2005 Annual Report | Industrial Ecology, Pollution Prevention and the New York/New Jersey Harbor| Research Project Database | NCER | ORD

2005 Progress Report: Industrial Ecology, Pollution Prevention and the New York/New Jersey Harbor

EPA Grant Number: X3832202
Title: Industrial Ecology, Pollution Prevention and the New York/New Jersey Harbor
Investigators: Panero, Marta A.
Institution: New York Academy of Sciences
EPA Project Officer: Bauer, Diana
Project Period: March 14, 2005 through March 13, 2007
Project Period Covered by this Report: March 14, 2005 through March 13, 2006
Project Amount: $144,000
RFA: Collaborative Science & Technology Network for Sustainability (2004)
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development

Description:

Objective:

This grant has been awarded to identify and implement environmentally sound and technologically feasible pollution prevention (P2) strategies for the dioxins and PAHs entering the New York/New Jersey (NY/NJ) Harbor watershed. These strategies lead to improved environmental conditions and indicators (in water quality, biota, fish and wildlife, and recreational activities), as well as efficient resource use, material integration, and waste minimization within the regional economy. The objective of this research project is to reduce contaminant inputs to the NY/NJ harbor while considering loadings to the entire watershed. By involving a consortium of stakeholders, the project relies on collaborative networks to develop strategies to prevent pollution release. This research follows a three-fold approach that incorporates scientific, technological, and socioeconomic data to achieve reductions in toxicant releases. The three components of the project are: (1) material flows research, comprised of a watershed mass balance for each contaminant that identifies system-wide sources, pathways, remobilization through different media, sinks, and an industrial ecology assessment to identify design patterns, production, consumption and post consumption activities leading to releases; (2) risk management to identify P2 strategies, including process/product modification and reengineering, identification of clean technologies, in consultation with industries or sectors involved in releases, as well as a socioeconomic assessment of proposed P2 options; and (3) involvement of stakeholders to review scientific, technical, and socioeconomic analysis; develop P2 strategies after multidisciplinary valuation ranking; and recommend and implement the action plan.

Progress Summary:

The work under this grant has been structured to be completed in a 2-year period (March 2005 to March 2007). Most of the work commenced early in 2005. We have made good progress in meeting our objectives and we anticipate completing all activities and deliverables ahead of schedule by the end of 2006.

Short-term success is achieved by developing watershed-wide P2 strategies for dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and progress is shown through our published reports. Long-term success is achieved through implementation of the recommended P2 strategies and update reports tracking progress. The reports, summarizing our three step approach, identifying sources and P2 strategies, implementation challenges and lessons learned, will be readily transferable to other regions. The project directly benefits those using the watershed for recreational activities; environmental resources (fish, wildlife, and biota); and a regional economy of about 20 million people. Indirectly, it supports the work of other watershed management programs, including in the Great Lakes, the Delaware River Basin, the Long Island Sound, and other regions.

Dioxins

We conducted a mass balance of dioxins’ major environmental sources, pathways, and sinks to the NY/NJ Harbor watershed. This step included the identification of the watershed’s dioxin sources to all media, including atmospheric deposition of trans-boundary inputs to the watershed system. This task has been completed.

We developed an industrial ecology assessment by surveying regional dioxin sources from industrial, commercial, and other anthropogenic activities using national and regional census data; and developed a toxic release inventory and an envirofacts data warehouse. We verified estimates on the number of establishments and use of current technologies through regional business directories, trade associations’ reports, other published industrial and commercial statistics, and Yellow Pages database. We used demographic and sector analysis, including consumer track and surveys to gather information on the household sector and consumption and disposal activities. We identified the potential for dioxin releases during product usage (e.g., pentachlorophenol treated wood), disposal (e.g., bleached paper), or waste transfers (e.g., bottom ash, sludge). This task has been completed.

We reviewed pathways, including combustion processes, chemical manufacturing, metallurgical processes, energy generation, and waste incineration. We also identified processes or products likely to have copper or other metals that could catalyze dioxin formation.

We developed a list of possible intervention measures and reviewed all leverage points in the generation/usage/disposal chain, favoring pollution prevention at the source and other preventive measures. We categorized system-wide measures (i.e., clean technologies, process modification, reengineering, material integration, best management practices, and waste minimization) with the potential to reduce dioxin generation and releases. In addition, we identified social practices, consumption, and disposal patterns, as well as institutional constrains that prevent the deployment of new technologies, best management implementation, or resource use efficiencies associated with dioxin abatement.

We engaged various stakeholder sectors involved in the generation and prevention of dioxins in a consultation process leading to pollution prevention and best management recommendations. We also identified actors in the implementation phase of recommended abatement strategies for dioxin.

The following tasks are well underway and will be completed in the next 3 months:

Publish dioxins report with strategies for pollution prevention for the NY/NJ Harbor. The final report awaits approval by the Harbor Consortium members, who met April 6, 2006, to review the report. After approval, the report will be published within approximately 6 weeks.
Distribute the report to regional and national stakeholders and organizations working on watershed management and toxic release reductions. We will distribute the report as soon as it is published. As we already have put together the list of all regional and national stakeholders, this task will take no more than 2 weeks.
Present research findings on dioxins and lessons learned at workshops and meetings at the regional and national level. We already have presented preliminary findings on dioxins at various outreach meetings (e.g., at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Environmental Toxicology; to the Rockland County Conservation Society; and to the New York City Partnership for Parks).

PAHs

We performed a mass balance of the major environmental sources, pathways, and sinks of PAHs to the NY/NJ Harbor watershed. This step included the identification of the watershed’s PAH sources to all media, including sediments within the harbor. This task has been completed.

We developed an industrial ecology assessment. We surveyed all regional sources of PAHs from industrial, commercial and other anthropogenic activities, using similar analytical tools and databases as for the dioxins research (see above). This task has been completed.

The report “Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the New York/New Jersey Harbor” recommends the following:

Develop a list of source reduction measures.
Identify system-wide measures (i.e, clean technologies, process modification, reengineering, material integration, best management practices, and waste minimization) with the potential to reduce PAHs production and releases.
Identify social practices, consumption and disposal patterns, as well as institutional constrains that prevent the deployment of new technologies, best management implementation, or resource use efficiencies associated with PAHs abatement.

Future Activities:

The following activities and deliverables are being planned for the next 8-10 months:

Form an action group for PAHs, including experts on various aspects pertaining to polybutylene terephthalate.
Involve all relevant stakeholders to develop source reduction strategies for PAHs.
Identify key participants for the implementation phase of recommended PAH strategies.
Publish the PAHs report with strategies for pollution prevention for the NY/NJ Harbor.
Distribute the report to regional and national stakeholders and organizations working on watershed management and toxic release reductions.

We will present research findings on PAHs and lessons learned at workshops and meetings at the regional and national level.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Ecology and ecosystems, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, environmental monitoring, cleaner production/pollution prevention, decision making, industrial ecology, land use, pollution prevention, pollution prevention opportunity assessment, waste reduction, , Sustainable Industry/Business, Scientific Discipline, Environmental Engineering, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Monitoring, water quality, waste reduction, pollution prevention opportunity assessment, industrial ecology, decision making, land use
Relevant Websites:

http://www.nyas.org/programs/harbor.asp

Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract
Final Report

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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2005 Progress Report: Industrial Ecology, Pollution Prevention and the New York/New Jersey Harbor

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