Cal/EPA Environmental Management Systems Innovation Initiative
Meeting Summary: Southern California Working Group
June 24, 1999   Cypress, California

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Note: this meeting was held prior to passage of AB 1102, which requires a public hearing to discuss proposed pilot projects.  References to "pilot projects" should be interpreted as "proposed pilot projects," pending public comment.

Tom Lanphar, Cal/EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control opened the meeting with an introduction including a review of the goals of the day and the purpose of the Southern California Working Group.  This was followed by individual introductions of those present.

Goals for Meeting

• Introduction to Cal/EPA Environmental Management System (EMS) Pilot Project Initiative and Southern California pilot participants.
• Begin to develop a shared purpose.
• Establish new relationships.
• Establish ground rules and procedures.
• Enable you to make an informed decision on your participation.

Purpose of Southern California Working Group
These ideas were presented by Cal/EPA as an initial proposal. Later in the day the group  discussed the purpose of the Working Group and began to develop a shared purpose.

• Provide a forum for learning about and influencing EMSs at pilot projects.
• Explore the benefits of EMS; especially in providing better environmental performance and better information to stakeholders.
• Develop a common knowledge of EMSs amongst stakeholders.
• Provide guidance on communication to the community.
• Examine public policy issues.

Ground Rules
Ground Rules for the Working Group were introduced by Tom Lanphar for discussion and acceptance. The initial four ground rules were accepted by the group and a fifth one was added and also accepted. A comment was made that the ground rules are well and good, but the group will not get too far unless all interests are represented at the table. Concern was expressed that the environmental community was not well represented at this meeting.

• Listen first to understand.
• Build on each other’s ideas.
• Assume that you can learn something from each person.
• We all have responsibility for a successful process.
• Keep information on a level that can be understood by all.

Cal/EPA Presentation
Bob Stephens made a presentation on the Cal/EPA Pilot Project Initiative and the associated efforts of the Multi-State Working Group (MSWG). This was followed by a presentation by Jennifer Smith Grubb.

1. Currently 100 projects nationwide participating in MSWG pilots.
2. Key areas of interest:

1. Environmental Performance

2. Environmental Conditions

3. Compliance

4. Costs and Benefits

5. Pollution Prevention

6. Interested Party Involvement

3. MSWG Mission

1. Conduct research.

2. Collect, evaluate, and disseminate credible data from pilot projects.

3. Consider new models.

4. Facilitate communication.

5. Encourage partnerships.

6. For the mutual benefit of the environment, economy, and the community.

4. National Performance Database

1. Maintained by UNC Chapel Hill.

2. Project Guidance and Data Protocols; all pilots submitting similar data.

3. First report expected January 1999.

Discussion and Questions
Access to the MSWG database will be provided by the University of North Carolina through a web page, http://www.eli.org/isopilots.htm. Data are expected to be posted on October 15, 1999. Specific pilot project identities will not be available to preserve anonymity.

A participant expressed interest that the group pursue reconsidering regulations that "don’t make sense." Bob Stephens answered that there are existing processes to address identified needs to change regulation or law. Other states are allowing regulatory benefits for participation in innovative programs, for example: Oregon’s Green Track and the U.S. EPA Strategic Goals Program.

A need for good data mining tools for the MSWG database was expressed. Data mining tools would help the public access data and manipulate data for research and knowledge. Shielding information was said to be counterproductive.

"We want to get our horses pulling in the same direction," said one participant. She was speaking of the potential for this work group comprised of industry, NGOs, and all levels of government to improve environmental performance and information access.

Pilot Project Presentations

City of San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater Department, Treatment Plant Operations and Maintenance Division, First Presenter: Chris Toth
The Treatment Plant Operations and Maintenance Division represents 300 employees (whole dept. employs 900 people, City employs 10,000 people) and has a $70 million annual operations budget. The O&M Division is separate from industrial pretreatment program.

Outfalls include the 190 million gallon per day (MGD) Pt. Loma outfall. A smaller outfall to the south is operated by the federal government. The Fiesta Island Sludge Processing Facility, located in Mission Bay is now closed. Sludge now goes to Metro Regional Biosolids Center and the sludge is beneficially used at the regional landfill to produce biogas. The "landfill beneficial use" option gives them an environmental and economic alternative to private biosolids users, who have dramatically increased their prices over time.

Challenges:
Employees were convinced they knew their jobs—they didn’t need an EMS to tell them what to do.

They are registering as an organization (O&M Division), not a facility, per se, to ISO 14001 standard.

Success:
With Gap Analysis, they realized that they already had much of the organizational structure in place. Needed to add environmental policy and objectives and targets.

City of San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater Department, Treatment Plant Operations and Maintenance Division, Second Presenter: Lyle Cotton, SDMWWD, O&M

The Operation and Maintenance Division set 15 objectives and targets in four 4 major program areas. Collecting data division-wide.

Program Area 1: Reduce landfill contribution. Set 1998 as the base year. Includes contractors, employees, focuses on recycling efforts.

Program Area 2: Reduce negative impact of chemical use. Targeting ratepayers, process optimization opportunities, chemical manufacturers/vendors, bulk deliveries.

Program Area 3: Reduce potable water use. Using 3-4 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) reclaim water for on-site processes and irrigation. Marketing reclaim water to potential customers and establishing a water conservation program.

