of conducting an industrial EPA developed the concept of conducting an industrial ecology (IE) project in the NY/NJ Harbor (1998)ecology (IE) project in the NY/NJ Harbor (1998)

NYAS convened workshop to explore industrial ecology as NYAS convened workshop to explore industrial ecology as tool for developing P2 recommendations for the Harbor tool for developing P2 recommendations for the Harbor (1998)(1998)

NYAS initiated the NYAS initiated the IE/P2 and the NY/NJ Harbor ProjectIE/P2 and the NY/NJ Harbor Project (1999) as a cooperative agreement with EPA funding.(1999) as a cooperative agreement with EPA funding.

NYAS formed a multi-stakeholder Consortium (2000)NYAS formed a multi-stakeholder Consortium (2000) Project goals: Project goals:

Explore the use of industrial ecology on a regional scaleExplore the use of industrial ecology on a regional scale Reduce flows of Hg, Cd, PCBs, Dioxins & PAHs to the Harbor Reduce flows of Hg, Cd, PCBs, Dioxins & PAHs to the Harbor

environment through generating targeted pollution prevention environment through generating targeted pollution prevention recommendationsrecommendations

Industrial Ecology at a Industrial Ecology at a Regional Scale Regional Scale

The Environment

MaterialInput

The EconomyAir

CommercialIndustrial

HouseholdSectors

Reuse/recycle

Product Waste Output

Land

Water

Production(Ind./Comm.

Services)

Harbor

Waste Output

Process OverviewProcess Overview Process:Process:

Select contaminants of concern to the Harbor – Select contaminants of concern to the Harbor – Consortium votes on selectionConsortium votes on selection

Conduct research on mass balance and material flows into and Conduct research on mass balance and material flows into and out of the Harbor –out of the Harbor –

Harbor Project staff perform research and Harbor Project staff perform research and also hire consultants also hire consultants

Develop pollution prevention recommendations based on findings Develop pollution prevention recommendations based on findings ––

Consortium reviews and selects and supports Consortium reviews and selects and supports

Reports generated summarize the results of the research and P2 Reports generated summarize the results of the research and P2 action plansaction plans

NYAS Decision TreeNYAS Decision Tree

Why Engage a Consortium?Why Engage a Consortium?

Emphasizes public involvement and communication Emphasizes public involvement and communication Open process acts as an educational forumOpen process acts as an educational forum Generates an open dialogue on stakeholder values and Generates an open dialogue on stakeholder values and

interplay with scienceinterplay with science Diversity of sponsors allows for wider implementation and Diversity of sponsors allows for wider implementation and

supportsupport

Members of the ConsortiumMembers of the Consortium

Includes over 50 members from the following types Includes over 50 members from the following types of institutions - of institutions - Academic institutions Academic institutions

Non-profit organizationsNon-profit organizations

Business organizationsBusiness organizations

ConsultantsConsultants

Local, state and federal governmentsLocal, state and federal governments

Interstate organizationsInterstate organizations

Sewerage CommissionsSewerage Commissions

Labor organizationsLabor organizations

Funders Funders

Environmental Protection Agency (Region 2,ORD, OPPT)

Port Authority of NY/NJ Abby R. Mauzè Trust, Anonymous (through Rockefeller Financial Services) AT&T Foundation Commonwealth Fund J.P. Morgan NYC Environmental Fund

MercuryMercury

Releases of Hg to the WatershedReleases of Hg to the Watershed

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

kg/

yr

Dental Facilities Hospitals Households

Switches: Auto Fluorescent Lamps Laboratories

Thermostats Coal comb:Utilties Coal Comb: Industrial

Autos: fuel combustion Switches: Lighting Batteries

Crematoria Switches Appliances

Hg Key FindingHg Key Finding

IE inventory helpful to identify all contaminant sources, including the cumulative effect of numerous Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) which are not usually the focus of regulations, but, which cumulatively can have a large impact.

CadmiumCadmium

Estimated Cadmium Releases for Estimated Cadmium Releases for the NY/NJ Watershedthe NY/NJ Watershed

ProductsProducts (kg/yr)(kg/yr) Confidence Confidence ReleaseRelease Metal Plating ProductionMetal Plating Production 400400 L L air, waterair, water Plastic Additives ProductionPlastic Additives Production 8080 MM airair Secondary Steel ProductionSecondary Steel Production 4040 MM airair MSW IncinerationMSW Incineration 4040 HH airair Battery disposal Battery disposal 120,000120,000 L L air/ landfillsair/ landfills Other products disposalOther products disposal 40,00040,000 LL air/ landfills  air/ landfills  

