POLLUTION PREVENTION NORTHWEST - Electronic Version September - October 1996 Managing Editor: Kristi Thorndike Technical Editors: Madeline M. Grulich, David Leviten Electronic Version Format by: Crispin Stutzman **** ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER **** Pollution Prevention Northwest is published bimonthly by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC). Part or all of the newsletter may be photocopied. Articles may be reprinted or distributed electronically only in their entirety with written permission from the PPRC. Please credit the author (if any), followed by "Pollution Prevention Northwest, Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center". If you would like to receive a free electronic subscription to this newsletter please E-mail your request to office@pprc.org. Please include your full name, your organization, your mailing address and phone number for our records. This newsletter contains the sections described below. Each section heading has "****" on both sides of it to make it easier to find. FEATURED TOPICS - up to three each month. These sections include in-depth articles on selected topics. POLLUTION PREVENTION DIGEST - Short items; of interest to pollution preventers throughout the U.S. ABOUT THE PPRC - A brief introduction to the PPRC, including how to contact us. **** PPRC Changes Name **** The Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Research Center (PPRC) has changed its name to the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center, to more accurately reflect its current activities. The PPRC acts as a "resource" to industry representatives, government agencies, environmental organizations and others. Its central contributions are in making pollution prevention information available to decision-makers; identifying research needs by evaluating opportunities for and barriers to the implementation of pollution prevention; and catalyzing projects that address those needs. **** FEATURED TOPIC: ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY **** by Kathy Vega Seattle Regional Support Office U.S. Department of Energy Most people are aware of some of the links between energy and the environment. Some forms of energy use and production contribute to environmental degradation. Some methods for preventing pollution and environmental degradation can use more energy than might otherwise be used. And there has long been the belief that economic growth and energy efficiency/environmental protection were mutually exclusive. Today, there is a growing understanding that energy efficiency, environmental protection and economic growth are not necessarily mutually exclusive. In fact, energy efficiency and environmental protection can provide economic benefits. One of the areas where these benefits are already being realized is in the industrial sector. Use of improved industrial processes and/or advanced technologies are reducing raw material and depletable energy use per unit output, reducing generation of wastes and pollutants, and increasing productivity. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, implements an array of voluntary programs that demonstrate the economic benefits of energy efficiency and environmental protection. Through the U.S. DOE's National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment and Economics (NICE3) program, Alpine Technology in Oregon developed technology that will enable glass manufacturers to use waste glass (cullet) as a feedstock using a less expensive and more accurate method than current hand-sorting methods. Energy savings are realized because cullet can be melted at lower kiln temperatures, saving energy, and reuse of waste glass avoids the need for transporting the waste for disposal. The building sector is also beginning to look at ways to remain competitive and continue to expand and produce profits, while becoming more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. This is known as "green" or "sustainable" building. It encompasses the full cycle of a building project, from site planning to building design, construction and operations, and includes such practices as energy and water efficiency, recycling construction and demolition debris, operating and maintaining the building. Several terms are used to identify the links between energy, environmental protection and economic growth: "sustainable development," "eco-economy," "resource productivity" and others. The essence of these phrases is to continue economic growth, while protecting the environment and using energy resources efficiently. This is not to say that all energy efficiency and environmental protection strategies save significant costs. And it can be challenging to sort through some of the complexities, but there is growing data that show the benefits to be realized. This issue of Pollution Prevention Northwest takes a look at the elements of these linkages, and highlights some of the activities and resources available to businesses in this area. Kathy Vega is director of the Seattle Regional Support Office of the U.S. Department of Energy, 206-553-1132 (kathy.vega@hq.doe.gov). **** FEATURED TOPIC: CAN ENERGY EFFICIENCY SURVIVE UTILITY RESTRUCTURING? **** by Stan Price, Northwest Energy Efficiency Council The airlines did it. So did