Grantee Research Project Results
1997 Progress Report: Pollution Prevention Assistance in Automotive Supply Chain
EPA Grant Number: R824746Title: Pollution Prevention Assistance in Automotive Supply Chain
Investigators: Boyd, Lawrence , Weaver, Donald L. , Whitehead, Amy , Eskamani, Gus
Current Investigators: Boyd, Lawrence , Whitehead, Amy , Eskamani, Gus
Institution: NIST Great Lakes Manufacturing Technology Center; CAMP, Inc.
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 1, 1995 through September 30, 1997
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 1996 through September 30, 1997
Project Amount: $245,000
RFA: Incentives and Impediments to Pollution Prevention (1995) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
To develop and demonstrate the methods and techniques necessary to successfully provide pollution prevention assistance to small and mid-size companies within a complex supply network.
Progress Summary:
First Year: Case Western Reserve University research team led Dr. Susan Helper identified thirty Northeast Ohio automotive industry suppliers and interviewed sixteen of them in detail about their operations. The team worked within three supply chains - fasteners, metal stampings and aluminum die castings.
Second Year: Dr. Helper issued a detailed report entitled Pollution Prevention Assistance in the Automotive Supply Chain: A Study of Northeast Ohio, concluding the targeting task of the project. The "sanitized" report provided information about the team's research, the companies actively participating in the study and the competitive position of Northeast Ohio automotive industry suppliers as a whole.
Outreach activities began. Companies participating in the Helper study are offered no-charge "waste reduction assessments". CAMP discovered that giving away free services would be a "hard sell". Two companies (three facilities) agreed to "host" assessments and one waste reduction assessment was completed toward the end of the project's second year.
Third Year: Project outreach continues during the third year. Improved "client" engagement methods resulted in two additional company commitments to host assessments, which are now being called "manufacturing efficiency assessments". A total of five assessments are scheduled for completion before the end of March 1998. The CAMP team plan to complete a total of eight assessment reports (which will be used as case studies) and the following summaries:
1. Engagement Methods and Techniques
2. Advantages and Difficulties of
Working Through Supply Chains to Provide P2 Assistance
3. Participants' Reactions to the Program
Future Activities:
A total of eight case studies will accompany summaries of engagement methods, advantages and difficulties of providing P2 assistance to supply chain members and the reactions of program participants. This information will be provided to EPA, NIST manufacturing extension partnerships (MEPs) and other technical service providers.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 2 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Sustainable Industry/Business, Scientific Discipline, Industry Sectors, Geographic Area, Manufacturing - NAIC 31-33, State, Economics, Social Science, cleaner production/pollution prevention, pollution prevention, technical assistance, Ohio (OH), automotive supply chain, waste reduction, manufacturing extension partnership, supply chain analysis, cleaner production, outreach and education, integrated energy, environment, and manufacturing methodRelevant Websites:
American Automobile Manufacturers' Association, http://www.aama.com 
Chrysler Motors Corporation, http://www.chrysler.com
Ford Motor Company, http://www.ford.com
General Motors Corporation, http://www.gm.com
CAMP, Inc., http://www.camp.org
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.