A PUBLICATION OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA MANUFACTURERS ALLIANCE • MADEINSC.ORG • JANUARY 2010
IS YOUR FACILITY IN COMPLIANCE?
New EPA Water Regulations
RECYCLING IS BIG BUSINESS
Good for the Environment & the Economy
THE NUCLEAR OPTION
How will South Carolina’s Energy Solution Affect our Environment?
SUSTAINABILITY What is it? What Does it Mean to Manufacturers?
Executive Editor Lewis F. Gossett gossett@myscma.com Managing Editor James A. Richter richter@myscma.com Creative Director Will K. Bryan will@gencreative.com Design/Layout Genesis Creative www.gencreative.com Contributing Writers Ethan R. Ware Lewis F. Gossett James A. Richter Cover Illustration Shutterstock Advertising (803) 799-9695 James A. Richter richter@myscma.com Editorial Office 1340 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 799-9695 fax (803) 771-8738 www.madeinsc.org Copyright ©2010 SCMA. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of the SCMA is prohibited. Printed in South Carolina.
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When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it.
From the President
The Nuclear Option
S.C. Manufacturing and enivironmental stewardship.
The Future of Energy in the Carolinas?
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Recycling
Big Business in South Carolina.
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Sustainability
Meet South Carolina’s Green Manufacturing Leaders.
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Stormwater Runoff
SCMA 2010 Calendar
New Effluent Limits & Best Management Practices.
What Going on in SC for Manufacturers in 2010.
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From the President
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or too long now the protection of our environment and the preservation of our quality of life has been the exclusive domain of the so-called environmental community. Please understand, though, that when I use the word domain, I am certainly not conceding that the environmental crowd is the only group who has cared about or who has worked to preserve our environment. Rather, it has been their own very effective posturing and public relations efforts along with a complicit media that have given them a primacy in environmentalism that they have not always earned or deserved.
South Carolina’s manufacturing community knows that its efforts to preserve and protect our natural heritage are legion, and in many instances, dwarf those of even the most public and boisterous environmental groups. We can begin with literally billions of dollars spent over decades to control discharges, emissions, random spills, and yes, when necessary, remediation. Compliance with a myriad environmental rules and regulations is part of the routine at every manufacturing facility in the state. Some of the most capable, most well-educated people in industry are
dedicated to ensuring that their employers remain good environmental stewards and compliant with all laws and regulations. I have long contended that almost any one of the numerous EHS professionals in a typical manufacturing facility will do more for the environment in one or two days of work each week than most environmentalists will do in an entire year. The compliance side of a manufacturing facility is only part of the story. There is so much more to manufacturing contributions to the health of our environment. Corporate ŠShutterstock
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responsibility runs rampant through the South Carolina manufacturing community. Manufacturing facilities of all sizes spend millions of dollars each year on voluntary efforts to preserve our natural heritage. Those efforts include employee-led community cleanup efforts such as adopt a highway programs, creation of permanent natural wildlife habitats, grants to local communities for parks, natural area preservation, or other environmental initiatives, and even significant contributions to and support for environmental groups. There are no laws that mandate this corporate philanthropy. Instead, this good corporate citizenship is motivated by an understanding that, as business leaders in their respective communities, manufacturers have a responsibility to maintain the quality of life their employees and neighbors deserve. As a result, manufacturers take environmental stewardship very seriously. Also, although the environmental groups may wish to ignore this simple fact, the folks who staff our manufacturing facilities also live and work and raise their families in these local communities. They have just as much of an interest in preserving the quality of their environment as do any environmentalists or environmental groups anywhere.
photography by Renee Ittner-McManus
Is this, however, the image that manufacturing has with the general public with regard to environmental stewardship? In many instances, probably not. We know that we do a great deal to preserve and promote our natural heritage; yet, rarely are those efforts recognized or appreciated. True, American manufacturing at times has had a poor record with regard to protecting the environment. There are numerous instances from the past where companies disregarded responsible practices, and the results for the environment were devastating. I will also concede that there are still companies today who act in that manner, and no one within the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance or the Made in South Carolina campaign condone their actions. Nevertheless, the South Carolina manufacturing community has an excellent record for environmental protection and is improving upon that record every day. We believe it is time that we got that word out. One of the first ways we will begin communicating that message is through this edition of the Made in South Carolina magazine. Here, we highlight the fantastic work being done by a number of companies to demonstrate their good corporate citizenship by preserving the environment in which they live and work. These articles are a small portion of the many great stories on environmental stewardship
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within the South Carolina manufacturing community. We are therefore asking you to provide us with your record in this important area, so that we can find opportunities to highlight your successes and dedication as well. Soon, you will hear and see details of a new award that the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance and the Made in South Carolina campaign will offer to manufacturing facilities in South Carolina. Named the Made in South Carolina Excellence in Corporate Responsibility award, this program will allow us to recognize excellence in environmental stewardship, community philanthropy, and workplace safety and health. You will learn shortly about the criteria that we have established, and we hope that you will all consider applying for the award and striving for the ideals that it will represent. Remember, the environmental movement works daily to paint a very different picture of you and your activities. They gloss over the dramatic contributions you make to the prosperity of your communities and their citizens, and they leap at every opportunity to highlight any negative stories. Let us make sure that they do not have that field all to themselves. Let us get the word out that the South Carolina manufacturing community is environmentally responsible and, in fact, is the real leader on protecting and preserving our natural heritage.