banks. Telecommunications has and is doing it. It's now the electric utility industry's turn. "It" is, of course, industry deregulation. The electric utility industry has operated for decades as regulated monopoly service providers within specific geographic service territories. Investor-owned utilities in this region were regulated both by federal requirements and by state government commissions. Public utilities were governed by elected boards or councils. To date, each utility has had unique franchise to sell electric power within its service territory. For the last 15 years in the Pacific Northwest, energy efficiency has played an important role in the electric energy supply and delivery system. Simply, the energy saved from efficient equipment and practices was found to be a cost competitive alternative to traditional approaches of building generation facilities to accommodate greater demand of electrical energy. During much of that decade and a half, electrical energy prices rose and forecasts for demand predicted the need for additional energy resources. Energy efficiency has provided not just a cost-efficient investment in energy supply, but has also increased the region's economic productivity, enhanced occupant comfort in houses and commercial buildings, and contributed to environmental protection in the region. The environmental benefits of energy efficiency are easy to understand. As homes, offices and industry use energy more efficiently there is less need to construct fossil fuel burning generating facilities. In the Pacific Northwest, where a hydroelectric generating system provides a substantial percentage of electrical energy, reduced demand allows for a more natural run of river systems, which helps maintain and enhance wild salmon populations. Changes to the Industry Rapid changes have and will continue to overtake the electric utility industry potentially endangering the role, and the environmental benefits, that energy efficiency has played. First, the price and supply conditions of the commodity have changed. Ample supplies of electricity currently exist throughout the Western United States (a byproduct of a number of factors, including efficiency gains and the addition of low-cost natural gas combustion generating facilities) and the cost of electricity has fallen. Second, the Pacific Northwest is at the doorstep of massive change in the way the electric utility industry is both structured and regulated. Already, the commodity of electrical energy has been opened to competition at the wholesale level. The coming years are certain to see this competition extended to the retail level. The implications of these changes are enormous. Ostensibly, energy consumers will be able to shop for their electrical energy service provider as they now shop for their telephone long-distance service company. This open competition for customers can lead to a market-based commodity industry providing consumers the benefits of lower prices. But what of energy efficiency in this new world order of electric utilities? Energy efficiency remains a viable and economically prudent resource in a competitive electric utility market. For the individual energy user, efficiency can and will provide lower operating costs as well as enhanced productivity and reliability. Societally, efficiency represents a good long-term investment. The higher capital costs of efficiency investments are repaid handsomely over time with lower energy bills and concurrent gains in environmental protection. Individual utility investments in efficiency resources will be endangered, however, unless specific actions are taken. In a competitive marketplace, no single competitor can or will absorb the short-term cost of energy efficiency investments (no matter how good the long-term payoff) if its competition is not doing likewise. Specific actions are necessary to maintain energy efficiency as a significant, viable element of the Northwest energy supply and delivery system. Competition and Efficiency The Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) is a trade association representing the interests of the energy efficiency industry. NEEC membership includes nearly 50 businesses in the region providing energy efficient equipment, efficiency services, energy financing, and program planning, management, and evaluation services. The mission of NEEC is to promote energy efficiency policies, programs, and technologies that create jobs and foster economic growth and environmental improvement. NEEC believes that energy efficiency can thrive in a open competitive electric utility industry. For that to occur, however, a set of policies and principles must be established to insure that efficiency as a resource is treated fairly. To facilitate the establishment of these policies, NEEC has adopted a Statement of Principles of electric utility restructuring. Several of these principles include: - Participation. Processes for changing the structure of the electric utility industry should allow for the full participation of businesses who work with the industry, all classes of customers and other interested parties. Consensus and settlements are more likely than litigation to move restructuring forward, given numerous potential interstate, state- federal, state-utility, and interparty substantive and