EHS Div. Clears the Air.

With its four presentations, the Environmental, Health and Safety Div. primarily looked at air quality in and out of foundries.

In addition to a committee report on the impact of foundry process parameters on pouring, cooling and shakeout air emissions (01-1 60), R.C. Scholz and J.C. Liello, RMT, Inc., presented their paper on a measurement method to pinpoint and assess high air contaminant zones within foundries (01-152). The method was used in several foundries to demonstrate that the configuration of supply and exhaust ventilation systems caused emissions in the air to move and concentrate in relatively stable and predictable patterns. By determining the patterns, steps can be taken to improve air ventilation. As noted in the paper, steps taken to improve ventilation included:

* upgraded local exhaust hoods with new hoods added for uncontrolled majorsources;

* mechanically-balanced supply and exhaust by established ventilation zones;

* tempered fresh air islands at fixed work stations with uniformly distributed untempered air in upper levels.

This method used commercially available monitoring instruments and computer software to measure the ventilation techniques of the foundries.

In part of the panel discussion of "EHS Hot Topics," T.W. Rarick, Kemmida Environmental, Inc., said that a final ruling regarding the Maximum Achievement Control Technology (MACT) regulations relating to air toxins emitted from foundries may be announced by May 2002. Foundries may be exempt from MACT, which may require implementing the most up-to-date equipment. The proposed standard needs to be clarified, especially in regard to compliance and recordkeeping, Rarick said. In one ruling, the court decided that cost should not be considered when setting environmental standards and clear guidelines need to be determined to implement those standards. "That still needs to be figured out," Rarick said.