Dioxins Pollution Prevention

Bay Area Dioxins Project

TDC Environmental, in cooperation with Larry Walker Associates, is serving as the technical consultant to a regional dioxins pollution prevention project in the San Francisco Bay Area.  More information about that project is available on the project web site (managed by the Association of Bay Area Governments).

The Screening Evaluation of Dioxins Pollution Prevention Options, prepared by TDC Environmental for the San Francisco Bay Area Dioxins Project, reviews a variety of dioxins pollution prevention actions available to local government agencies (many of these actions can also be implemented by private businesses).  The Screening Evaluation Report is available in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

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To supplement dioxins pollution prevention activities conducted individually by participating municipalities, the Bay Area Dioxins Project is conducting three regional projects:

• Cleaner Alternatives for Municipal Diesel Vehicles.  This project involves two elements:
(1) a compilation of information about funding sources that can help municipalities cover the incremental cost of municipal diesel vehicle retrofitting or replacement to reduce air pollution.
(2) assembling case studies from participating municipalities describing current activities to change their use of diesel engines.
The memorandum covering these topics ("Funding for Municipal Diesel Vehicle Fuel Conversion or Replacement with Alternative Fuel Vehicles") is available in Adobe Acrobat (PDF format).

• Paper and PVC.  Larry Walker Associates is conducted a project to provide municipalities with practical information about "chlorine free" paper purchasing and alternatives to PVC-containing building materials.  The project involves preparation of resource materials and holding a vendor fair (held in September, 2002).  Project materials are available on the Bay Area Dioxins Project Pollution Prevention Pilot Project Materials web site.

 
• Health Care Pollution Prevention Medical Waste Management Alternatives Information.  This project involves preparing information on medical waste management alternatives for health care facilities.  This project, which is coordinated with the Health Care Pollution Prevention Project,  is designed to supplement existing California health care pollution prevention programs.  The Health Care Pollution Prevention page has the latest information on this project.

Presentations

• Dioxins Pollution Prevention: Practical Options for Local Governments (Presentation at the Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network Conference, Monterey California, October, 2000)
• Dioxins Pollution Prevention (Presentation at the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable Conference, Chicago Illinois, February 2001)

TDC Environmental’s Experience in Dioxins Pollution Prevention

TDC Environmental is one of the only consultants in the United States working in the field of dioxins pollution prevention.  TDC Environmental’s Kelly Moran is intimately familiar with the complicated chemistry and politics of dioxins.  TDC Environmental offers:

• Technical Expertise.  Dr. Moran has reviewed volumes of technical information on dioxins sources, human and environmental health risks, and pollution prevention alternatives and has attended dioxins-related technical events like the Dioxins 2000 conference in Monterey.
• Understanding of Stakeholder Views.  Dr. Moran has attended numerous public meetings on dioxins.  She has met with representatives of local, state, and federal government agencies, community groups, and business organizations to discuss dioxins issues.
• Access to Technical Resources.  TDC Environmental’s dioxins library includes information obtained from U.S. EPA and other state and Federal agencies, technical journals, high-quality Internet sites, municipalities, and the Dioxins 2000 and People’s Dioxins Conferences.

San Francisco Bay Area Dioxins Project:  For the last two years, TDC Environmental has served as the technical consultant for the Bay Area Dioxins Project.  The Project, which is coordinated by the Association of Bay Area Governments, is a coordinated effort of San Francisco Bay Area municipalities to obtain information about dioxins, to implement dioxins pollution prevention projects, and to involve the public in dioxins issues.  To support the municipalities’ understanding of dioxins issues, TDC Environmental has summarized available information about dioxins sources; identified dioxins-related activities underway at regional, state, and federal agencies; explained dioxins risk assessments; and assisted the municipalities with identification of feasible dioxins pollution prevention projects.  TDC Environmental completed a screening evaluation of various dioxins pollution prevention options, documented in the report Screening Evaluation of Dioxins Pollution Prevention Options (September, 2001).

Dioxins Source Identification and Pollution Prevention:  On behalf of the City of Palo Alto, Dr. Moran identified dioxins sources (working with Bill Johnson of EIP Associates), prepared a comprehensive pollution prevention plan (working with Larry Walker Associates), and then worked with City staff in various city departments to investigate and frame pollution prevention project opportunities.  She explored in detail pollution prevention project opportunities for process chlorine free paper products, diesel vehicles, wood-burning fireplaces, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) use, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) use, pentachlorophenol use, and 2,4-D use.  The process chlorine free paper project involved work with Palo Alto’s Purchasing and Janitorial groups to implement a successful demonstration of process chlorine free toilet paper use.

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