Lewis F. Gossett
President & CEO South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance gossett@myscma.com
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The Nuclear Option
Made in SC Feature
One by one and in ever increasing numbers, governments around the world are embracing nuclear power as a fundamental component of their strategies of national energy security and global environmental responsibility. In so doing, they are responding to an imperative that is gaining greater cogency on every continent. After assessing the human and environmental realities imposed upon them, policymakers are recognizing that nuclear energy today represents nothing less than an indispensable asset if we are to meet one of the greatest challenges of our era – producing clean, affordable, and reliable energy in an environmentally sensitive manner. Nuclear generation as a means of achieving these objectives began 50 years ago, and has quickly evolved into a “go-to” solution. Today, nuclear power generates as much global electricity as was produced a half century ago by every other energy source – combined. Some two-thirds of the world’s population now lives in nations where nuclear power plants are an integral part of electricity production and industrial infrastructure. Half the world’s people live in countries where new nuclear power reactors are either under construction or in the planning phases. Accordingly, a rapid expansion of global nuclear power would require no fundamental change in strategy – simply an acceleration of existing strategies. Today, nearly 440 nuclear reactors produce electricity around the world. More than 15 countries rely on nuclear power for 25% or more of their electricity. In Europe and Japan, the nuclear share of electricity is over 30%. In the U.S., nuclear power creates 20% of electricity. As the information age flattens our marketplace of ideas, as the oft-articulated goal of “energy independence” becomes less political and more plausible, as the search for new jobs forces us to examine growth industries, and yes, as environmental awareness dictates that we power our nation with maximum efficiency and minimal risk, both policymakers and the public are taking a fresh look at the “nuclear option.”
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They’re discovering that nuclear power is not only safer than ever, but it’s clean from an emissions standpoint, efficient from a cost standpoint, and readily available at a time when global demand for electrical power is increasing at a dizzying pace.
A “CLUSTER” OF COMPETITIVENESS In South Carolina, nuclear power is already emerging as a key focal point in our state’s longterm energy and economic development strategy. North and South Carolina together generate 11% of the nation’s nuclear power, and experts see the Carolinas region as ideally positioned to turn this foothold into a sustainable energy and job creation juggernaut.
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Catawba Nuclear Station, York SC In fact, a recent report published by the Palmetto Institute identified nuclear power as one of the primary economic development “clusters” around which the state can build its economy of the future. ”There’s really not a reason why the Carolinas couldn’t be a nuclear hub for the US and maybe for a good portion of the world,” says Duke Energy Senior VP Ron Jones, who is helping to organize the cluster. “Nuclear brings in good paying jobs whether folks are working for a utility or a supplier. That can help support kids that grow up in North and South Carolina to be able to stay in these states and get good jobs.” At the heart of this optimism is the surging domestic and international demand for electrical power. With population estimates exploding around the world and industrialized nations demanding greater efficiency and less “foreign dependence,” the appetite for efficient energy is growing exponentially. Peak demand for electricity will increase by roughly 18% over the next decade here in America, and is projected to expand by 40% within the next 20 years. Additionally, power generation is the largest and fastestgrowing segment of global energy demand, as billions of people living in developing nations will “significantly increase” their electricity consumption over the next twenty years, according to a forecast released in December of 2008 by Exxon Mobil. Not surprisingly, political leaders are paying close attention. Eager to capitalize not only on the vast energy generation and job creation potential, state governments have sought to make it easier to construct new nuclear facilities, or expand existing ones. “There is very strong political support for new nuclear generation,” says Ellen Ruff, President of Duke Energy’s
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Office of Nuclear Development. “A few years ago the federal government passed the Energy Policy Act that created loan guarantees for new nuclear development. In addition, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has streamlined the nuclear approval process and adopted a standardized design intended to speed the construction process.” But it’s not just the federal government working to clear hurdles and lay the groundwork for mutually-beneficial nuclear partnerships. Smart states looking to gain a competitive advantage have followed suit. In South Carolina, for example, there is a new law in place that allows utilities to begin collecting financing costs from customers while construction is ongoing. This greatly improves the utility’s financial position and reduces the eventual cost to customers. Known as the Base Load Act of 2007, this legislation is an acknowledgement by state government leaders that investor-owned utilities around the world are about to enter a major “build cycle,” and that South Carolina can capitalize on that boom in the form of both construction jobs and permanent, high-paying positions. Beyond the jobs, though, the new law is also an important step forward in securing the state’s long-term energy future. “The General Assembly understands the need for affordable and reliable power – not just for our residential customers, but for industry,” says Kevin Marsh, President and CEO of SCANA, South Carolina’s largest utility. “They’ve recognized that we need clean, reliable, low cost energy in the state – and nuclear power is the best option right now.”
AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, AND CLEAN At the end of the day – here in South Carolina and beyond – cost and cleanliness are the two key factors driving what some are already referring to as a “nuclear renaissance.” At just $75 per megawatt hour to produce, nuclear is by far the most cost-efficient of all existing power generation technologies. Comparatively, coal costs $92 per megawatt hour to produce. Other technologies don’t even come close to matching the efficiency of nuclear power, including wind ($173 per megawatt hour) and solar ($656 per megawatt hour). Given its efficiency of production, companies are seizing on nuclear-generated power more than any other “clean energy” source to meet increasingly important environmental objectives, like voluntary reductions in Greenhouse Gas emissions. “Nuclear power plants don’t burn anything to produce electricity,” says Christine Todd Whitman, co-chairman of Clean and Safe Energy (CASE), a national organization dedicated to advancing nuclear power as a viable alternative for America’s energy needs. As former governor of New Jersey and former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Whitman has been a player in America’s energy debate for years, helping shape national policy with CASE co-chairman and Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore. “(Nuclear plants) do not burn coal, or natural gas, or wood, or any other products that produce gases such as nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide that could threaten our atmosphere,” Whitman says. “Nor does nuclear energy produce carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases suspected to cause global warming.” Whitman also points out that nuclear facilities require far less land to operate, an often-overlooked environmental benefit. “The Millstone Units 2 and 3 in Connecticut have a combined capacity of over 1,900 megawatts of power on a 500 acre site,” Whitman explains. “To get only 1,000 megawatts of power, a solar park would have to be larger than 35,000 acres, and a wind farm would have to be 150,000 acres or larger.” That simple “spatial benefit” is echoed by SCANA’s Marsh. “To generate the same power output that a nuclear facility would provide, solar and wind farms would need to encompass 62,000 acres in South Carolina,” Marsh says. “That’s land space we simply do not have.”