Program Area 4: Reduce negative impact of electricity use. Smart lighting, cogeneration, process optimization, ratepayers save money.

Artistic Plating; Presenter: Ruben Angel
Ruben also stressed that is essential that NGOs come to the table. They need to be inside/engaged to understand challenges and opportunities for improvements by industry.

US EPA EMS template project for metal finishing industry has acted as a guide to help them set priorities for environmental improvements.

Accomplishments:

• Reduced cyanide
• Reduced chromium effluent
• Reduced use of bleach
• Eliminated violations (so far) from a reduction in pH in their process
• As part of US EPA’s merit partnership program, they will remove PERC from facility by substituting ultrasound technology by June 2000.
• Chemical substitutions
• Reducing water usage—putting in new conductivity meters.

Want good relationships. Want to work in an environment where they are "not afraid to be in business."

As a result of the gap analysis, they realized they had good potential to make improvements.

Gene’s Plating: Presenter Dan Cunningham
Gene’s Plating is considered large within the metal finishing industry, and small in comparison with other pilot participants.

55 years in business—decorative nickel chrome on aluminum for after-market automotive industry.

"Why do it?" Want to be a positive to society, not a negative.

Accomplishments:

• Saved $100,000 from learning as a result of a chemical use study (help from US EPA).
• Metal industry in So. Ca. is considering a self-certification program.
• Installed chrome recovery system.

Chrome plating is inherently an extremely inefficient plating process. 10% is plated, while the rest went to wastewater and landfill prior to the recovery system.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works: Presenter Michael Haro
Have an established management system that combines environmental management with health and safety (Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) Management System).

1. Originally located in Burbank at what is now a Superfund Site, this provided a learning opportunity for the company on how and why to do things differently in Palmdale.
2. Have identified EHS Aspects and Objectives and Targets.
3. Controlling the Chemistry:

1. All chemical brought into plant must be approved by Chemical Control Board.
2. Inventory and Usage Control: Chemicals are distributed and collected each day at the centralized Chemical Control Crib.

4. External Communication:

1. Yearly Environmental Round table with stakeholders
2. Company overview
3. ISO 14001 input
4. Plant Tours
5. Pollution Prevention Fair September 23

5. Pollution Prevention (P2)

1. presaturated wipers (baby wipes with solvent-not recommended for children)
2. plastic media blast (replace methylene chloride paint stripper)
3. Chrome free primer - U2
4. chrome free deoxidizer
5. aqueous cleaning
6. use technology developed earlier and apply to new aircraft; the design of the Joint Strike Fighter includes many P2 technologies including no ozone depleting chemicals

6. P2 accomplishments

1. SARA Toxic Chemical Releases down from 1,430,000 pounds in 1987 to zero reportable (under 10,000 lbs.) in 1996
2. Hazardous Waste Disposal declined from 3,692 tons in 1991 to 86 tons in 1999
3. Hazardous Waste Disposal cost declined from $1,421,000 in 1991 to $53,000 in 1999
4. Waste generation adjusted for sales: decline from 4455lbs per $million to 86 lbs. per $million in sales

7. More information: http://www.lmsw.external.lmco.com/esh/index.html

Discussion:
Much of the P2 (Pollution Prevention) technology at Lockheed Martin is not classified, although some is competition-sensitive. Still there is much sharing of information in the aerospace industry. The question was asked, "how can we create an effective dialog between aerospace and the metal finisher industries?" Opportunities to share information on P2 technology and on compliance issues was identified, to that end, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is sponsoring a P2 Fair in the Antelope Valley on September 23, 1999.

Purpose and Possibilities of Southern California Working Group
After lunch we broke into small groups in order to discuss and form a shared purpose of the Working Group. We also discussed what the group sees as the purpose of the working group as well as the possibilities of this group given the purpose and the people involved.

The following is a synopsis of the input received by the small break out groups.

Purpose

• Evaluate the benefits of EMSs, pros and cons of EMSs.
• Share information, network, share EMS successes.
• Open communication between industry, regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and academics.
• Initiate cooperation between industry, regulatory agencies, and environmental groups; need all groups participating; vehicle for building trust; find common ground/consensus; collaborate to gain integrated systems view.
• Promote consistent improvement.
• Analysis of data on EMS performance (compliance, cost reductions, env. Performance) use as basis for changing policies; looking for positive outcome of EMS implementation.
• Encourage facilities to investigate EMS and hopefully to implement.
• Education.
• For government to better understand role in EMS.
• Fact finding group for tentative/baby steps in implementation.
• Showcase results: communicate to broader community.

Possibilities

• Encourage compliance for small industries
• Encourage buy-in for government policies; influence regulation/policy (ISO+)
• Protect the environment
• Develop informational database to create tools to help implement EMS
• Use EMS information to create EMS template for different industries
• Significant information exchange; tech transfer (macro-micro)
• Streamline reporting
• Compliance recognition
• Improved environmental credibility for industry
• Communicate impact of all media: air, water, solid waste

Please contact Cal/EPA EMS Pilot Project Manager Tom Lanphar at (510) 540-3925, or by e-mail to tlanphar@dtsc.ca.gov, for more information about the Southern California Working Group