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^S^ICOi REPORT 2 1 Ontario Initiatives in Pollution Prevention ^ PROGRESS REPORT 2001 Ontario Initiatives in Pollution Prevention rS'^% Environmental Partnerships Branch Ministry of the Environment © Queen's PrinterforOntario, 2001 II existe una version fran^aise de ce document PIBS3551E01 ISSN 1488-8947 01-506 1.5M-04-2001 © Printedonrecycledpaper PROGRESS REPORT Ontorio Initiativesin Pollution Prevention 2 O O 1 . PROGRESS REPORT 2 a O 1 Ontario Initiatives in Pollution Prevention Contents Introduction 4 Action on four fronts: 1 Pollution prevention parlnerstiips 5 2. The Pollution Prevention Pledge Program 9 3. Education, training ond tools 13 4. Leadersliip initiatives 18 Pollution prevention on theWeb 28 For more information 29 PROGRESS REPORT Ontario Initiatives in Pollution Prevention 2 O O 1 Introduction Why pollution prevention? Traditionally, environment delivers training and educational ministries have taken the role of programs, includingvideos, Ontario is committed to pollution regulator, setting and enforcing guidebooks, environmental prevention, and it's easy to see environmental standards. Pure management systems, case why. Anticipating and preventing pollution trom toxic chemicals 'command and control', however, is studies and codes of and industrial wastes offers sig- not always the most effective management practice. nificant advantages over approach to environmental pro- Leadership initiatives traditional end-of-pipe environ- tection. mental control techniques. The ministry has also been Prevention not only does a bet- One of the best strategies for actively involved in helping terjob of protecting our meeting Ontario's environmental industrial, commercial, ennevrsirionnmiendnuts,trbyuthaavseousrhopwarnt- goals is to encourage continuous institutional and municipal time and again, it also provides improvement to reduce or elimi- partners establish and manage opportunities to improve operat- nate pollutants or wastes at the many different pollution ing efficiency, significantly reduce source -in short- pollution pre- prevention initiatives. costs, lessen environmental risk vention. In order to make and limit liability. And the list of This report outlines the min- pollution prevention a basic part successes achieved to date by istry's activities on each of these Ontario's companies, organiza- of doing business across the four fronts and provides an tions and governments is an province, the Ontario Government impressive one. has rolled out its initiatives along overview of the progress achieved. Thousands of tonnes of pollutants four strategic tracks: have been kept out of the environment and millions ofdollars Pollution Prevention Partnerships have been saved. The Ministry of the Environment Credit for this impressive pollu- initiates Memorandums of tion prevention momentum goes Understanding and other forms in large part to the many indus- of innovative partnerships with tries, commercial enterprises, industrial associations, private municipalities, non-governmental companies, environmental organizations and institutions organizations, municipalities who have embraced pollution pre- and other government agencies vention in their own operations. The Pollution Prevention Pledge Program They have joined the ministry as This innovative program pollution prevention ambassadors encourages the adoption of What has been achieved througli pollution prevention measures pollution prevention partnerships and rewards the successes of and leadership initiatives so far is industrial, commercial, wonderful news for the environ- institutional, community and ment, for the economy and for government enterprises We the people of Ontario. are Education andTraining Support determined to continue building The ministry develops and on this achievement. PROGRESS REPORT 2 O O 1 Ontario Initiativesin Pollution Prevention Pollution prevention partnerships 1 . Pollution Prevention Partner- the Emery Creek Environmental ships involve formal or informal Association, and with the agreements between government Hamilton District Autobody and the industrial, commercial Repair Association. and municipal sectors, giving structure and recognition to indi- vidual voluntary pollution Total reductions and case studies reported through prevention efforts. Under these Pollution Prevention Partnerships (MOUs) agreements, pollution prevention Number of planning and environmental man- Sector agement systems are incorporated into business plans, resulting in Automotive Parts reductions in wastes generated Chemical Producers and toxic substances released into Metal Finishing the environment. These partner- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing ships also serve to enhance Printing and Graphics awareness of pollution prevention in industr>' and