A “JOB CREATION ENGINE” With global economic pressures placing a higher premium on job creation, nuclear power generation not only keeps power flowing to customers safely and with maximum efficiency (meaning lower bills), it also keeps people employed.
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Oconee Nuclear Station, Seneca SC Currently, SCANA is building two new nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer nuclear facility in Jenkinsville, S.C. At a cost of $9.8 billion, SCANA aims to have the reactors online by 2016 and 2019.
positions has been critical to our success. Nuclear power is a job-creating engine.”
Once completed, the two new AP Westinghouse 1000 reactors will be used by SCANA and Santee Cooper – South Carolina’s state-owned utility – as a primary generator of base load power for the next six decades.
Clean, efficient energy. High-paying jobs. Lower costs for industry and lower bills consumers.
But that’s not all. In addition to creating needed energy, these reactors will also create an estimated 4,000 construction jobs, and between 700-800 permanent jobs with estimated salaries ranging from $50,000 to $90,000 a year, plus benefits. Those numbers represent a tremendous shot in the arm for the state economy. “Nuclear technicians are highly skilled, well-paid employees whose job security is very strong compared to the average job,” Marsh says. “It’s not unusual for a person in their early or mid twenties that just completed related courses at a Technical College and completed additional training from the company, to start a job at a nuclear facility making $50,000 a year.” Marsh specifically credited South Carolina’s technical college system – the brainchild of former Governor and U.S. Senator Ernest Hollings – for meeting the workforce challenges that have accompanied such a huge, technologically-advanced project. “Midlands Technical College and the SC Technical College system have done an exceptional job in creating curriculum specific to the skills needed to work at these types of facilities – welding, technicians, electricians, environmental and safety managers, reactor operators, and the like,” Marsh says. “Now we just need to educate young people that these jobs are available if you complete the necessary course work for certification.” In a state where unemployment has been over 10% for many months now – and has actually exceeded that number in many counties – the value of such high-paying jobs cannot be exaggerated. “We are aggressively pursuing energy technology as a primary driver of our state’s broader economic development strategy,” says Lewis Gossett, President & CEO of the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance. “Securing the high-paying jobs associated with nuclear power generation is a big part of that strategy, and the fact that our technical college system can satisfy the demand for these
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THE ROAD AHEAD Who doesn’t want all of those things? A few vocal members of South Carolina’s environmental community, that’s who. Yet while some environmentalists have vociferously objected to the Jenkinsville reactors, the fact that the “nuclear option” has been endorsed a former president of Greenpeace has helped mollify objections. Public support for nuclear power in South Carolina is also strong, with seven out of ten residents supporting the construction of new reactors, according to a November 2008 poll conducted by the University of South Carolina. Of course, fringe environmental groups like “Friends of the Earth” are still opposing the Jenkinsville project – apparently, “unwilling to consider reasonable, environmentally friendly options for providing essential energy to our citizens. What you see (in this opposition) is not really a concern for the environment, but rather indiscriminate opposition to growth,” according to Gossett. “Public support is strong, the safety features of the new generation of reactors are unprecedented, and the economic, energy and environmental benefits to the state are clear and compelling,” Gossett says. “Going nuclear is a compelling option on several different levels, and I think the small contingent of environmentalists opposed to this project is failing to consider the bigger picture.” Which is? “They would put our environment at greater risk if they were to successfully oppose this,” Gossett says. “A victory for them would be a defeat for the environment, because one way or another, the lights are going to stay on. “My question is this,” Gossett asks. “Why not keep the lights on and save the planet at the same time?” +++
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santee cooper
Expanding Your Business. South Carolina St yle
We have a good thing going here in the Palmetto State. There’s plenty of room to grow, unmatched recreational opportunities, a low cost of living, a willing and able workforce, an unbeatable business climate and South Carolina’s Power Team. The Power Team is composed of Santee Cooper and the state’s 20 electric cooperatives. Together, we are committed to building strategic partnerships with smart, forward-thinking businesses. And we back this commitment by delivering quality service and reliable electric power at some of the lowest rates in the nation. So when it’s time to expand, ask yourself, “Why do businesses and industries that already call the Palmetto State home decide to expand here?” The answer is: they have it made in the shade in South Carolina. To find out more, visit www.scprimesite.com.
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“When you begin to view green manufacturing as a guiding principle, not a process you simply tack onto your existing operations, then you begin to succeed both as a company and a corporate citizen of the planet Earth” - Dr. Joe Salley, Milliken President & CEO
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Made in SC Feature
Sustainability:
Meet South Carolina’s “Green Manufacturing” Leaders
In a corporate environment dominated by transitory buzzwords, annoying “trend-speak,” and an overload of PC process management, it’s easy for words like “sustainability” to lose their meaning - or worse, to lose their value.
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hat does “sustainability” even mean? And with so many hyperbolic definitions out there covering such a diverse array of potential uses, why should we even bother with it? Assuming we can even pin down a working definition, then what? How can we escape the maze of myriad meanings and make sustainability work for us? Let’s start with the basics. The official Merriam-Webster definition of sustainability is: “a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” That sounds simple enough, but with the term being constantly applied and misapplied to almost everything under (and including) the sun, it’s not surprising that comprehending the concept behind a relatively simple definition can be difficult. From agriculture to athletics, ecosystems to energy production, government spending to greenhouse gases, “sustainability speak” is everywhere – and has been for some time now. In fact, when the United Nations’ Bruntland Commission convened in 1983 to address sustainable development, there were
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already so many definitions floating around for the term that one of the focal points of the commission’s work was to come up with a universal definition. Specifically, they referred to sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” But even that hasn’t stuck, as armies of Madison Avenue advertising firms have seized on the recent obsession with “going green” to impose all sorts of new caveats and connotations on the term. Ironically, perhaps the best way to define sustainability is to go back in time – before all of our modern attempts to muddle the word and cheapen its meaning and value had clouded our picture.
