Glen Canyon Field Division, Bureau of Reclamation
Jim Blankenship
jblankenship@us.usbr.gov
(520)
645-045 6
The Bureau of Reclamation’s Glen Canyon Field Division, including Jim Blankenship, Hazardous Materials Coordinator, developed a management system to help them comply with hazardous waste regulations and to pursue strategies that would help them prevent pollution from being created. Using a “Plan-Do-Check-Act” paradigm to guide their efforts, this team was successful in aggressively minimizing waste streams at the Glen Canyon Dam, realizing a 97% reduction in wastes generated.
Glen Canyon Field Division and Assistant Secretary Lynn Scarlett
The management process now in place includes an organizational policy statement on hazardous materials. This policy defines the objectives of the Glen Canyon Dam Hazardous Materials Program, which are: to minimize the use of hazardous materials; to eliminate ozone depleting products; to reduce the amount of materials stored on-site; and to recycle (rather than dispose of) as much as possible. This policy is supported by inspection protocols, activity logs, training, and position duty definitions. The Glen Canyon Field Division has reduced the number of products used routinely in the operations and maintenance of the Dam, which has decreased the need for disposal of outdated or expired products. Recycling programs currently handle used oil, solvents, PCB-ballasts, batteries, fluorescent lamps, mercury vapor bulbs, scrap metal and paper.