society at large. To date, formal Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been developed with five industrial sectors as well as the City of Hamilton. Cumulative reductions achieved through these agreements, and the number of case studies reported annually, are presented in the accompanying table. Less formal partnerships have also been developed with several other sectors and organizations. These differ from MOUs in that they are not delivered through (1) formalized agreements, and (2) pollution prevention planning may be only one of several objec- tives of the partnership - others could include worker health and safety. Current Partnership Agreements include, for example, those with PROGRESS REPORT Ontario Initiatives in Pollution Prevention 2 1 Chromic Acid Reduction are working on a new performance- pollution prevention plan for its A.G. Simpson Co. Ltd. based MOU. The goals are to share municipal activities, and in doing stamps various automotive information among members so has completed its obligations products. The company devel- througli the development of sector set out under the MOU with oped a system to make guides and to promote the princi- Environment Canada and the common use of three plating line solutions, reducing its ples of pollution prevention and Ministry of the Environment. The requirements forchromic acid environmental management sys- municipality is now going beyond plating solution. tems (EMS) through the delivery the terms of the original agreement Through this program, of information and the organizing by developing an environmental 143,000 kg/yrof chrome bearing waste and 100,000 kg/yr of of training workshops. The associ- management system. sulphuric acid were eliminated. ation worked in partnership with Other results included improved the ministry, the Canadian Metal finishing employee health and safety and Standards Association and The MOU with the Metal reduced costs. The capital investment forthe equipment Proctor & Redfern Ltd. to develop Finishing Industry, originally change was $650,000, and the an ISO 14000 Implementation signed in 1993 and updated in return on the investment is Guide specifically targeted to 1999, has 25 company signatories. expected to be savings of automotive parts manufacturing. The Sixth Progress Report, pub- $1 million a year. In 1998, the Third APMA MOU lished in the fall of 1999, contains Progress Report was released. This 36 case studies detailing pollution report profiles 20 case studies prevention plans that have yielded contributed by five member com- a total reduction of 5,288 kilo- panies and accounting for grams a year in chemicals, metals reductions totalling more than and materials. 1,100 tonnes. A training course based on the Waterloo Furniture Components (WFC) Metal Finishing Pollution Chemical production Prevention Guide was developed WFC, a signatory of the Metal Finishing Industry l\/IOU, The national office of the by Water Technology International is a Canadian manufacturer of Canadian Chemical Producers and Sheridan College, and present- components for office furniture. Association, Environment Canada ed in April, 1999. More than 90 WFC Initiated a pollution and the MOE have developed an staff members from 35 organiza- prevention project to eliminate the use of acetic acid, MOU and Annex on the reduction tions completed the pollution ammonium chlorideand of emissions of volatile organic prevention training. On o-Chlorobenzaldehyde (OCB), all compounds (VOCs) from chemical September 23, 1998, the Metal of which are highly hazardous plants. The MOU will contribute Finishing Pollution Prevention and result in metal in effluent. The company was able to find to the Ontario Anti-Smog Action Task Force hosted the Fifth less hazardous alternatives to Plan target of a 45 per cent reduc- Progress Review and Workshop all three chemicals, resulting in tion in VOCs by 2015. The draft Meeting. Forty-six people attend- the total elimination of OCB, MOU ammoniumchloride (3,288 kg/yr) and associated facility infor- ed, representing metal finishing and acetic acid (4,180 gal/yr). mation are posted on the GGPA associations and companies, their Web site (www.cepa.ea). suppliers and governments. In 1998, the project was pre- City of Hamilton sented to metal finishing groups The City of Hamilton has from Argentina and the developed and implemented a Philippines. In April 1999 it was Pollution prevention partnerships . PROGRESS REPORT 2 O O 1 Ontorio Initiatives in Pollution Prevention presented at a workshop in The Canadian Vehicle Beacon Herald Fine Taiwan that was attended by more Printing Ltd. Manufacturers' Association thahni 1190907TaaiPwoalnleustieonpaPrrtiecviepnatnitosn, (CVMA) Project Ltd.B,eaacfuollnsHeerrviacledpFriinnetinPgricntoimn-g Award was given to Kuntz The Canadian Automotive pany, recently set an objective