jurisdictional conflicts. - Energy Cost Minimization. The primary objective of any regulatory or electric industry restructuring is to minimize energy costs for customers. This does not necessarily imply the lowest rates; costs can be reduced through increased end-use efficiency as well as rate reduction. - Balanced Resource Portfolio. Any alternative industry structure should provide a balanced, diverse portfolio of energy resources that is economically efficient, affordable, sustainable, reliable, and environmentally and socially responsible. Because energy efficiency fulfills all of these criteria, it should have first priority in a balanced portfolio of resources. - Employment. In considering the impacts of regulatory changes and utility structures, regulators and government officials should strive to maintain and enhance employment opportunities within the Northwest region. Power sources that create more jobs and those for which a larger share of the labor occurs in-region should receive special consideration in the balancing of economic interests. - Support for Energy Efficiency. Restructuring should be designed to reduce market barriers to energy efficiency and encourage private sector investments in energy efficiency. However, utility energy efficiency investments will continue to be essential for developing and commercializing efficient technologies, reducing market barriers still present in certain market segments, reducing customer costs, and mitigating power system environmental impacts. - Distributed Power Resources. The restructured utility and regulatory structure should be designed to make full cost-effective use of distributed power resources to lower costs of supplying customers with power. Opportunities to use conservation and load management to defer and reduce utility investments in transmission and distribution facilities, as well as generation, should be emphasized. The Future: Working Toward Efficiency, Economic Productivity & Fairness The economic sense of making this region's energy use more efficient is clear and compelling. The environmental benefits from those efficiency actions make the preservation of efficiency in the competitive utility marketplace a necessity. It is not likely to happen unless decision-makers commit to efficiency, economic productivity and fairness. The NEEC will continue to engage the issue in state, regional and national forums that determine the electric utility industry of the future. Stan Price is the administrative director of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, 206-236-1473 (stapri@halcyon.com). **** FEATURED TOPIC: BLACKOUTS BEHIND, GREEN PASTURES AHEAD? **** by Mike Kreidler, Comprehensive Review of the Northwest Energy System Critics of energy market deregulation point to this summer's two large-scale blackouts as perfect illustrations of why the Northwest should be nervous about the new, competitive energy marketplace's ability to keep the lights on. For decades the region has been used to its reliable, old monopoly-based power system where utilities bought power from one or two wholesalers at long-term, steady prices. Utilities had captive retail customers whom they could charge whatever price regulators determined was necessary to cover costs -- and for private utilities like Puget Power and Pacific Gas and Electric, make a reasonable profit. Deregulation, Competition, Irritation Now the world is changed. Competition has already arrived for wholesalers and some large industrial retail customers. The slow, uneven emergence of competition in the energy market is ripe for a few labor pains. For some, the recent blackouts are the ultimate pain. Randy Hardy, Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) which controls 80 percent of the northwest transmission system that went on the fritz twice this summer, said recently that cost-cutting measures undertaken in response to BPA's difficulties in the energy marketplace played some role in the events. While it may seem hard to believe that 4 million West coast residents' power can be held hostage by a filbert nut tree in southern Oregon, apparently we should. Needless to say, this has caused no shortage of furrowed brows among state and federal regulators. Before competition, reliability was, well, reliable because utilities didn't have to worry about other suppliers competing for their customers and didn't have to cut corners on service or maintenance. Now, the major concern for policy-makers as this new market emerges is ensuring that price competition does not compromise reliability nor create an imbalance in which customer classes get which benefits. Complicating matters in the Northwest's is the region's reliance on the BPA and the federal hydropower system that it controls: - The cheap hydropower on which the region relies is not limitless. The dams generating that power kill salmon and steelhead -- fish protected by the Endangered Species Act, long-held treaties with the region's Indian tribes and, perhaps most importantly, by a way of life that honors these fish as a source of sustenance, recreation and inspiration. - The region's ratepayers owe billions to the federal treasury for the dams as well as for underwriting the Northwest's failed nuclear power experiment. - The clean, cheap hydropower from Columbia