An “Interwoven” Pursuit Certainly from a corporate standpoint, South Carolina’s definition begins shortly after World War II with industrialist Roger Milliken, whose lifelong obsession with quality, efficiency, and environmental protection has set Milliken & Company on a course toward the ultimate sustainability goal – “zero waste.” ▶▷
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coal ash
biosolids
office supplies
To communicate the corporate philosophy of continual improvement in all disciplines of the company, Milliken formalized its stainability journey in 1981 with a management process the company named the Pursuit of Excellence (POE). In 1989, the U.S. Department of commerce presented the Malcome Baldridge National Quality Award for this dedication to excellence. The company has also won the European Quality Award and the Canadian Award for Business Excellence. POE unites seamlessly with Milliken’s Respect Our Earth philosophy. “Excellence is part of the products and innovative materials we develop through high tech research based science, but more importantly, it is part of the fabric of this company,” say Dr. Joe Salley, Milliken President & CEO. “Mr. Milliken has instilled into all of us an underlying passion for excellence in everything we do, but he also instilled a commitment to stewardship and responsibility for the world around us. That has been such an integral part of the way we conduct business here that we honestly wouldn’t know any other way to operate.” Milliken is a privately held company dedicated to building a culture of integrity and innovation while serving the textile, chemical, floor covering, and components markets. With more than 2,100 patents, Milliken has introduced product and manufacturing advances that use green science to eliminate waste, increase product performance, and preserve resources. Simply put, the Milliken environmental record is nothing short of spectacular - and has been for years.
Milliken was the first textile company in the United States to eliminate the use of chlorinated solvents, and has also substantially reduced its consumption of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) in recent years. But the company has not only slashed its greenhouse emissions, it has dramatically scaled back its energy and water consumption, as well. In 2007, Milliken became the only textile manufacturer to become carbon negative at all of its U.S. facilities as certified by the Leonardo Academy. This means that the company’s operations are producing more carbon sequestration credits each year than the amount of carbon contained in carbon dioxide it is emitting each year - a rare status that was achieved thanks in part to the company-owned hydroelectric plants and more than 138,000 acres of forest.
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“For some companies, these measures might be purely symbolic efforts or a desire to capitalize on the increasing popularity of environmentally-sound practices,” Salley says. “For us, these practices have always been interwoven with our pursuit of quality, efficiency, and yes, sustainability.” Salley says that this “underlying stewardship and responsibility” is why Milliken’s commitment to the environment is visible using any number of “green manufacturing” metrics, not just one or two isolated measurements. “It’s a simple question of commitment. When you begin to view green manufacturing as a guiding principle, not a process, you simply tack onto your existing operations, then you begin to succeed both as a company and a corporate citizen of the planet Earth,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons Roger Milliken is such a revolutionary industrialist – this has been one of his guiding principles for decades.” Milliken & Company has consistently applied innovations to manufacturing procedures and product development to re-use supplies and materials. Designing products with the end in mind, Milliken’s groundbreaking research in exploring regeneration performance has resulted in innovations such as Earth Square, TractionBack, and ES Back Systems (Engineered towards Sustainability) that reuses and renews carpet tile instead of disposal in land-fills. The company is green right down to its office supplies, where a recycling program has reduced the company’s use of landfill space for these items to nearly nothing. Milliken employees take this part of their job home with them to their families and communities, an “off-the-job” commitment written into corporate policy, and one that is mirrored by the company’s participation in numerous non-work related land conservation and environmental education programs in South Carolina and beyond. Not surprisingly, Milliken & Company has received dozens of awards for its commitment to the environment, including recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Recycling Coalition and Keep America Beautiful. “We know Roger Milliken to be a visionary, but he would probably describe himself as someone who was simply doing the right thing for the planet before it became fashionable to do so,” Salley says. “Of course in the process he has laid out a manufacturing blueprint that serves as a model of productivity, profitability and environmental protection, something that is sustainable through upturns, downturns, and every turn in between.”
Sustainability of Mobility Another South Carolina company boasting an exemplary environmental record and commitment to sustainability is Michelin North America, which like Milliken has immersed itself in a multi-faceted “green manufacturing” approach for many years now. With its North American headquarters located in Greenville, S.C. - and seven other manufacturing facilities located throughout
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carpet
What began with the quality management teachings of W. Edwards Deming – the American who taught the Japanese how to become a global manufacturing and technological powerhouse – Milliken’s revolutionary quality commitment has worked hand-in-hand with an environmental commitment unrivaled among America’s textile manufacturers.
Michelin green energy saving tires sold worldwide have reduced fuel consumption by an estimated 2.38 billion gallons, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions of 25 million tons since 1992. the State - Michelin currently employs nearly 8,000 Palmetto State residents and is one of the leading innovators in our state’s emerging Upstate automotive cluster. It’s also one of the “cleanest” innovators, employing revolutionary processes that not only cut down on emissions during production but also build products which actually start saving the planet the second they leave the factory. For example, you’ve probably been reminded more than once in your life about making sure that your tires were “properly inflated” to save money on gas, right? Well, most people aren’t aware just how closely their tires are linked to fuel efficiency and the health of the planet. This is particularly true in the trucking business, where a tire’s rolling resistance accounts for around 30% of the vehicle’s fuel consumption. Earlier this decade, thanks to the use of advanced technology compounds and innovative manufacturing, Michelin created a truck tire – the X One – that dramatically reduced rolling resistance, improving fuel efficiency for a tractor-trailer by up to 10%.
