Awards recognize pollution prevention efforts

The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Waste and Pollution Prevention recognizes public and private organizations that go beyond traditional waste management practices, demonstrating a superior commitment to waste and pollution prevention, and resource conservation. This award is given annually by the Governor and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This year there were 29 applicants in three categories: business/non-profit, government (MnGREAT), and partnerships. The winners were selected by panels of volunteer judges. The following 2008 award winners reduced their environmental impact and continue to serve as leaders in the community.

Business/Non-Profit

Children’s Dental Services
Children’s Dental Services (CDS) is a private, non-profit corporation that provides dental care to low-income children. When CDS expanded their primary clinic, they incorporated best management practices to reduce the environmental footprint. CDS also only purchases non-toxic cleaners and disinfectants, and voluntarily uses amalgam separators and silver recovery units. Annual reductions total 1,000 gallons of water, 1,200 kWh of energy, 25 pounds of hazardous waste, and 1,000 pounds of solid waste for a total cost savings of approximately $7,000 and a payback of approximately 6 years.

Lubrication Technologies, Inc.
Lubrication Technologies developed a product, Ford Sludge Remover (FSR), for Ford Motor Company that would reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emission levels incurred from paint booth cleaning. FSR can reduce VOC emissions by 87% and costs by 80%, making it a high value, long term solution. The total annual reductions include 72,000 pounds of hazardous waste and 173,000 pounds of VOC emissions for a total cost savings of approximately $200,000.

Government (MnGREAT)

Carver County: Innovative Approach to Collecting and Composting Organics
The Carver County organics project has given residents in select areas of Carver and Hennepin Counties an opportunity to divert organics from the waste stream. Carver County was the first public entity in Minnesota, not using an organized hauling system, to propose implementing a program that would improve collection costs by combining residential source-separated organics with yard waste. It was also the first public entity in Minnesota to propose a separate designation for composting facilities that manage source-separated organics. In 2007, 124 tons of organic material was diverted from the landfill.

Dakota County: Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program
The Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program (FNAP) is a multi-year project addressing citizen concern over the loss of open space in the rapidly growing county. The FNAP protects farmland and natural areas through acquisition of permanent conservation easements or fee title from willing landowners. The program prohibits future development of the land, reduces non-point source pollution to water bodies, and improves overall environmental stewardship. With the adoption of the program guidelines, a total of 56 land protection projects totaling 6,000 acres have been approved by the County Board. The FNAP has protected approximately 36.6 miles of land along lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks. The County’s investment of $16 million has leveraged an additional $57 million of non-County funding and landowner donation for pollution prevention associated with permanent land protection.

United States Postal Service, Duluth Auxiliary Vehicle Maintenance Facility
The Duluth Auxiliary Vehicle Maintenance Facility is a small vehicle maintenance shop that worked to eliminate all hazardous waste generation, recycle all available materials and eliminated some waste streams outright. Solid waste being generated from the facility has gone from approximately a cubic yard per day to less than half a cubic yard per week and the cost of chemicals has been reduced through purchasing in bulk. They have reduced their hazardous waste disposal costs to zero, reduced their solid waste trash bill, and generated revenue from recycling.

Partnership

Great River Energy’s Green Building and Corporate Recycling Initiatives
Great River Energy (GRE) worked with Tegra Group, McGough Construction, Dunham Engineering, and Perkins & Will Architects to construct three projects which are all pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)certification. GRE recently completed their new world headquarters, which is projected to be certified platinum LEED. In addition, GRE has an aggressive recycling program. Their total annual savings include 1,600,000 gallons of water, a 50% reduction of energy, and 7,400,000 pounds of solid waste, for a total cost savings of approximately $89,000 per year. Payback for the project will be approximately 7 years.

Project Green Fleet

Minnesota Environmental Initiative, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy partnered to reduce diesel emissions and children’s exposure to diesel exhaust by installing EPA-verified pollution control equipment on school buses throughout the state and providing anti-idling education to the school districts that receive the equipment. This is the first statewide voluntary, non-profit driven program in the nation to address this type of problem. As of December 2007, 500 school buses had received the equipment; it is estimated that these retrofits have reduced emission exposure to 30,000 school children. The total annual emission reduction for the 500 buses is 8,000 pounds.

SECIA’s Air Pollution Reduction Project
Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) collaborated with Ritrama, Inc., Waldorf Corporation (Rock-Tenn), and Greatbatch to reduce air pollution. SECIA entered into good neighbor agreements with all three partners. Ritrama installed thermal oxidizers to reduce their hazardous emissions by 92%. Rock-Tenn reduced 1,200 tons of VOC emissions, 520 tons more than the facility pledged. In addition, they have also been reducing energy use and have saved up to $170,000 annually from insulating steam and condensate lines. Greatbatch focused on reducing their trichloroethylene (TCE) emissions by reducing solvent use, redirecting air conditioning, and purchasing new chillers. Once Greatbatch completes all of these projects, they will realize approximately a 90% reduction in TCE emissions. Cumulatively, this air pollution project has reduced hazardous air emissions by 1,399 tons, which is a 90% reduction by the three industries.