Electroplating Inc. for developing Manufacturing Pollution of eliminating isopropyl alcohol from its press dampening solu- nickel recycling alternatives for Prevention Project or CVMA tion to reduce emissions of waste nickel sludge. In 1998 the Pollution Prevention Project is the VOCs, which contributeto smog. award was given to Spectra first and longest-running volun- Various alcohol substitutes Anodizing for reuse and recovery tary pollution prevention were evaluated, with the assistance of the alcohol substitute of phosphoric acid, a co-product agreement in Canada between vendor. Beacon now operates in an anodizing line. The 1999 government and industry. It came completely alcohol-free on all award winner is Torcad Ltd., into effect with the signing ofa printing presses. This change which has completed several suc- Memorandum of Understanding was achieved with no capital cessful pollution prevention (MOU) on May 29, 1992. Since $in2v,e1s0t0meanty,eayriealnddedelaismianvaitnegds of projects. then, successive MOUs were 1,636 kilograms of VOCs. signed, each building on the Printing and graphics achievements of previous Participants in the MOU have agreements. continued to provide education The goal of the CVM/\ Pollution and awareness training and tech- Prevention Project is to produce a nical assistance to printers verifiable reduction in the amount Life Cycle Management through site visits, workshops and of persistent toxic substances as Life Cycle Management is a seminars and the continuing well as other environmental cont- philosophythat business deci- development of the Web site aminants of concern that are sions should take into pollution prevention for Printers used, generated or released by the consideration both the financial and environmental costs associ- (wwAv.eleanpriiit.org). The MOU participating members of the ated with a product throughout Agreement was renewed to 2001, CVMA. its life-from the acquisition and it is posted on the To date, 7 progress reports have and use of raw materials for its Environmental Bill of Rights Web featured 138 innovative pollution manufacture to the long-term costs associated with its dispos- site (wwAv.ene.gov.on. ea/envi- prevention case studies account- al. Acceptance of LCM sion/env_reg/ebr/) ing for reductions and/or acknowledgesthe importance of In 1999, the Third Progress elimination of over 9,400 tonnes pollution prevention and often Report was published, highlighting of listed targeted substances and leads to a reduction orelimina- tion of the need for end-of-pipe seven case studies and more than 400,000 tonnes of controls. demonstrating a reduction of 210 other substances and wastes. tonnes of toxic substances and Outreach activities have includ- other contaminants from Ontario- ed four pollution prevention based facilities. workshops for suppliers and the use of environmental management systems to further reduce toxic substances in their operations. Suppliers are integral to the achievement of the CVAL\ Pollution prevention partnerships PROGRESS REPORT Ontario Initiatives in Pollution Prevention 2 O O 1 Reductions in Use of Paint Pollution Prevention Project goals. Purge Further, there have been General Motors of Canada enhanced proactive communica- Limited -Ostiawa Autoplex- tions with the public and Truck Assembly Centre interested stakeholders by showing The Ostiawa Autoplex is the largest NorthAmerican automo- pollution prevention efforts at the tive facility. The Truck plants. Three site visits provided Assembly Centre builds a total opportunities for discussion and of 1,300 Chevrolet and GMC input into the project from a pickups perday. In 1996, the truck plant diverse range of environmental implemented a Chemicals organizations, labour groups, and IVIanagement Program utilizing other interested parties. a single vendor to manage the Continuous improvement is supplyof most indirectchemicals. Chemical l\/1anagers were embedded in the GVMA Pollution assigned to search out and Prevention Project's philosophy. implement more efficient uses of Since the onset of the Project, the chemicals throughoutAutoplex and to reduce the per-vehicle list of targeted substances has cost ofchemical requirements. been continuously updated so The Chemical IVIanagers in con- that it remains consistent with junction with Truck Plant Paint government programs. Shop personnel were able to implement numerous changes including a reduction in purge frequency, enhanced air/solvent purging, reductions in the number and length of lines requiring purging and an increased cap- ture rate forthe purge. Through the minimization of purge solvent usage, the truck plant has reduced its emissions of VOCs by 540tonnes peryear. The plant is now exploring further pollution prevention opportunities under the Chemical Management Program. Pollution prevention partnerships