For over a decade, Challenge Bibendum has been the world’s premiere sustainable mobility event, equipping private and public sector opinion leaders and decision-makers with objective information on a whole host of global transportation innovations. “Michelin is not only dedicated to raising the bar of tire
“Everyone has bought into the concept of sustainability individually, and because of that everyone feels a sense of personal responsibilty associated with the effort.”
In addition to saving millions of gallons of fuel each year due to its revolutionary construction, the X One is also built to be retreaded – which can double the useful life of the tire. This process also saves natural resources, as retreading uses only one-fifth of the rubber needed to make a new tire. It also means fewer tires for disposal or recycling. Since 1992, compared to conventional tires on the road, the 570 million Michelin green energy saving tires sold worldwide have reduced fuel consumption by an estimated 2.38 billion gallons, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions of 25 million tons, or the equivalent of the amount absorbed by 880 million trees in one year. This means that each second, 11.6 gallons of fuel are being saved and 240.6 pounds of CO2 are not being released into the atmosphere. “Michelin is using the latest advancements in science and technology to design the most efficient and environmentally friendly tires possible,” says Richard Wilkerson, the company’s North American CEO. “We believe in sustainability of mobility, pure and simple.”
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event that brings together transportation industry leaders, government officials, and members of academia to showcase energy efficient technologies and to assess the progress that’s being made towards sustainable mobility and environmentally sound transportation.
But Michelin is doing more than cleanly and efficiently producing planet-saving products – the company is also leading the way in terms of environmental education, both locally and globally.
- Henk Van Der Meyden Alcoa Mt. Holly, Environmental Director performance to deliver more value to consumers and dramatically lessen the impact of road transportation on the environment, we are also committed to emphasizing educational programs to raise environmental awareness,” says Wilkerson. “We are all responsible for the state of the environment, and we all have the opportunity to affect real, sustainable change.”
These are our Homes Located in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Alcoa’s Mt. Holly plant produces 245,000 tons of primary aluminum annually. The most advanced plant of its kind in the United States, Alcoa Mt. Holly is a pioneer in efficiency, energy utilization, and environmental protection. It is also part of one of the most ambitious corporate sustainability initiatives ever launched. In 2001, Alcoa developed an initial set of long-range goals to be achieved by 2020, goals which included improving resource use, reducing emissions, and increasing recycling – both in its operations and among the consumer population. ▶▷
In addition to its numerous community-level efforts, Michelin in 1998 created Challenge Bibendum, which is an annual, global
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Not content to toss out arbitrary objectives for the sake of good public relations, though, Alcoa’s plan also includes multiple “checkpoints” along the way, where progress is assessed and goals are updated.
“Our employees see this commitment running through everything the company is doing and it inspires them to reach these goals.” - Henk Van Der Meyden Alcoa Mt. Holly, Environmental Director
Sustainability Resources: · Cradle to Cradle William McDonough & Michael Braungart North Point Press, 2002 · earthplatform.com · challengebibendum.com
To reinforce this public commitment, Alcoa created and launched a state-of-the-art sustainability web site, which provides voluminous updates on every facet of the company’s efforts, with updated charts showing just how far the company has come – and just how far it has to go. For example, Alcoa is on track to meet its goal of using 50% recycled aluminum by 2020, and is ahead of schedule in reducing greenhouse emissions and landfill waste. A recent corporate sustainability report also shows that the company isn’t slowing down once it meets its own ambitious benchmarks, but is continuing to push for even greater results. “We continued to make good progress on several of our strategic targets in 2007, most notably the reduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from our operations. We are also pursuing some research and development projects that explore innovative and cost-effective applications that will hopefully drive even further reduction of these emissions,” the report noted. How is Alcoa achieving these remarkable results? By incorporating sustainability into every facet of its operations – beginning with its employees. “Our employees see this commitment running through everything the company is doing and it inspires them to reach these goals,” says Henk Van Der Meyden, Alcoa Mt. Holly’s Environmental Director. “Everyone has bought into the concept of sustainability individually, and because of that everyone feels a sense of personal responsibility associated with the effort.” Alcoa’s sustainability efforts also feature an unprecedented focus on the communities in which its facilities are located – an undertaking that runs much deeper than its acclaimed land conservation efforts, which are aimed at preserving the unique look and feel of these communities. Included within the company’s groundbreaking long-range sustainability program are benchmarks tied to volunteerism within the community – specifically millions of dollars in grants and thousands of employee hours tied to direct support of local non-profits and NGO’s.
“This is an acknowledgement by Alcoa that you solve global problems at the individual and the community level,” Van Der Meyden says. “Sustainability is no different, which is precisely why we have adopted this approach. You’ve heard the expression ‘think globally, act locally,’ well, Alcoa is doing both.” “After all, we live here,” he says. “These are our homes.” +++
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In 2007 alone, Alcoa’s two major community programs made 9,040 grants totaling nearly $3.8 million and spent nearly 634,000 hours volunteering in communities – all under the framework of a “sustainability” initiative.
ALUMINUM ’ DOESN T GROW ON TREES
But at Alcoa Mt. Holly, we’re growing thousands of trees to help sustain our local environment. We’re inventing new ways to improve air quality, make our streams run cleaner and reduce our environmental footprint. We’ve reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 90% since 1990 and decreased our landfill waste 60% since 2004. As a member of the SC Environmental Excellence Program, we share our environmental knowledge regularly with school groups and industries throughout the state. It takes tons of raw material, millions of watts of energy and hundreds of engaged employees to make aluminum. And it takes a company-wide commitment to grow trees and other living things along the way.
