Local Communities to Get Help with Pollutants in their Sewer Systems, According to SMART

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Local Communities to Get Help with Pollutants in their Sewer Systems, According to SMART

MARYLAND, BETHESDA, Aug. 1 -/E-Wire/-- After years of struggling \with increasing numbers of industrial pollutants in community sewer systems, local publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants (POTWs) will get some relief via the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to the Inside EPA newsletter.

The EPA is about to issue a rule that requires users of industrial rental "shop" towels to remove free liquids (wring out excess solvents and other fluids) before sending them to industrial laundries for washing. The EPA hopes this practice will prevent a majority of highly toxic pollutants from passing into local POTWs.

Laundered industrial rental towels are responsible for over 80% of the 13 million pounds of highly toxic pollutants discharged by the nation's industrial laundries into local POTWs. These pollutants include organic chemicals and heavy metals, which have been linked to cancer.

When the EPA completed a national survey in 1999 to assess the size of the problem as it impacted local POTWs, they learned that more than 25% of the local POTWs had difficulties in handling the discharges.

Industrial wipers are used for maintenance and clean-up by many manufacturing plants, machine shops and other operations. Industrial wipers are either disposable, or are washed and reused (known as "rental" or "shop" towels).

Although most commercial laundries in the US practice some type of pre- treatment for industrial rental towels before washing, over 87% have no way of removing significant amounts of these pollutants. So they are frequently discharged into local wastewaters and/or surface water.

With the new rule, the EPA will assume oversight for the process, and companies that use industrial wipers will, for the first time, have clearly written rules to follow. Currently, industrial rental towels have been managed at local, county and state levels - each with different standards and disposability regulations.

Industry organizations expect this new rule will put an end to the hodgepodge of conflicting and confusing regulations that have made it difficult for companies to follow

More specifics of the new EPA rule are contained in an Executive Summary developed by SMART (Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles) Association for local communities and customers. For a copy write to the Association at 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1130, Bethesda, MD 20814, or email to [REDACTED-EMAIL]. Ask for the EPA Executive Summary 1-2002.

SMART (Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles) Association

Parker & Associates,

Phone: [REDACTED-PHONE],

Email: [REDACTED-EMAIL],

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