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NEW YORK
- Environmental Investment Program Update
New York's Environmental Investment Program (EIP) makes matching awards available to benefit companies that achieve pollution prevention or create new recycling capacity. The EIP, administered by the New York Department of Economic Development's (know as Empire State Development) Environmental Services Unit, does not ask that these monies be repaid, but instead requires that the benefiting businesses commit to measurable economic and environmental benefits. The following projects have been approved over the past six months:
- The Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation (MVATC) was awarded $174,800 on behalf of North Country Minerals, Inc. to help purchase and install equipment to expand the company's garnet recycling business. NCM, located in Utica, will recycle at least 2,500 additional tons or garnet each year (used for industrial water-jet cutting operations), earning at least $1,000,000 in new sales annually. The recycled garnet is very high-quality, and is reused, saving NCM's clients in excess of $175,000 annually on avoided disposal costs. Three new jobs will be created at North Country Minerals.
- A Long Island firm, Soil Foodweb New York, Inc., will receive $100,893 toward a $145,118 research project to demonstrate the methodology for production and application of microbial management technology for producing a non-chemical turf management alternative for golf courses. If successful, this project will use "compost teas" to manage pests and kill weeds in place of potentially toxic herbicides and fungicides, while saving the golf courses that use the technology money.
- Unity Creations, LTD of Saugerties, NY, will benefit from a $500,000 award to the Ulster County Development Corporation to help the company purchase equipment needed to produce crumb rubber for making rubber safety tiles. Unity already manufactures the recycled rubber tiles, but has been purchasing tire crumb from outside sources. Success of this project will result in 96,000 passenger and truck tires being recycled into 961 tons of crumb rubber. Unity will use 80% of the yield to make 38,400 safety tiles, and sell the remaining 20% on the open market. In addition, each year $240,000 will be saved on tire disposal fees, and Unity will save $200,000 on crumb rubber purchases. Twenty-six jobs will be created.
- Solid Surface Acrylics, Inc. of North Tonawanda will use $196,935 toward a $279,185 research project to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of manufacturing four new products from DuPont's Corian™ waste.
- The Fulton County Economic Development Corporation was awarded $55,548 to assist Van Alstine Horticultural Services in Gloversville, NY, purchase an in-vessel system to compost an additional 2,856 tons per year of organic waste. Success of the project will increase compost production by 3,290 tons per year (yields are far greater than from simple windrows), earn $74,034 in product revenue, and create two new jobs.
- High Technology of Rochester, Inc. will use $132,600 of EIP monies toward a technical assistance project to incorporate LEAN manufacturing techniques to upgrade ink management procedures and improve ink utilization by businesses in New York. As a result, participating businesses will also reduce ink-related hazardous waste. Success of the project will reduce over 50,000 pounds of solid ink hazardous waste per year and save approximately $160,000 on avoided disposal and purchase cost.
- E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company will benefit from a $500,000 EIP award to be used to purchase a defect detection system, a water purification system, and other equipment to reduce Tedlar® film waste from its casting line. As a result, its Buffalo, NY facility will reduce 45 tons of Tedlar® waste, reduce wastewater discharged by 1.5 million gallons, eliminate the use of 12 tons of sulfuric acid and 16 tons of caustic soda each year. These pollution prevention benefits will save the facility $270,350 annually.
- Dal-Tile Corporation's Olean, NY facility will benefit from a $167,500 EIP award to help purchase material handling and storage equipment for the collection and recycling of waste raw materials from its mixing operation. Success of this project will result in the reclamation and recycling of 1,099 tons per year of raw materials and annual savings of $151,000 on avoided disposal and purchase costs.
- Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency will receive a $200,000 EIP on behalf of Oberdorfer, LLC, an aluminum casting operation in Syracuse. The funds will be used toward the acquisition and start-up of a thermal sand reclamation system that will allow Oberdorfer to reuse 2,940 tons per year of waste sand from its mold-making operation and save $233,730 on avoided sand purchases and shipping costs.