River dams is a valuable supplement to power-hungry, just-to-the-south California where, during hot summer months, air pollution standards may prevent many oil and gas-fired plants from coming on-line to meet surges in demand. System Reliability It is at the meetings of the steering committee conducting the Comprehensive Review of the Northwest Energy System where the pace and extent of competition in the Northwest is being debated. The first concern, of course, is ensuring a reliable system in a competitive market. Like an expensive, well-built home, power delivery systems must be well- maintained. It's far too costly -- economically, environmentally, and socially -- to let immediate profitability stand in the way of steady, long-term strength and service. At the same time, it is important to recognize that as the energy market expands, there will be other suppliers who, like BPA, are forced to make difficult decisions about what services and overhead costs they will have to cut just to compete. But will there be a rash of blackouts now that the energy market will be as competitive as long-distance telephone service? Not likely. Public health and environmental concerns sit squarely in the middle of the emerging public debate over how fast and to what degree competition takes place. The Northwest certainly cannot afford a series of blackouts that shut down airports, paralyze traffic and rail systems, imperil endangered salmon or add fossil fuel emissions to already unhealthy urban environments in California. If the blackouts are any indication, reliability will be the issue most thoroughly examined by federal, regional and state regulators. So, let's take the transmission system, the purported weak-link that contributed to the recent blackouts. As a prelude (or kick start) to competition, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has called upon all transmission-owning utilities, including the BPA, to separate their transmission and generating functions. This means they are required to sell access to their transmission lines to themselves at the same price they charge competitors to use their lines. Ultimately, competition in the wholesale market will be based on resource price and customer service, not on transmission price, which will be the same for all selling power over equal-access transmission lines. As a consequence of the FERC order, the Comprehensive Review steering committee has recommended that control of all the region's transmission assets be placed into one, centrally guided independent transmission grid operator (IGO) to set transmission prices and maintain the physical integrity of the system. The FERC-regulated IGO would have reliability as its primary charge. Without cost-shifting as an option, the IGO should guarantee very reliable transmission service. The next question is how reliable will the distribution system be as retail utilities are left to scramble against other suppliers for valuable customers? Certainly distribution utilities -- the ones that serve homes and businesses -- will be tempted to cut costs, including line maintenance, in the face of competition from other power suppliers. As part of the natural growing pains experienced by a newly formed market, it's probably inevitable that there will be a few glitches on the distribution system. Perhaps even some trees will be left untrimmed. Power is worthless if it can't reliably get to the end-user. And reliability is as important to a commercial customer as it is for a large industrial customer or residential one. It is reasonable to expect that reliability and price will be inseparable pieces of energy service packages offered in the competitive market because suppliers wheeling power over transmission and distribution systems will demand quality and dependability in those systems. A Clearer, if Not Greener, Vision While the market may help sort out and solve competition's impacts on reliability, it's doubtful the market has the ability to look ahead to load growth and its effect on resource supplies. It's clear that this summer's blackouts point to a very real need for continued investment in demand side management (conservation). That may mean that government will have to intervene to maintain the long-term reliability of the region's electricity supplies. To meet load growth and peak demands the region will need new resources. Since competition means Northwest power will be shipped all over the West, it is important to recognize and account for the fact that the Columbia River hydropower system cannot sustain California's peak demand for power. That leaves other forms of generation to pick up the slack. To reduce the negative environmental effects of burning fossil fuels or building new nuclear plants, it makes sense that the region invest in technologies to help limit load growth overall while meeting it with cleaner, alternative sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. The Comprehensive Review steering committee recently adopted draft recommendations for restructuring that explicitly spell out the long-term significance of such investments. In fact, the committee's recommendation that the region's utilities spend $210 million on conservation and renewables funding appears to be a victory for those concerned about shortsighted profit