Development of
Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Profiles Emphasizing PBT Chemical
Reductions for Petroleum Refineries
Wyoming Department
of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) and U.S. EPA Region 8
August, 2004
Seven petroleum refineries in Region 8 (Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana and
Colorado) were visited and evaluated to assess the industry’s voluntary initiatives
to implement Pollution Prevention/Waste Minimization (P2/WM) projects. There
was emphasis on Bi-National Strategy (BNS), Persistent, Bioaccumulative and
Toxic (PBT) contaminants and consideration was also given to more conventional
pollutants yielding significant environmental benefits. The report categorizes
P2/WM initiatives into two groups: 1) "minimum,” conventional efforts that
have been voluntarily “self-imposed” by most refiners in the industry and; 2)
more "innovative" and case-specific initiatives.
Evidence provided indicates these initiatives yielded a benefit of approximately
10,000 tons per year (tpy) in voluntary reductions of combined air emissions,
water effluents and waste generation rates during the project evaluation timeframe,
and are expected to continue for the operating life of the respective facilities.
Furthermore, due to industrial competition and evolving P2/WM efforts, it is
expected that the seven Region 8 refineries will meet or exceed the 10,000 tons
per year reduction level.
Although this is the final report for this Grant, work will continue under
a separate Grant, administered by the EPA's Solid and Hazardous Waste Program.
Besides extending the timeframe of the recently completed project, this new
project will expand the scope of effort to include 33 RCRA PBT priority chemicals.
For more information, contact EPA Region 8: Matt Langenfeld at 303-312-6284.
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