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NATIONAL METAL FINISHING ENVIRONMENTAL R&D PLAN - AN UPDATE
Citation:
NATIONAL METAL FINISHING ENVIRONMENTAL R&D PLAN - AN UPDATE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-00/035 (NTIS PB2000-107374).
Description:
This document is an update to the National Metal Finishing Environmental R&D Plan (EPA/600/R-97/095), dated September 1997. The 1997 Plan and Update are available on the National Metal Finishing Resource Center's web site, www.nmfrc.org. The primary purpose in preparing an update to the 1997 Plan is to incorporate new information and/or changes that affect the environmental issues facing the metal finishing community. Since the 1997 Plan, there have been changes in regulations relating to the metal finishing industry and changes in technology that have resulted from R&D projects in the past few years. New technology needs have surfaced. There are global and national changes in economies and product demands, and greater concerns for the environment and human health. The 1997 Plan was designed to continuously evolve with the metal finishing industry. This Update is the first attempt to incorporate such changes.
Like the 1997 Plan, the Update focuses on a few of the highest priority R&D areas and concentrates on simple, low-cost, pollution prevention technologies that will be of benefit to the small platers in meeting environmental compliance standards. The recommendations in this Update are based on results from searching the literature for technical progress and regulatory issues. Recommendations also are based on information obtained from selected representatives of the metal finishing industry and other stakeholders who were surveyed to determine if the issues identified in the 1997 Plan are still of concern, and if other issues have become an equal or greater concern. In addition, the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society's (AESF) P2 and Control Committee participated in the final review of this document.
Based upon the findings of this Update, it is recommended that Nickel be included as a high priority R&D area. Technology Transfer and technical assistance resurfaced as an important item by representatives in the industry. Hexavalent