MT. HOLLY
ALCOA 11 Tree Ad 7.25x5.125 4c.indd 1
1/6/09 4:17:58 PM
Connecting within our communities. AFL believes in giving back to our community because they first gave to us – its land and resources – so that we can operate and thrive in Spartanburg, South Carolina. At AFL, we continually strive to strengthen our communities by collaborating with business leaders and organizations, providing financial outreach opportunities and encouraging our associates to be exemplary citizens, giving their time and talents. Staying connected. It’s how AFL makes a difference in South Carolina.
Products
Services
Fiber Optic Cables
Design & Engineering
Test & Inspection Equipment
Project Management
Fusion Splicers
Wireless Infrastructure
Fiber Connectivity Specialty Fiber Optic Products Outside Plant
Find out how at www.AFLtele.com.
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Fiber Management
Engineer Furnish & Install DC Power Systems Fiber to the Home Consulting
Training
January 2010 •
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2010
shingo training principles of operational excellence
February 16-17, 2010 The Marriott, Spartanburg, SC Two day workshop centered around the Shingo Model, the Principles of Operational Excellence, an overview of Principles, Systems and Tools, and valuable “how-to” training on conducting an Internal Self-Assessment. Congratulations to Roche Carolina, Inc. in Florence, South Carolina for winning the 2008 Shingo Prize.
register today For more information about Shingo training, please visit www.shingoprize.org or www.myscma.com The Shingo Prize Model has been dubbed by “Business Week” the “Nobel prize of Manufacturing” and recognizes research and writing regarding new knowledge and understanding of Lean manufacturing.
Recycling www.madeinsc.org
Recycling is good for the environment – and the economy.
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• Made in SC
The Economic Impact of the Recycling Industry in South Carolina study was commissioned in 2006 by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). It shows that the recycling industry is directly responsible for more than 15,000 jobs, $1.5 billion in annual personal income and $69 million in tax revenue each year. In addition, the study estimates that the state’s recycling industry will grow about 12 percent annually during the next five years with an economic impact of more than $11 billion. In the report, Hefner and Blackwell stated “that recycling is beneficial for the environment is probably an uncontested proposition. What is becoming increasingly more obvious is that recycling contributes to the economic health of a state’s economy.” According to the study, the recycling industry creates an estimated $6.5 billion total economic impact in the state’s economy. This can be attributed to the more than 300 recycling companies in the state which include haulers, processors, recycled product manufacturers, and equipment makers. The recycling industry is a large and diverse network of public sector institutions (e.g., local governments, state agencies, colleges, and universities) and private companies.
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©Shutterstock
Recycling has many environmental benefits. It reduces the need to build landfills and incinerators, conserves natural resources as well as energy, and reduces pollution caused by the extraction and processing of raw materials as well as the manufacturing of products using raw materials. Recycling also has many economic benefits. By turning waste into valuable raw materials, recycling creates jobs, builds more competitive manufacturing industries, and adds significantly to South Carolina’s economy.
Recycling is big business in South Carolina
Since the opening of the facility in late 2006, Shaw has recycled nearly 200 million pounds of post-consumer N6 carpet. The facility will recycle more than 100 million pounds of nylon carpet each year which would have otherwise gone to landfills. Consumers, installers, and retailers can recycle their carpet at designated third-party carpet collection sites throughout the nation and may not have to pay normal dumpster fees associated with the disposal of used carpet.
Shaw, a leading floor covering manufacturer based in Dalton, Ga. with facilities in South Carolina, has been working for decades on innovative ways of reducing waste, improving manufacturing Recycling also stimulates the development of green technology. processes and preserving natural resources. In the course Recycling facilitates and encourages the development of more of Shaw’s environmental journey, the Shaw Green Edge™ was environmentally friendly products. The vast supply of low-cost developed as an environmental materials from local collection programs communication platform has spurred many businesses to develop in November 2006 to include many Harnessing methane from the cutting-edge technologies and products. of the company’s environmental and Palmetto Landfill ten miles away Waste tires, for example, are used in social initiatives as reflected in Shaw’s many applications including rubberized provides 63% of the BMW plant’s products, operations and people. asphalt for paving roads. In fact, energy, has saved an estimated A key part of the Shaw Green Edge South Carolina is a national leader in $8 million in energy costs, and is the company’s aggressive and developing this technology through the large-scale commitment to keeping has removed more than 216,000 work of the Asphalt Rubber Technology carpet out of landfills. The company Service hosted at Clemson University. tons of greenhouse gas emissions is making great strides with the help from the atmosphere. Sustainability is the BMW of Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon Recycling Manufacturing Co’s intent, which Facility in Augusta, GA. Shaw’s means the company is committed Evergreen facility can take carpet to the responsible and efficient use or area rugs made from Type 6 nylon of its resources, preserving natural resources, and limiting its (N6) and remake it into new nylon fiber over and over again— environmental footprint. BMW has a goal is to manufacture without the loss of beauty or durability. N6 represents vehicles with the least possible impact on the environment. a large percentage of carpet found in American households. They accomplish that in a variety of ways. This recycling process is known as “cradle to cradle”--- breaking a used product down into its raw material and rebuilding the In 2003, BMW became the first automotive manufacturer raw material back into the same product. So far, only N6 has this in the world to use recycled methane to power its factory. “cradle to cradle” or Carpet to Carpet™ capability. Only Shaw is Harnessing methane from the Palmetto Landfill ten miles away recycling carpet and area rugs on such a large scale. provides 63% of the plant’s energy, has saved an estimated $8
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• Made in SC
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©Shutterstock
Within the industry, the economic impact of the recycling manufacturing sector far exceeds the recycling collection, processing, and reuse sectors.