- The Brooklyn Economic Development Corp. will make a $300,000 EIP award available to Sea Crest Linen Supply Company in Brooklyn to help the business purchase and install a new LAVATECH Tunnel Wash System that will replace several outdated and inefficient washers extractors. This investment will significantly improve the economics of the business by saving $134,263 per year on reduced water purchases, $77,000 on electricity, $194,000 on natural gas, and $1,300 on steam usage. The project will also increase Sea Crest's annual revenue by at least $1.5 million, and assure the company can continue to operate in Brooklyn where it employs 250 people.
- Knight Settlement Sand & Gravel, LLC will benefit from a $98,611 EIP award that will help buy a hydrocylone system that will separate slurry from gravel washing into fine solids and water. The company will then reuse the solids in their bituminous sand product and sell it as bedding sand, resulting in the diversion of 59,460 tons of sand from disposal each year and saving $394,000 on avoided dredging costs and revenues from the sale of the recycled product.
- High Tread International's Lockport, NY plant will expand into passenger tire recycling and the manufacturing of colored rubber mulch (a new product) with the help of a $388,150 EIP investment. High Tread will use the award toward the purchase of a granulator and buffing machines to make crumb rubber and colored mulch. The project is expected to increase tire recycling by 1,750 tons/year, increase EPDM scrap rubber recycling by 216 tons/year, and increase revenues by $770,800/year.
NY Company Touted for its Environmental Performance A recent beneficiary of New York's Environmental Investment Program (EIP), Harbec Plastics, Inc. in Ontario, NY, received the Society of Plastics Engineers' 2004 Environmental Division's Environmental Stewardship award at its annual conference in Detroit. Harbec produces highly engineered custom plastic parts for customers in the medical, automotive, consumer goods, and other industries. Every aspect of Harbec's ISO 9002, QS 9000, and ISO 14001-certified operation is designed to minimize waste through re-use and recycling, right down to their floor sweepings that, combined with re-ground plastic scrap and other waste products, are re-melted to produce long-lasting, decay-resistant plastic lumber at a nearby company.
Harbec continues to seek ways to minimize its environmental impact, and is using a EIP award (via the Wayne County Industrial Development Agency) of $195,000 toward a $420,000 project that will purchase and install a system to capture, cleanse and re-circulate industrial wastewater, capture roof run-off water to be used as "make-up water," and feed a new fire suppression system. When completed this spring, the project will result in the conservation of 900,000 gallons of water annually and save the company $61,500 per year.
NY Develops Tire Recycling Investment Strategy The Waste Tire Management and Recycling Act of 2003 created and will fund a new program to eliminate waste tire stockpiles and develop new markets to reuse waste tires in New York State. Primary responsibility for program management is assigned to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Empire State Development (ESD).
ESD is charged with developing markets that can make economically viable use of newly generated waste tire material. An estimated 18-20 million waste tires are generated annually in New York. Waste tires remain a difficult and economically challenging commodity to reuse. Because the barriers to reuse have been significant, an estimated 50 million tires are presently stockpiled across the state. DEC is charged with abating the stockpiled tires.
ESD issued an RFP for a consultant study to conduct a thorough analysis of current waste tire markets, particularly in the Northeast, and existing capacity in New York to recycle waste tires. The consultant study will guide development of an investment strategy to assist New York businesses to create the market capacity to process and reuse waste tire material in new products and operations.
The consultant market analysis and investment strategy will form the basis for ESD's report to the legislature, directed by the Waste Tire Act, and due in March 2005.
ESD will develop a Waste Tire Investment program designed to leverage private sector investment in the development of value-added products and uses for waste tires, creating new jobs and business opportunities across New York State.
Preliminary Draft Standards for Management of Elemental Mercury & Dental Amalgam Wastes at Dental Facilities The NYSDEC recently completed public workshops at three locations for the preliminary draft of proposed regulations to add a new Subpart 374-4 of Title 6 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations (6 NYCRR) of the State of New York. The preliminary draft regulation proposes to establish waste management standards for dental facilities that use mercury or generate mercury-containing dental amalgam wastes.
The workshops were held in Albany, Avon and New York City. The workshop agenda included: a presentation explaining Chapter 506, laws of 2002; a summary of best management practices for mercury pollution prevention at dental facilities; an explanation of the provisions of the proposed regulations; and, a discussion of public comments, questions and suggestions for revisions of the regulation.
