Pollution Prevention (P2) practices can improve a business's bottom line through reduced raw material and energy costs, treatment and disposal expenses, and associated labor costs. Many P2 strategies, such as substituting toxic materials with safer alternatives, are simple and inexpensive.

P2 practices increase productivity and efficiency; reduce regulatory burden, reduce liability, improve the work place environment to minimize worker health risks, and enhance public image.

Terranext can assist industry and governmental clients by performing Pollution Prevention Studies including:

• P2 Opportunity Assessments
• Project Feasibility Studies
• Waste Disposal Alternatives
• Recycling Opportunities
• Economic Evaluations

Missouri Army National Guard
Jefferson City, Missouri

Terranext performed a Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment (P2OA) and a Pollution Prevention Plan (P2P) project for Missouri Army National Guard. Terranext was contracted by the Missouri Army National Guard (MOARNG) to perform a P2OA for MOARNG operations throughout Missouri.

Terranext evaluated current pollution prevention activities at 15 MOARNG Organizational Maintenance Shops (OMSs), a MOARNG Combined Support Maintenance Shop (CSMS), a MOARNG Regional Training Site-Maintenance (RTS-M), two Army Aviation Support Facilities (AASF), one Army Aviation Flight Facility (AAFF), one Aviation Classification and Repair Activities Depot (AVCRAD), six MOARNG training sites, and 68 MOARNG armories.  Our activities included:

• Conducted site visits of representative and unique MOARNG facilities statewide to characterize operations that generate significant amounts of regulated waste or consume considerable resources;
• Determined the types and amounts of pollutants generated at MOARNG facilities by reviewing readily available documentation, including hazardous waste generator reports, waste shipment logs, inventories, monthly reports, and other available records;
• Identified pollution prevention (P2) opportunities and alternatives based upon the provided information. For each P2 opportunity, Terranext identified an economic analysis, technical feasibility, and environmental impact.

Terranext developed a P2OA report which served as a basis for the P2 project. During the P2 project, additional P2O were identified. Terranext worked with MOARNG to develop the annual P2 Report. Terranext identified five projects that had the potential to significantly reduce either the use of hazardous materials or the generation of hazardous waste from the MOARNG operating facilities.  Project value was $25,000.

Pollution Prevention
Merial Limited
Athens, Georgia

This significant pollution prevention project determined potential and feasible treatment technologies for a hazardous waste stream generated in the manufacturing area of this animal pharmaceutical production facility. The hazardous waste stream contained significant quantities of a heavy metal - mercury (D009), a characteristic hazardous waste. As a part of the facility's on-going program to reduce the amount and the toxicity of the waste generated at the facility, Merial retained Terranext to evaluate feasible treatment technologies to minimize this hazardous waste stream at the facility.

Terranext evaluated reactive filtration, activated carbon, membrane separation, evaporation and ion exchange. For the Merial waste stream, we found that reactive filtration, evaporation, and ion exchange were feasible. Terranext coordinated laboratory scale treatability test to determine the effectiveness of treatment and concluded that evaporation could reduce the waste by greater than 90 percent and ion exchange could reduce the waste by 97 percent. As a result of testing, we concluded evaporation and ion exchange were viable and cost effective. Upon further economic analyses, we determined that ion exchange was the best treatment technology that could reduce the hazardous waste into wastewater suitable for discharge to the local POTW and with a minimum generation of hazardous waste residues.

The major tasks associated with this project were:

• Evaluation of current hazardous management procedures and costs;
• Complete analytical characterization of the waste including toxicity testing;
• Evaluation of waste sample with bench-scale equipment;
• Coordination of treatability studies at various vendors; and
• Economic analysis of alternative treatment technology.

Project value was $20,000 including analyses and treatability studies.