Environmental Reviews of Process Units

Pollution Prevention Reviews - A 5-Step Approach!

Step #

Step
Component Level Review
- Identify chemicals that may be
environmental targets

Process Stream Level Review

- Characterize streams for regulatory
& economic impact

List Root Causes of Key Wastes

- Get to the reason why these wastes exist

Use Aids to Carry Out P2R Steps

K List all chemicals present from a regulatory perspective
& target environmental problems (Step 1)
K Create a comprehensive table to link chemical pollutants to major U.S. regulatory lists:
- Air pollutants (EPA)
- Water pollutants (EPA)
- Hazardous wastes (EPA)

- Process safety management list (OSHA)

- Exposure guidelines (ACGIH)

K Characterize streams by listing regulatory & economic information (Step 2)

K Create a comprehensive table that provides information on each stream:
- Chemicals of concern
- Potential health & environmental effects
- Compliance (controls/treatment/equipment)
- Costs (to manage)

K Trace components of waste back to their origins (Step3)

Raw
Mater
ials

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ly

ta

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Impurit
Raw Maties in
erials

Pro

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ts

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ican ul
ef s
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B

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Useful
Byproducts

K Use checklists to find root causes of wastes (Step3)

1. Reaction
stoichiometry

Process
Chemistry

g
Engineerin
Design

2. Kinetics
3. Yield
4. Conversion
5. Other

Operations

1. Leaking
equipment

1. Operating rates
2. Order of additions

ce
Maintenan

3. Fate of residuals
at shutdown
4. Scheduling
of campaigns
5. Other

List & Assess P2 Suggestions

- Address root cause and you reduce
or even eliminate the waste

1. Capacity
2. Bottlenecks
3. Pressure
4. Temperature
limitations
5. Process layout
6. Process control
philosophy
7. Instrumentation

2. Spills
3. Corrosion
4. Calibration s
of instrument
5. Maintenance
of chemicals
6. Cleaning
procedures
7. Other

K Use idea pick lists (Step 4)

- CMA Pollution Prevention Ideas
- CMA Pollution Prevention Options for Equipment Design & Operations

K Follow Waste Management Hierarchy

when making waste handling decisions (Step 4)

Source
Reduction*

Avoids Creation
of Waste

Recycling

Reduces Waste and

Conserves Resources

Treatment

Makes Unavoidable Waste

Less Bulky and Less Toxic

Disposal

Waste
Minimization

Last Resort

* The Goal of Pollution Prevention is to eliminate

or reduce wastes at their source - to minimize waste
handling and disposal

Prioritize Actions
- Rank viable actions for environmental
& process impacts

K Create a summary table which ranks the impacts (Step 5)

- Combine process & environmental impact ratings to get an overall ranking
- Alternately combine severity of impact and frequency of potential release
to get an overall ranking

UOP Process Technology

That Is More Environmentally Friendly
to UOP Customers throughout the World!

Environmental Tools for Process Units

Effluent Summaries
Describe waste streams leaving the process units,
their typical destinations, and estimate their quantities

Typical Vapor Emissions

- Heater Stacks
- Fugitive Emissions
- Vents
- Storage Tanks

Typical Liquid Effluents

- Oily Wastewaters
- Sour Waters
- Spent Caustics
- Waste Amines

Typical Solid Wastes

- Spent Catalysts
- Spent Clays
- Misc. Process Residuals
and Sludges
(e.g., alkylation, desalters)

Fugitive Emissions Estimates

Find out early what may be leaking and estimate how much

Typical Leaking Equipment

Flanges
Valves
Pump/Compressor Seals
Sampling Connections
Relief Valves
Drains

UOP Process Technology

That Is More Environmentally Friendly
to UOP Customers throughout the World!
UOP 3600-2