ProcessesProcesses (kg/yr)(kg/yr) Confidence Confidence ReleaseRelease

Phosphate FertilizerPhosphate Fertilizer 500500 MM soilsoil

Sewage Sludge Land AppSewage Sludge Land App 500500 M M soilsoil Cement ProductionCement Production 300300 MM airair Fossil Fuel CombustionFossil Fuel Combustion 200200 MM airair TiresTires 100100 LL soilsoil Petroleum RefineriesPetroleum Refineries 5050 MM airair

Pathways to the harbor Pathways to the harbor (from primary release source)(from primary release source) are not always easily quantifiedare not always easily quantified

Data gaps are a challenging issue for industrial Data gaps are a challenging issue for industrial ecology analysesecology analyses

Impacts on Harbor depend on current Impacts on Harbor depend on current management practices management practices

(ex. Solid Waste Management: incineration vs. landfills; (ex. Solid Waste Management: incineration vs. landfills; export vs. local management) export vs. local management)

CadmiumCadmium - Key Findings - Key Findings

PCBsPCBs

PCB LegacyPCB Legacy

PCBs are a legacy pollutantPCBs are a legacy pollutant

Production generally prohibited since 1977Production generally prohibited since 1977

Banning production but not the use of a substance can present materials flow tracking problems

Despite intense scrutiny by Federal and State agencies, our knowledge of material flows of PCBs is limited

PCBs - Key FindingsPCBs - Key Findings

Opportunities for P2/BMPs:Opportunities for P2/BMPs: Small Quantity Generators: cumulative impact of small Small Quantity Generators: cumulative impact of small

capacitors disposal overlooked by regulationscapacitors disposal overlooked by regulations

Inadvertent production of PCBs – PCBs generated Inadvertent production of PCBs – PCBs generated inadvertently end up in products without intentional addition inadvertently end up in products without intentional addition by the manufacturer ~ 10% of current PCB loadingsby the manufacturer ~ 10% of current PCB loadings

Challenging Issues: Challenging Issues: Uneven reporting requirements on usage/disposal Regulatory gap (small quantity generators, no post-ban tracking

requirements) Limited recycling opportunities

Results and Next Steps Results and Next Steps Results:Results:

NYAS has conducted follow-up outreach and NYAS has conducted follow-up outreach and implementation where feasibleimplementation where feasible Other stakeholders can utilize the P2 recommendations Other stakeholders can utilize the P2 recommendations to motivate independent action. Implementation is to motivate independent action. Implementation is voluntaryvoluntary EPA has used results to guide the selection of regional EPA has used results to guide the selection of regional pollution prevention opportunities and target priority pollution prevention opportunities and target priority areas for grant funding areas for grant funding

Next StepsNext Steps Project process can serve well in a national case studyProject process can serve well in a national case study NYAS received a grant of $144,000 from ORD in 2005 to use their combined Industrial Ecology/ Collaborative Decision-Making approach to develop watershed-wide strategies for pollution prevention of dioxin and PAH's in the New York New Jersey Harbor Replicate and expand upon the NYAS IE/P2 project Replicate and expand upon the NYAS IE/P2 project model where appropriate model where appropriate ORD/OPEI/OEI/Region 2 Workgroup being formed to ORD/OPEI/OEI/Region 2 Workgroup being formed to explore further industrial ecology opportunities and explore further industrial ecology opportunities and challenges on a national levelchallenges on a national level Continue to support work of Multi-Media Materials Continue to support work of Multi-Media Materials Management Workgroup at EPA to identify additional case Management Workgroup at EPA to identify additional case studies and pilot projectsstudies and pilot projects

Concluding remarksConcluding remarks

Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks

Industrial Ecology provides an important set of Industrial Ecology provides an important set of tools as part of the Environmental Stewardship tools as part of the Environmental Stewardship Framework for EPAFramework for EPA

Materials accounting is crucial to encourage Materials accounting is crucial to encourage the sustainable outcomes sought by the the sustainable outcomes sought by the Stewardship FrameworkStewardship Framework

More Industrial Ecology case studies needed More Industrial Ecology case studies needed that can inform management decisionsthat can inform management decisions

For copies of documents and more For copies of documents and more information about the project:information about the project:

http://www.nyas.org/programs/harbor.asphttp://www.nyas.org/programs/harbor.asp

““Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Mercury in the NY/NJ Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Mercury in the NY/NJ Harbor”Harbor”

“ “Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Cadmium in the NY/NJ Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Cadmium in the NY/NJ Harbor”Harbor”

““Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for PCBs in the NY/NJ Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for PCBs in the NY/NJ Harbor”Harbor”

COMING SOON!!COMING SOON!!““Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Dioxins Dioxins in the NY/NJ in the NY/NJ

Harbor”Harbor”““Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for PAHsPAHs in the NY/NJ in the NY/NJ

Harbor” Harbor”