The South Carolina Department of Commerce recently released a study on the economic impact on the recycling industry in South Carolina. The South Carolina Recycling Market Development Advisory Council in conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control commissioned the study. Economists at the College of Charleston Frank Hefner and Calvin Blackwell compiled the study and found South Carolina’s recycling industry economic impacts include:
million in energy costs, and has removed more than 216,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. This move has been a win for the factory and the environment. BMW has made recycling a key component of operations at the Greer plant. The plant comprises more than 4 million square feet, more than 5,400 people work on site, and there is the potential to generate a massive amount of waste materials. Recently, BMW has recycled more than 78% of its waste, which is the highest percentage of recycled waste in the plant’s history. The use of returnable and reusable containers is an additional way in which BMW and its suppliers avoid thousands of tons of packaging waste being sent to the landfill. In partnerships with suppliers, new ways to recycle are constantly being explored. Recently, BMW discovered a way to recycle damaged automotive glass installed in vehicles, which has resulted in a reduction of 270,000 pounds of waste being sent to landfills. Another partnership with a new plastic recycler removes 20% more plastic waste, which equates to 146,000 pounds annually. There are countless more stories about South Carolina manufacturers’ uses of recyclable goods in their products and manufacturing processes, but one thing is for sure recycling is an economic development tool as well as an environmental tool. Reuse, recycling, and waste reduction offer direct development opportunities for communities. When collected with skill and care, and upgraded with quality in mind, discarded materials are a local resource that can contribute to local revenue, job creation, business expansion, and the local economic base.
• 37,440 Jobs • $1.5 Billion in personal income impact • $6.5 Billion in economic impact • $69 Million state tax revenue • Projected 12% annual growth in industry in next five years • Estimated total economic impact in five years =
over $11 Billion.
©Shutterstock
+++
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January 2010 •
25
Introducing the Made in South Carolina
Excellence in Corporate Responsibility Award
“Manufacturers have a responsibility to their customers, partners, and employees, but also to the environment they inhabit and the communities where they operate. The Made in South Carolina Excellence in Corporate Responsibility Award recognizes manufacturers that remain in step with evolving demands of today’s economy to be competitive, ethical, innovative, and committed to the idea that good citizenship makes good business sense.” Lewis F. Gossett President and CEO, South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance Recognizes Excellence In:
Philanthropy Environmental Stewardship Workplace Safety
APPLY TODAY
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Visit www.myscma.com or Call (803)799-9695 for more detail. www.madeinsc.org • Made in SC
Plant Safety Awards CO NFER E N CE March 8, 2010 will be a day
devoted to the promotion of safety in the industrial workplace. Speakers will include Steve Borkowski of Alcoa and a representative presenting from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. This is also an opportunity to meet and talk with others in manufacturing who encounter the same day-to-day safety challenges as well as service providers with products to help ensure safety in your plant.
A Safety Recognition Ceremony
will highlight the dayʼs events. Safety awards will be presented to representatives of plants with outstanding 2009 records. Approximately 120 member plants were recognized for having outstanding safety records at last yearʼs ceremony and we look to increase those numbers this year. Please remember to complete your plantʼs data and return your form by February 15, 2010. Any and all company representatives are invited. You may call Jessica Watts with any questions please call 803-799-9695 or email watts@myscma.com.
Register Today!
D M ON IT ISS ’T !
Sponsorship and Exhibiting Opportunities are Available.
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Best Management Practices
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• Made in SC
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For the first time,
EPA is requiring the permittee must file an annual report recording site inspection results and corrective actions taken. The requirement to monitor and control stormwater runoff at manufacturing plants
just got more complicated. Revised General Permit for Stormwater Runoff at Industries: New Effluent Limits and Best Management Practices By: Ethan R. Ware
T
he requirement to monitor and control stormwater runoff at manufacturing plants just got more complicated. Effluent limitations or “benchmarks” will soon be enforceable at some industrial facilities, while industry specific best management practices will be applicable at others. Under the Clean Water Act, States and EPA are authorized to require a permit for any facility discharging stormwater associated with industrial activity into a water body. The phrase “stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity” is broadly defined to include any stormwater runoff from areas related to manufacturing, processing, or storage of raw materials, including material handling activities. Facilities can avoid the permit requirement, if it can be certified such industrial activities are not exposed to stormwater at the plant. Rather than require that each industrial plant obtain an individual permit, EPA developed a federal general permit applicable to all facilities that request it. This multi-sector general permit (MSGP) was originally issued in 1992. The MSGP has been revised three times since then, and the 2008 revision brought new requirements applicable to States in most EPA regions. All State environmental agencies are obligated to adopt the MSGP or another general permit that is at least as stringent as the MSGP.
Effluent Limitations or Benchmarks for Specific Industries The revised MSGP contains effluent limitations called “benchmarks” for the first time. If the limits cannot be met, the manufacturing plant must collect and treat the stormwater runoff to meet the new limitations before discharging the stormwater offsite. The MSGP effluent limitations are applicable to businesses in ten (10) listed industrial sectors: coal piles, timber products,
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phosphate fertilizer manufacturing, asphalt roofing/paving materials, air transportation, permitted hazardous waste facilities, mining, land application operations, landfills, and glass, clay concrete, gypsum, and cement manufacturing. The benchmarks are not inconsequential, either. For example, facilities in the glass, clay, concrete, gypsum, and cement manufacturing sector are subject to the following standards: Subsection Clay Products
Parameter Total Aluminum
Benchmark 0.75 mg/L
Concrete, Gypsum
Total Suspended Solids Total Iron
100mg/L 1.0 mg/L
Material Storage Piles
TSS pH
50mg/L daily max 6.0 - 9.0
The covered industries are required to regularly sample and analyze the stormwater runoff at their plants for compliance with the new benchmarks. Where a benchmark is exceeded, the facility must conduct quarterly monitoring for one (1) year and enforcement may be initiated.