motives getting in the way of long-term good sense. While the region seems to be on its way to presenting the U.S. Congress with a package that can deliver the benefits of open market competition to ratepayers in the Northwest, undoubtedly, there will be struggles between long-term vision and short-term demands. Let's hope vision wins out. Mike Kreidler is Washington Governor Mike Lowry's representative to Comprehensive Review and a member of the Northwest Power Planning Council, 360-664-4030. **** Energy-related Resources **** Following are a few of the projects, voluntary programs, activities and resources that are helping industry, government and others improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution in the Pacific Northwest. Industrial Assessment Center Through the Industrial Assessment Center program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. EPA, teams of engineering faculty and students at Oregon State University, located in Corvallis, perform energy, productivity and waste reduction analyses for small and medium- size manufacturing companies. For more information, contact Charles Glaser at 202-586-1298 (charles.glaser@hq.doe.gov). Energy Efficiency Capital Corp. The Energy Efficiency Capital Corporation provides capital and financial services to the energy efficiency industry, including project developers, large energy users, financial institutions, public agencies/ institutions and state and local governments. For more information, contact John Maclean at 206-861-3424 (maclean@aa.net). NICE3 Grant Program Through the National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment and Economics (NICE3) program, the U.S. Department of Energy provides funding to state and industry partnerships for projects that develop and demonstrate advances in energy efficiency and clean production technologies. For more information, contact: Peter Crimp (AK), 907-269-4631; Gerald Fleischman (ID), 208-327-7959; Mark Kendall (OR), 503-373-7809; and Vicki Zarrell (WA), 360-956-2139. Internet: http://www.nrel.gov/documents/nice3/ PGE Earth Smart Program Through its Earth Smart program, Portland General Electric (PGE) helps businesses design environmentally sensible buildings. Norm Thompson's new corporate headquarters in Hillsboro, Ore. was designed to maximize daylight, constructed using low-toxicity products and several building materials made with recycled content, and offers efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems. For more information, contact Stephanie Swanson at 503-226-2821. Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Clearinghouse This U.S. Department of Energy clearinghouse offers "one-stop shopping" for people seeking information about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and programs, from fact sheets, videos and brochures to complex technical inquiries. For more information, call 800-DOE-EREC. The Web site offers hundreds of files on energy topics, free software and an e-mail "ask an energy expert" service (http://erecbbs.nciinc.com). Green Lights Program Green Lights is a voluntary program offered through the U.S. EPA that encourages businesses, governments, universities and others to prevent pollution by using energy-efficient lighting technologies. For more information, contact Jim Chapman at 206-553-2148. Battelle/PNNL Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a utility industry resource for technology development, research, and market transformation and economic development efforts. Part of the organization's efforts involve helping public and private entities reduce costs and increase productivity by improving power delivery, meeting environmental requirements, providing more accurate forecasting tools, improving operational efficiency and redesigning organizational units. For more information, contact Carl Imhoff at 509-375-4328 (ch_imhoff@pnl.gov). American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy This nonprofit group is dedicated to advancing energy efficiency to promote both economic prosperity and environmental protection. The Council advises, conducts policy assessments, participates in collaborative work, and publishes reports on efficiency issues. For more information, call 510-549-9914 or visit the Council's Web site (http://solstice.crest.org/efficiency/aceee/index.html). Comprehensive Review of the Northwest Energy System Initiated by the governorss of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, this Review is assessing environmental impacts and examining how Northwest energy producers and consumers will adapt to electric utility restructuring. A steering committee is conducting the review and plans to deliver recommendations to the governors in December. Public hearings will be held throughout the region this fall. For more information, call 800-222-3355 or visit the Review's Web site (http://www.newsdata.com/enernet/review/review.html). Climate Wise Program Climate Wise, a voluntary program jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. EPA, helps businesses develop comprehensive emissions reduction programs to realize economic and environmental payoffs. Kettle Foods, a maker of all-natural potato chips and other snack foods, is the 100th Climate Wise partner. Kettle Foods is constructing a new manufacturing