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1996 Winners

Award Categories: SMALL BUSINESS MID-SIZE BUSINESS LARGE BUSINESS LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOT-FOR-PROFIT

SMALL BUSINESS

Winross Co., Inc.
A manufacturer of quality custom-order scale truck model employs 98 people out of Rochester. In June 1994, Winross installed a waste solvent recovery system to recycle spent solvent which was generated from surface coating equipment cleaning operations. In 1995, the hazardous waste disposal volume decreased over 75 percent compared to 1993, realizing a total savings of $11,000 for 1995.

MID-SIZE BUSINESS

Emsig Manufacturing Corporation
Emsig is a manufacturer of clothing buttons employing 150 people in Hudson. The plastic buttons are made from unsaturated polyester resin and require two casting processes. In all these processes the containers, tools and equipment used to work with the resin had to be cleaned with acetone. Emsig switched to a closed-loop ultra-filtration system that could reach a recovery of acetone of 90 percent or better.

Harden Furniture
Harden Furniture is a manufacturer of solid hardwood furniture employing 430 people in McConnelsville. The finishing operations required a multi-step process where different coats of stain and lacquer were applied. One of these processes required that wiping stain, a mixture of organic pigments, linseed oil and volatile organic compounds, be applied to the wood and subsequently wiped off with a rag. This particular process generated a large quantity of rags that were classified as (ignitable) hazardous waste. In order to store the rags safely, they were submerged in methanol. Harden switched to a different kind of rag and implemented a wash and reuse program in which the hazardous waste from the contaminated rags and the methanol were eliminated from the waste stream.

LARGE BUSINESS

Anitec, International Paper, Imaging Products Division
A manufacturer of film, paper, and processing chemicals for the arts industry employs 800 and is located in Binghamton. New procedures were implemented from product development throughout manufacturing based on an audit of their processes to determine adverse impacts to the environment. Projects in source reduction were undertaken that yielded the greatest benefits. Since 1992, hazardous waste has been reduced 95 percent resulting in savings of approximately $700,000 in disposal costs. Solid waste has been reduced 89 percent from its 1988 base of 2,000 tons at a cost avoidance of $100,000 a year. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) emissions have been reduced over 97 percent since 1990.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
This pharmaceutical manufacturing complex is located in Syracuse and employs 975 people. The bulk manufacturing operation produces an intermediate which is used in the worldwide production of penicillin products. This intermediate was manufactured from the fermentation of Penicillin V in a nutrient rich aqueous broth from which the Penicillin V is extracted in a solvent-based (methyl isobutyl ketone) isolation process. The former isolation facility performed whole broth extraction with six centrifuges. These centrifuges were a significant source of fugitive emissions as well as being a potential ignition source. Bristol's Chemical Development Group developed a Penicillin V isolation procedure consisting of whole broth filtration followed by extraction of the permeate with a solvent of less toxicity using a "closed" centrifuge. The use of whole broth filtration allows the extraction to be completed more efficiently using fewer centrifuges and less solvent. This process allowed for over 90 percent reductions of emissions while at the same time expanding the intermediate production capacity by 10 percent.

Garden Way Incorporated
Garden way is a manufacturer of outdoor and garden equipment. It employs 812 people and is located in Troy. During 1989-90 Garden Way completed the initial phase of replacing liquid, lead and xylene based paint with powder coating. By switching to powder technologies the generation of VOCs, paint solids and caustic wastes were eliminated and waste waters were reduced to non-hazardous. Plant capacity was doubled by the powder process due to the increased line speed and the immediate availability of coated parts versus the delays caused by the prior air dry paint.

Hadco Corporation
Hadco Corporation is a high volume manufacturer of technologically advanced printed circuit boards. It employs 800 at the facility in Owego. Hadco implemented a number of projects and process changes that have reduced the usage and release of hazardous materials. An alternative mask coating formulation project and the use of alternative treatment chemicals for the resist (film) stripping treatment process eliminated the use of solvents that are considered Hazardous Air Pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Hadco eliminated approximately 50,000 pounds/year of methylene chloride and 40,000 pound/year of 1,1,1-trichloroethane with an aqueous base solvent.

ITT Automotive Electrical Systems
ITT's current manufacturing operations include the production of three main product groups for automotive electric motors and motor based systems, windshield wiper systems, motor actuator systems and air management systems. ITT employs 3800 people and is located in Rochester. In 1989, environmental engineers started making management and engineering aware of the effects of CFCs from vapor degreasing and VOCs from solvent painting processes on the earth's ozone and environment. Teams of employees developed new processes for the elimination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane vapor degreasing and solvent-based painting of blower motors and compressors. Based on these new procedures, ITT successfully reduced annual air emissions for the facility from over 600 tons to zero.

Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensors Systems
Located in Syracuse and employing over 2,000 people, Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar and Sensor Systems is a supplier to world markets for radar, sensor and navigational equipment for military and commercial applications. Primary operations include electronics and microelectronics manufacturing, systems assembly and systems integration. The solvent elimination and substitution in soldering and cleaning of electronic assemblies project has implemented a process for electronics manufacturing that resulted in elimination of chlorinated solvents and toxic emission reporting and a 100% reduction in Freon 113 waste generation. Had Lockheed continued with the old operation with no changes, an additional 83,700 pounds of Freon 113 waste would have been generated. The new process integrates chemical substitution, process modification and equipment replacement to achieve maximum efficiency and minimize waste through source reduction.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The City of White Plains
The City of White Plains' ten year automotive energy efficiency initiative has these objectives: reduce the dependence on imported petroleum products and reduce air emissions by either using alternative fuels or lessening the use of typical motor fuels. Recognizing that alternative fuels and overall fuel efficient vehicle design are inextricably related to improving air quality, the City began to modify its motor fleet. Specifically, these alternative fuel vehicles were purchased: three alcohol fuel cars (with two more trucks on order), two battery electric and two propane powered vehicles. Regular emission tests on these vehicles over the past five years have documented as much as 80% reductions in emissions.

NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Cornell University
Back in 1990 Cornell, having experienced a growth in traffic congestion and parking demand that far outstripped the ability of the university environment and surrounding infrastructure to handle it, was anticipating the need to build over 2500 parking spaces. It became clear that an innovative solution was needed to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles brought to Cornell by its over 9000 faculty and staff each day. In order to alleviate Cornell's traffic problems, Cornell University's Office of Transportation Services developed the Transportation Demand Management Program. This program raised awareness by increasing parking fees, developed a three tiered rate structure that offered alternatives to paying the full fee for parking on campus, developed Omniride, a program in which Cornell University pays the transit fare for all Cornell employees living in Tompkins County and provides subsidized transit to those employees commuting from outside the county. Also, Cornell created RideShare, a car pool incentive program which gives discounts on parking fees or even cash rebates to employees who share a ride to campus with other university employees. In addition to reduced emissions, reduction in cars has led to less runoff of automotive fluids such as oil, gas and anti-freeze. This program resulted in a decrease in the number of cars by 2377. And decreased CO2 emissions by 27,750 pounds per day.

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