Discharges to Impaired Waters All manufacturers are subject to effluent limitations where the stormwater runoff from the facility drains to an impaired waterway. A water body is “impaired” if the agency determines it does not meet the water quality standards applicable to that stream segment, even if the cause of impairment is naturally occurring. The effluent limitations triggered for discharge of stormwater to an impaired stream depend on the regulatory controls applicable to the stream. If total maximum daily load (TMDL) standards have been developed by EPA for that water body, the facility must comply with the TMDLs; often the TMDLs contain ▶▷
January 2010 •
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New Control Measures and Management Practices
Miscellaneous Provisions The revised MSGP introduced miscellaneous provisions clearly designed to increase controls over stormwater runoff on every facility. There miscellaneous provisions are different from the existing MSGP.
The 2008 MSGP also introduced new and specific stormwater controls and management practices for some businesses. The new requirements are applicable to all dischargers, while a subset of dischargers are subject to management practices for their particular operations.
Currently, the MSGP is automatically effective almost immediately after submitting a notice of intent (NOI) to be covered by the permit. In most states, a facility may discharge stormwater 48-hours after filing the NOI. The 2008 MSGP is not effective until thirty (30) days after the NOI is filed, so industry must plan in advance before seeking compliance with MSGP.
Under the existing MSGP, companies are required to develop and implement stormwater pollution prevention plans (“SWP3”) to
The MSGP provides for new reporting requirements. Those industries required to meet effluent benchmarks or limitations
minimize pollutant loadings to stormwater runoff. Adequacy of a facility’s SWP3 and compliance with the SWP3 requirement was largely subjective. That changes under the new MSGP.
must report effluent data within thirty (30) days of receiving laboratory results.
Facilities covered by the 2008 MSGP must meet the following non-numeric technology-based limits, among others: ■ “Minimize” exposure of raw materials and wastes to stormwater ■ “Regular cleaning” of exposure areas ■ “Avoid” situations that lead to releases ■ Implement spill prevention and response measures, including labeling, barriers, training, and notification steps ■ Erosion/sediment controls. EPA went so far in the MSGP to define “minimize” for purposes of this requirement to mean steps are taken to eliminate discharges, install backup controls, and reduce the plant’s impervious surfaces. This makes the control essentially a strict liability standard. Certain facilities are subject to specific best management practices (BMP), and the BMP requirements are not subjective. The MSGP establishes BMPs for thirty (30) different industrial categories, including the ten industrial sectors with benchmarks for their stormwater runoff. The BMPs typically include good housekeeping measures like the following for the glass, clay, cement, and gypsum manufacturing industry:
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“Prevent or minimize the discharge of spilled materials in stormwater from pavements” by regular sweeping and by enclosing silos that store fine solids.
• Made in SC
For the first time, EPA is requiring the permittee must file an annual report recording site inspection results and corrective actions taken. Noncompliance must also be reported within twenty-four (24) hours. Finally, the date this 2008 MSGP is effective may vary from EPA region to region. It is effective October, 2008, in almost all states. However, Region 4 and the State located within that EPA region are still reviewing the 2008 MSGP. EPA, Region 4 may ultimately adopt a MSGP much more stringent than the 2008 MSGP. The 2008 MSGP will change the way industry monitors and controls stormwater discharges. New effluent limitations and control technologies remove some of the subjectivity in the current MSGP, making it easier for agencies to monitor compliance. BMPs and non-numeric controls may add capital and operation/maintenance costs to the facility’s bottom line. New reporting requirements will allow states to better scrutinize stormwater control practices at covered facilities. +++
Ethan R. Ware is a shareholder in the Columbia, South Carolina office McNair Law Firm, P.A. and manages the administrative/regulatory and governmental/legislative affairs sections of the Firm. www.mcnair.net
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©Shutterstock
▶▷ stringent water quality criteria, which must be met. Where no TMDLs exist, the facility must take documented measures to avoid adversely affecting the receiving stream and monitor all pollutants for which the water body is impaired. Where a water body becomes impaired after stormwater is discharged and is newly listed, the facility must prevent stormwater exposure to all pollutants for which the stream is impaired and document corrective actions taken.
2010 SCMA Meetings / Events
1st Annual Textile Summit & Winter Membership Meeting Date · January 25-26 Location · The Marriott, Columbia, SC
Shingo Training - Principles of Operational Excellence Date · February 16-17 Location · The Marriott, Spartanburg, SC
Plant Safety Recognition Ceremony Date · March 8 Location · The Radisson, Columbia, SC
SCMA Annual Meeting Date · March 18-19 Location · Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms, SC
Hazardous Waste Generator & Environmental Training Date · March 30-31 Location · The Marriott, Spartanburg, SC
Manufacturing Managers Meeting Sponsorship & Exhibiting Opportunities Available ∙ For more information, visit www.myscma.com or contact Jessica Watts at (803)799-9695 or watts@myscma.com
Date · April 8-9 Location · The Marriott, Myrtle Beach, SC
The 37th Annual SC International Trade Conference Date · June 1-3 Location · The Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, SC
Human Resources Managers Meeting Date · September 9-10 Location · The Marriott, Myrtle Beach, SC
NEXT ISSUE
Photo courtesy of BMW ©BMW
The next edition of the Made in South Carolina Magazine will highlight the State’s growing automotive manufacturing sector and its impact locally, nationally, and internationally.
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• Made in SC
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We don’t just talk about Southern hospitality. We practice it. Being a good neighbor is a tradition with us. We’ve been by your side for more than 100 years, providing reliable, low-cost power and helping your community prosper. We also share a stake in your future. Whether it’s helping new businesses get started, showing customers how to save energy or supporting community causes, you can count on us. Duke Energy is proud to promote the economic development of South Carolina.
What can Duke Energy do for you? Visit us at www.duke-energy.com.