facility in Salem, Ore., and plans to incorporate energy efficiency features into the building design, such as a process to capture and reuse heat from the generation of its food products. For more information, contact Mark Kendall at 503-373-7809. Portland 'BEST' Program The Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) program encourages and recognizes businesses for water conservation, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and clean and efficient transportation. Washington Park Zoo won the 1996 BEST overall success award for reducing its energy costs by more than $13,000 per year by improving lighting, cooling and control systems and for reducing employee auto commuting. Red Lion Hotels won an award for installing a water filtration and recycling system to recover and reuse 65 percent of the hot water used for laundry. Reduced water and energy costs save the hotel $52,000 per year. For more information, call Curt Nichols at 503-823-7418. **** Internet & Software Energy-related Resources **** - Energy Ideas Clearinghouse, maintained by the Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program, contains a comprehensive calendar of energy events, software resources and related Internet links (http://www.energy.wsu.edu/ep/eic/). - Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Network offers information on new energy technologies, partnership opportunities and education (http://www.eren.doe.gov/). - Facility Energy Decision Program (FEDS) Software for Energy- Efficient Decisions provides a comprehensive method for quickly and objectively identifying energy improvements in buildings that offer maximum life-cycle savings. To obtain a free copy, call 800-DOE-EREC, or request it on-line (http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/pubs.html). - EPA Atmospheric P2 Division offers downloadable software tools that help users calculate energy savings and costs to upgrade lighting systems (http://www.epa.gov/docs/GCDOAR/software.html). - Green Lights Financing Directory contains comprehensive information about financing opportunities for installing energy-efficient lighting and other systems (last updated in 1994). To obtain a copy, call the Green Lights Information Hotline at 202-775-6650. - The Energy Efficient Building Association Web site offers information on energy-efficient design and construction, and environmentally responsible development practices (http://www.eeba.org/). - Energy Crossroads, maintained by Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, offers an annotated list of resources about energy efficiency. The site has more than 250 links to other Web sites (http://eande.lbl.gov/CBS/eXroads/EnergyXroads.html). - National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Web site includes information about its research areas and program activities -- building and energy systems, industrial technologies, and alternative fueled vehicles -- as well as links to other energy efficiency and renewable energy sites (http://www.nrel.gov). **** TCA Report for Metal Finishing Industry **** A team of University of Washington graduate students, as part of a consulting project with the PPRC, recently completed a project to demonstrate the feasibility of using Total Cost Assessment (TCA) as an effective decision-making tool for evaluating the costs and benefits of pollution prevention investments in the metal finishing industry. Documented in a report, "Analysis of Pollution Prevention Investments Using Total Cost Assessment: A Case Study in the Metal Finishing Industry," the study analyzed 1) an investment in a recycling module for a powder coating system and 2) implementing a rinsewater recycling system at a small, Washington-based metal finishing operation -- Production Plating, Inc. The analysis for the already installed powder recovery system with an initial investment of $8,000 yielded a $32,368 net present value (NPV) over a 10-year period. The payback time for this investment is approximately 1.2 years, and the percentage of paint saved is 45.13 percent. The analysis for a new rinsewater recycling system with an initial investment of $175,000 yielded a $168,697 NPV over a 10-year period. The payback time for this investment is about 2.3 years. When put into the context of the company's operational costs, this investment proved to be viable. Funding for this project was provided by the PPRC, the U.S. EPA Environmental Accounting Project and EPA Region 10. For more information, contact David Leviten at 206-223-1151 (dleviten@pprc.org). To order the report, which costs $6, contact the PPRC at 206-223-1151 (office@ pprc.org). **** No-clean Technology Review **** The third of four technology reviews focusing on cleaning in manufacturing will be available on the PPRC's Web site in late September. The third review focuses on approaches that allow the cleaning step to be eliminated entirely. Like the others in the series, this review includes automatic connections to related projects in PPRC's research projects database on the Web site, links to other relevant Internet sites and an extensive bibliography. "No-clean" approaches can be defined as any approach to a process that allows a previously required cleaning step to be eliminated entirely. When applicable, no-clean strategies are usually the best