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Pollution Prevention Initiatives
Reduction of Impacts of Hazardous Materials Releases
The control of hazardous materials impacts on the environment can take many measures. Often, the combination of engineering controls and ongoing education are the most effective when releases happen. Good implementation of these methods has been proven to reduce the impacts and even, virtually eliminate them. The University has implemented a number of these measures as further described below.
Specific measures include:
Spill Response Preparation
An important aspect of reducing the impact of hazardous materials releases is the implementation of sound response procedures. In order to be able to respond quickly to spills of hazardous materials, traning and procedures have been developed and provided to various University groups who may be most likely to encounter these spills. These include University police, janitorial staff, contractors and Service Desk personnel.
Additionally, the increased use of pollution control equipment, under the directions of EHS, reduces impacts of spills at targeted, at-risk areas. The storm drains thoughout the University Park campus drain to several locations, some of which flow to high quality streams or infiltrate storm water into the ground water system. To lessen the likelihood that spills of hazardous materials enter downstream surface waters and ground water, boom posts have been installed at several key locations that enable responders to easily and quickly attach spill control booms across waterways when spills occur. In addition, the spill control booms have been strategically placed to enable quick response.
Oil water separators have also been installed in several key locations downstream of fueling areas where storm drains have the potential to capture fuel spills. The separators remove any spilled fuel prior to discharging the clean water.
Biodegradable fuels and lubricants
In order to reduce our dependence on petroleum products and to lessen the air pollution associated with their use, the University has been using biodiesel. When used in a blend with petroleum diesel, biodiesel causes the diesel to burn more cleanly, thus reducing particulate emissions and most greenhouse gases. This initiative, through a coordinated effort between EHS, the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Chemical Engineering, began in the College of Agricultural Sciences Farm Operations equipment in 2003. The blend is usually B20, although straight B100 has also been used. The Office of Physical Plant converted its fueling to B20 in 2006.
Hydraulic oil releases are the most common spills seen at the University, as well as throughout the Commonwealth. In addition, through the normal use of hydraulic equipment, small quantities of hudraulic fluid are released. In order to prevent contamination of soils, ground water, and surface water, the University has converted almost all of the College of Agricultural Sciences farm equipment to vegetable-based hydraulic fluid. Additionally, beginning in 2006, the University is in the process of converting the Office of Physical Plant and Penn State Berks campus equipment to this fluid.
The University has many hydraulic elevators which contain petroleum based hydraulic fluids. These fluids have the potential to be released into the ground water in cases of elevator failures where the elevator is not contained. The University has been instrumental in the development of biodegradable hydraulic fluids for elevators and has been using these fluids for about ten years. As we gain experience with these fluids, we will systematically convert the existing elevators to the biodegradable fluid and will design new elevators to use them as well.
Secondary containment of used cooking oils
All oils, including used cooking oil, have the potential to contaminate surface and ground water if they are released into the environment. Typically, these oils are stored in 55-gallon drums on loading docks to support food service operations and to facilitate removal and refilling by vendors. In an effort to reduce the potential for releases from these drums, our facilities store used cooking oil in secondary containment sheds, that both protect the drums from the weather and provide containment for the oil in the event of spillage during the filling of drums or leakage from the drum itself. This initiative, under the guidance of EHS, has been implemented with ease.
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