Measures of Environmental Performance and Ecosystem Condition (1999) / Chapter Skim
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Defining the Environmentally Responsible Facility
Defining the Environmentally Responsible Facility
Pages 42-62
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From page 42... ...
All existing major environmental laws in the United States (e.g., the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act) deal almost entirely with industrial emissions or the sites of previous industrial emissions or waste disposal.
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From page 43... ...
This matrix tool, therefore, should be regarded as only one component of the full DFE set that must be developed as firms begin implementing the principles of industrial ecology. THE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE FACILITY Two aspects of industrial ecology/DFE are critical for the environmentally responsible facility (ERF)
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From page 44... ...
; Netherlands future environment Industrial and loss of engineering market incentives and Germany; consumer biodiversity; (especially for environmentally industry, behavior in degradation of chemical appropriate behavior especially actual economy water, engineering) (e.g., ecolabels; electronics and resulting soil, and and "energy star," inter environmental atmospheric technology; national standards; impacts resources; environmental "green procurement")
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From page 45... ...
To facilitate such assessments, we have devised a standardized environmentally responsible facility matrix, supported by a checklist to guide assessors in valuing the matrix elements. The matrix scoring system provides a straightforward means of comparing options, and dot charts are recommended as a convenient and visually useful way of calling attention to those design and implementation aspects of the facility whose modification could most dramatically improve the ERF rating.
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From page 46... ...
ALLENBY AND THOMAS E GRAEDEL TABLE 2 Environmentally Responsible Facility Assessment Matrix Environmental Concerna Ecological Energy Solid Liquid Gaseous Impacts Use Residues Residues Residues Site selection, development, 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 and infrastructure Principal business 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 activity -- products Principal business 3,1 3,2 3,3 3,4 3,5 activity -- processes Facility operations 4,1 4,2 4,3 4,4 4,5 Facility refurbishment, 5,1 5,2 5,3 5,4 5,5 closure, or transfer aThe number in each cell corresponds to the relevant question set for that cell, as outlined in the Appendix.
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From page 47... ...
Matrix Structure The columns of the matrix correspond to the five major classes of environmental concern: ecological impacts, energy use, solid residues, liquid residues, and gaseous residues. Although other categories could no doubt be suggested, these are readily understood and reasonably comprehensive, in keeping with the practical intent of the system.
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From page 48... ...
In the same way that close relationships promote just-intime delivery of supplies and components, so, too, can those relationships help corporations implement environmentally responsible manufacturing. An outstanding and still unique example of the partnership approach exists in Kalundborg, Denmark, where 10 years of effort have culminated in the interactive network shown in Figure 1 (Graedel and Allenby, 1995; Terp, 1991)
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From page 49... ...
. Principal Business Activity -- Processes As with products, it is apparent that, for a facility to be environmentally responsible, its internal processes must also be environmentally responsible.
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From page 50... ...
An ERF should have a structured program to evaluate each incoming and outgoing materials stream and to tailor it and its packaging in environmentally responsible directions. The use of energy by a facility requires careful scrutiny as well, because opportunities for improvement are always present.
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From page 51... ...
Such use is good for the environment, public relations, and employee morale, and the elimination of the need for regular maintenance often results in cost savings as well. Facility Refurbishment, Closure, or Transfer Just as environmentally responsible products are being designed increasingly for "product-life extension," so too should ERFs be designed for easy upgrading.
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From page 52... ...
This in itself is a significant indictment of the current fragmented, ad hoc system of environmental management and regulation, and a clear demonstration of the need to move toward policies and practices based on industrial ecology principles. The ERF matrix system begins the process of thinking about facilities from the life-cycle perspective, developing analytical tools and, as experience is gained, metrics to support the LCA of environmental impacts.
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From page 53... ...
NOTE 1. As part of AT&T's ongoing effort to implement industrial ecology through development of DFE methodologies, the company is creating a family of matrices, including ones dealing with environmentally responsible products and processes as well as facilities.
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From page 54... ...
• Have provisions been made for orderly growth of infrastructure as facility operations expand, in order to avoid unnecessary health or environmental impacts? Facility Matrix Element 1,2 Facility Activity: Site Selection, Development, and Infrastructure Environmental Concern: Energy Use • Is the site such that the facility can be made operational with only minimal energy expenditures?
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From page 55... ...
Facility Matrix Element 1,4 Facility Activity: Site Selection, Development, and Infrastructure Environmental Concern: Liquid Residues • Is the site such that the facility can be made operational with only minimal production of liquid residues? • Have plans been made to ensure that any liquid residues generated in the process of developing the site are managed to minimize their impacts on biota and human health?
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From page 56... ...
• Is it possible to share employee transportation infrastructure with nearby facilities owned by others to minimize air pollution by private vehicles? Facility Matrix Element 2,1 Facility Activity: Principal Business Activity -- Products Environmental Concern: Ecological Impacts • If the activity of this facility involves extraction of virgin materials, is the extraction planned so as to minimize ecological impacts, and have restoration plans been made and funding assured, as appropriate?
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From page 57... ...
• Are products designed to generate minimal and nontoxic solid residues when recycled or disposed of? Facility Matrix Element 2,4 Facility Activity: Principal Business Activity -- Products Environmental Concern: Liquid Residues • Are products designed to generate minimal and nontoxic liquid residues during manufacture?
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From page 58... ...
• Do process equipment specifications and standards require the use of energy-efficient components and subassemblies? Facility Matrix Element 3,3 Facility Activity: Principal Business Activity -- Processes Environmental Concern: Solid Residues • Are processes designed to generate minimal and nontoxic solid residues?
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From page 59... ...
Facility Matrix Element 4,3 Facility Activity: Facility Operations Environmental Concern: Solid Residues • Is the facility designed to minimize the comingling of solid-waste streams? • Are solid residues from facility operations reused or recycled to the maximum extent possible?
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From page 60... ...
• Are unusable liquid residues from facility operations disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner? Facility Matrix Element 4,5 Facility Activity: Facility Operations Environmental Concern: Gaseous Residues • Is operations-related transportation to and from the facility minimized?
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From page 61... ...
• Have plans been made to minimize the toxicity of and exposures to any solid residues resulting from cleanup and decontamination of the facility and its environs upon refurbishment, transfer, or closure? Facility Matrix Element 5,4 Facility Activity: Facility Refurbishment, Closure, or Transfer Environmental Concern: Liquid Residues • Can the facility be refurbished, closed, or transferred with minimal generation of liquid residues, including those generated by site cleanup and decontamination?
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From page 62... ...
1992. Design for Environment: Implementing Industrial Ecology.
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