possible alternative to a current cleaning process -- all of the costs and wastes associated with cleaning are completely eliminated. There are several different situations when no-clean approaches have been used. These include: - Situations where the manufacturer is able to prove through testing that eliminating the cleaning step, without making any other changes to the process, does not compromise final product quality or cause problems with any other part of the manufacturing process. - Situations where a change can be made to the process that eliminates the need for an existing cleaning step. The PPRC's analysis found that published literature about no-clean approaches focused on one specific application -- soldering in printed circuit board manufacturing. Two different types of approaches have been used to eliminate the cleaning step required during traditional soldering -- using low-residue fluxes and using inert atmosphere soldering. The review revealed a number of cases where no-clean approaches were successfully implemented in the printed circuit board manufacturing industry. These applications were often economical as well. However, it was clear from the literature that switching to one of these no-clean processes is a major undertaking and often a number of technical difficulties must be overcome before the new process will be completely successful. All of the cleaning in manufacturing technology reviews can found on the PPRC's web site at (http://pprc.pnl.gov/pprc/) and are being published in Pollution Prevention Review. For more information, contact David Leviten at 206-223-1151 (dleviten@pprc.org). **** PPRC Helping Washington Companies Join Climate Wise **** Through Climate Wise, a voluntary partnership program jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, companies throughout the U.S. are cutting energy costs, improving processes, reducing wastes and realizing productivity gains. Climate Wise also provides businesses with access to technical and financial resources, business-to-business exchanges and positive public recognition. Over the next few months, the PPRC will be identifying companies in Washington state that are eligible for and would benefit from participating in Climate Wise. The effort is funded by a grant from Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. To learn more about becoming a Climate Wise partner, contact David Leviten at 206-223-1151 (dleviten@pprc.org). **** POLLUTION PREVENTION DIGEST **** P2 Legislative Compendium "The Source: the Ultimate Guide to State Pollution Prevention Legislation," a compilation of P2 legislation from 37 states, is available from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable. The publication is organized in summarized sections with descriptions of the objectives, goals, and reporting requirements for pollution prevention requirements, as well as information about funding and any type of assistance offered. The cost is $15 for members and $40 for nonmembers. To order, contact Dave Hauser at 202-466-7272. Wacker Given First Evergreen Award The EPA recently honored Wacker Siltronic Corp., a silicon wafer production facility near Portland, Ore., with its first Evergreen Award for being an environmental leader in the business community by integrating pollution prevention and the ethic of P2 into its business practice and planning. Companies in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington will be considered for 1997 Evergreen Awards if they are in full compliance with environmental laws, and meet the criteria of having 1) pollution prevention achievements, 2) a commitment to the environment and 3) a history of environmental leadership. Nominations are due October 31. For nomination information, contact Carolyn Gangmark at 800-424-4EPA, ext. 4072. Northwest Waste Information Expo The 8th Annual Northwest Waste Information Expo will be held October 29-30 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall in Seattle, Wash., and will feature 165 exhibit booths and 50 technical seminars conducted by government and industry experts. The event is intended to allow business owners, government regulators, and product and service vendors to share information on all aspects of hazardous and solid waste management with emphasis on new ideas, business efficiencies, and key players working together on waste issues. Preregistration is $25 for the first person from a company or agency, and $15 for each additional person. The cost to register at the door is $35. For more information, call 206-767-3271. Computer Recycling Forum As part of the WIN Expo, Green Works is sponsoring a Computer Recycling Forum from 1-3 p.m. on October 29. The forum will include an overview of the "anatomy" of a computer and an explanation of how various parts may be recycled or reused; a presentation by a company that rebuilds and sells previously-owned computers; and a talk by a Seattle-area business that recycles computer peripherals, including software, disks, CD-ROMs and cables. For more information, call Green Works at 206-296-8800. Tour of Solar Homes Near Portland As part of a national event, Portland, Ore.