AUGUST 2013
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 23 modified the hazardous waste management regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to conditionally exclude solvent-contaminated wipes provided that businesses clean or dispose of them properly. The so-called “shop towel” rule is based on EPA’s final risk analysis that concluded wipes contaminated with certain hazardous solvents do not pose significant risk to human health and the environment when managed properly. Wipes are used in conjunction with solvents for cleaning and other purposes by many facilities in numerous industrial sectors, such as printers and automobile repair shops. Reusable wipes are cleaned by industrial laundries and returned to customers. To be excluded from the regs, solvent-contaminated wipes must be managed in closed, labeled containers and cannot contain free liquids when sent for cleaning or disposal. Also, facilities generating solvent-contaminated wipes must comply with certain record-keeping requirements and may not accumulate wipes for longer than 180 days. Passage was applauded by the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), which has actively advocated for the rule since it was introduced nearly 10 years ago. ALN
Volume 39, Number 8
Story and Photos by Richard Merli EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. — A $5 million renovation of the on-premise laundry at the Rikers Island jail is rapidly producing dividends for the city of New York, not only by reducing energy and water consumption, but also by making the facility a resource. After Hurricane Sandy devastated the New York City area last fall, the laundry pitched in and processed thousands of pounds of linen and personal clothing for people in emergency shelters. It was the first time Rikers’ laundry was used to help in a citywide emergency, according to the New York City Department of Corrections. The laundry produces approximately 2,000 pounds of clean goods per day, or about 500,000 pounds per year, including sheets, towels, washcloths, pillowcases, wool blankets and inmate jumpsuits, for the inmate population at Rikers and the city’s other jails. But the plant was designed with the capacity to process up to 3,600
Inmates load soiled goods into a conveyor that feeds the new Milnor tunnel washer in the Rikers Island laundry in New York.
pounds of laundry per hour. The expanded capacity enabled it to play an important role in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. “They’ve been incredibly successful to date,” says Ron Hirsch, president of Direct Machinery, the equipment distributor based in Hicksville, N.Y., which managed the renovation. “The project was predicated on energy and water
A staff of five oversees the Rikers Island laundry operation: (from left) Captain Estanislao Perez, Corrections Officer Dennis Phillips, Laundry Supervisor Darrell Jennings, Corrections Officer George Person, and Corrections Officer Michael Joyner. www.americanlaundrynews.com
Inside Panel of Experts
A clean workplace boosts morale and promotes proper safety.
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savings. The savings have been beyond major in that area, but they also provided the city with tremendous support during the crisis. They were a huge asset to the city.” The cornerstone of the project was the installation of a Milnor tunnel washing system. The PulseFlow tunnel washer uses, on average, 0.35 gallons of water per pound of soiled linen, compared to approximately 3 gallons of water per pound using washer-extractors. Plant management expects the new washing system will save approximately 2.3 million gallons of water annually. Management also estimates the new equipment will save approximately $231,000 a year in gas and electric costs. Rikers operates its own power plant. Most of the project’s funding came from a $5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, earmarked for the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and administered by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). Installation of the tunnel system and new drying and ironing
equipment has enabled the laundry to improve workflow and to minimize the handling of goods, according to Darrell Jennings, laundry superintendent at Rikers. “With this system, we can tackle anything efficiently,” he says. “It’s a much faster process. We keep feeding the tunnel until all the work is done. There’s no waiting time or downtime. The production efficiencies in the new system are excellent.” During the renovation in JulyAugust 2012, the laundry removed six side-loading washer-extractors, seven dryers and three ironers. The new Milnor eight-module tunnel system reduces not only the use of water but also the need to heat water. Its Mentor computer management system enables management to track the status of goods in the tunnel. The Milnor system includes a loading conveyor that feeds the tunnel; an extraction press; and elevating shuttle conveyors that load 150-pound wash cakes into the four automated 320-pound See RIKERS on Page 2
The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
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Clean Show Report: Eye on Efficiency
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The final attendance total is in, plus we take a peek at some of the products and services exhibited in New Orleans.
Product
EPA rule reduces regulatory burden on solvent wipes
Rikers Island laundry upgrade pays dividends for NYC
showcase
Late News
Water Reuse/ recycling systems
7/25/13 2:02 PM