About forty participants attended the workshops and included representatives from State and local dental associations, dentists, dental schools, Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs), dental supply companies, mercury and amalgam waste collection companies, the State legislature, local government and environmental groups.
The public comment period closed May 20, 2004. Department staff will compile the comments from the workshops and from the written comments received and prepare a responsiveness summary. Staff will then revise the proposed regulation and prepare the regulatory package for further review and processing. Once a final draft is approved for release as additional public review period will be held.
NYSARRR Recycling Conference, Fall 2004 The New York State Association of Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSARRR) has announced their 15th Annual New York State Recycling Conference. The Conference is scheduled for October 20 - 21, 2004 at the Syracuse Holiday Inn, in Syracuse, New York. Agenda topics include; Legislative Leadership, The 3R's at Their Best, The Power of Buying Recycled, Compost Quick Tales, Deconstruction & Reuse, and Trash Across State Borders. The contact for this conference is Linda Ochs, she can be reached at PO BOX 295, Waterloo, NY 13165, by phone: 315-539-5607, fax: 315-539-8558, or by E-mail.
- Chromated Copper Arsenate Pressure Treated Lumber
New York State law required the New York Sate Department of Conservation to develop outreach information regarding chromated copper arsenate (CCA) pressure treated lumber. CCA has been used extensively in this country as a wood preservative. CCA is composed of:
- Copper, which acts as a fungicide,
- Arsenate, a form of arsenic, which is an insecticide, and
- Chromium, which binds the ingredients to the wood.
Article 37-0109 of the Substances Hazardous to the Environment legislation required the Department to:
- Compile and publish information on the dangers and hazards to public health and the environment of the use of CCA pressure treated lumber;
- Compile and publish a list of less toxic materials that may be used as an alternative to the use of CCA pressure treated lumber;
- Compile and publish information on non-toxic methods and materials that are available to adequately maintain playground structures and picnic tables constructed with CCA pressure treated lumber in a manner that minimizes CCA from leaching from such structures and picnic tables; and,
- Disseminate this information to the general public.
- Included within the website is a list of Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is chromated copper arsenate (CCA)?
- Is all pressure-treated lumber the same?
- How do I know if my outdoor wood is pressure treated with CCA?
- Does CCA-treated wood present any health risks to my family or me?
- What precautions should be taken when working with CCA-treated wood?
- What can I do to limit exposure to CCA-treated wood?
- Does CCA-treated wood pose any environmental risks?
- What steps has New York State taken to limit exposure to CCA-treated wood?
- What are some alternatives to using CCA pressure-treated lumber?
The Department continues to work on additional outreach materials to bring this information to a wider audience.
New York Announces New York Recycles Custom License Plates |
DMV COMMISSIONER MARTINEZ UNVEILS NEW CUSTOM LICENSE PLATE "New York Recycles" Plates Now Available State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles Raymond P. Martinez recently unveiled New York's custom license plate -"New York Recycles." The unveiling was held at the Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations' annual spring conference and trade show at the Sagamore on Lake George.
Commissioner Martinez said, "Reducing, reusing, and recycling materials are important steps to take to preserve our environment. Now, New Yorkers passionate about environmental preservation can help to raise awareness and demonstrate their commitment to New York's environment by purchasing a 'New York Recycles' license plate."
Marjorie Torelli, President of the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recycling said, "The 'New York Recycles' license plate is a very exciting program in New York State. Now drivers can choose to promote sensible waste management practices everywhere they go. I am very excited that the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recycling can be a part of this new license plate."
The initial cost for the "New York Recycles" plate with a plate number assigned by the Department of Motor Vehicles is $43 with an annual renewal fee of $25. A personalized version of the "New York Recycles" plate with the motorists' choice of up to six characters, including spaces, is available for $68, with an annual renewal fee of $50.
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This plate is available to anyone who has a passenger or commercial vehicle registered in New York State. To order the "New York Recycles" license plate visit any DMV issuing office, DMV's website. New York State maintains a gallery of the over 300 custom plates and ordering information for each on the DMV website as well. Individuals who qualify for the International Symbol of Access must order through DMV's Custom Plates office. |
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