-area homes that rely on renewable energy sources will be open for tour on October 19. The event is coordinated by the American Solar Energy Society and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The homes utilize a variety of environmentally-friendly aspects, including passive solar design, retrofitting of windows, and better controls for thermostats and water heaters to use energy more efficiently. For more information, leave a message for Linda Barnes at 503-224-7867 or view information on-line (http://www.ases.org/solar/). Environmental Internet Newsbrief Internet Newsbrief is a free weekly service from the U.S. EPA that provides a sampling of new and/or useful Internet resources of interest to environmental professionals. The service is a listserve, and newsbriefs are automatically sent to subscribers' e-mail in-boxes. To subscribe, send a message to: listserver@unixmail.rtpnc.epa.gov (if necessary, add the suffix or prefix required to send e-mail over the Internet). Leave the subject line blank, or put a period in the subject area, then type the following in the body of the message: subscribe INTERNETNB-L yourfirstname yourlastname. Energy Related Invention Program Energy Related Inventions Program (ERIP), a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, awards up to $100,000 and commercialization training for the development of promising energy-saving technologies. For more information and an application, call 301-975-5500 or visit the Web site (http://www.oit.doe.gov/Access/inventions/eripmain.html). Sustainable Building Challenge "Breaking Through Barriers," a sustainable design contest linking economics and environmentalism, will allow teams of university students across the U.S. to propose design solutions for the Pensacola Naval Complex in Florida. Due to the closures of other military bases, this site will be the future home of the relocated Naval Air Technical Training Center. The contest will encourage discussion and planning for the site's sustainable development. The team with the best submission will win an award of $10,000 and travel for one team member to the conference for award presentation. For more information, call 919-755-0300 (dhararch@aol.com). Submissions are due December 3, and winners will be announced February 4. British Columbia Water & Waste Association Conference "Water Use Planning Efficiency, What Does it Involve?" is part of a three-year program of seminars to facilitate information transfer of the practical aspects of developing and implementing a water use efficiency plan, based on community need and cost-effectiveness. A conference will be held October 7-8 in Kamloops, B.C. For more information, contact Catherine Gibson at 604-936-4982. Business for Social Responsibility Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) is a national trade association with more than 800 member companies. Its sister organization, the BSR Education Fund (BSREF), helps to influence and transform industry by working with companies to increase awareness and understanding of responsible business behavior. It does this by publishing and disseminating information about "best practices"; providing education, training and technical assistance; holding annual national conferences; conducting independent research; and facilitating collaboration among companies, nongovernmental organizations and public officials. Many technical services the program provides draw on the resources and expertise of federal voluntary business programs such as Climate Wise and Green Lights. For more information, contact Bob Dunn at 415-865-2500. **** ABOUT THE PPRC **** Pollution Prevention Northwest is published by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC). The PPRC is a nonprofit organization formed to identify and overcome obstacles to pollution prevention in the Pacific Northwest. Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., the PPRC serves Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Financial support for the PPRC is broad-based, with contributions from organizations such as the US EPA, the US Department of Energy , US Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the Northwest states and British Columbia, The Boeing Company, Hewlett-Packard, Intel Corporation, Battelle Memorial Institute, Westinghouse Hanford Company, Weyerhaeuser Company, American Electronics Association, British Petroleum, Conoco, Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, and the Washington Corporate Council for the Environment. The PPRC accepts environmental settlement moneys to further its work on pollution prevention. Significant in-kind support has been provided by the American Electronics Association, Arvay Finlay, Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Battelle Seattle Research Center, EMCON Alaska, Inc., Environmental Technologies and Educational Services Company, Fluke Corporation, Forrest Paint Company, Hewlett- Packard Company, the Idaho Council on Industry and the Environment, J.R. Simplot Company, Landau Associates, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Marten & Brown, LLP, On Point Communication Strategists, Perkins Coie, Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Stoel Rives, LLP, The Boeing Company, The Waste Minimization Company, and U.S. West Communications. Created by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center phone: (206) 223-1151, fax: (206) 223-1165, e-mail: office@pprc.org WWW address: http://www.pprc.org