Products Finishing magazine is the No. 1 industrial finishing publication in the world. We keep our readers informed about the latest news and trends in plating, painting, powder coating, anodizing, electrocoating, parts cleaning, and pretreatment.
Issue link: https://pf.epubxp.com/i/879533
12 MONTH 2017 — PFonline.com NASF TECHNICAL PAPERS EDITED BY DR. JAMES LINDSAY, NASF TECHNICAL EDITOR 12 OCTOBER 2017 — PFonline.com EPA Considers Further Regulating Metal Finishing Wastewater Discharge Fall schedule will include review of NASF study. Metals Loading Study Supports Milwaukee Finishers' Stand Against Regulations: Then and Now John S. Lindstedt, Advanced Plating Technologies Prologue and Epilogue by James H. Lindsay, NASF Technical Editor In July, our NASF Report featured a major success for the surface finishing industry in the results of the NASF metals loading study for 2014-2016 regarding wastewater discharges to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) in Milwaukee. Spearheaded by John Lindstedt, a longtime advocate representing the metal finishing industry, the study showed the industry to be highly successful in meeting and exceeding the EPA 40 CFR Parts 413 and 433 Metal Finishing Effluent Guidelines. This story goes back 30 years, when an initial study of Milwaukee metal finishers' discharge to the POTWs dramatically refuted the negative image portrayed by others. The current study shows that the industry has continued to strive further in these efforts. But first, we offer the original paper, published in 1992, containing the 1989-1991 results and the methodology used in both studies, followed by a concluding epilogue summarizing the impact of both studies. The full paper can be accessed and printed at short.pfonline.com/NASF17Oct1. The Systems View in Automotive Finishes: Essential, but Overlooked - The 38th William Blum Lecture James H. Lindsay, NASF Technical Editor, recipient of the 1996 William Blum AES Scientific Achievement Award Of all the information contained in the surface technology literature produced by the NASF and its predecessors, perhaps none is as important, or timeless, in their relevance today as the lectures delivered at AESF Sur/Fin conferences by winners of the William Blum Scientific Achievement Award. Here, 20 years aƞer it was delivered, is the 38th Blum Lecture by me, Dr. James H. Lindsay, formerly staff research engineer at GM Research Laboratories. In it, I discussed the systems approach by reviewing a number of works in automotive finishing R&D; in which understanding of the overall system was absolutely essential to success. While the emphasis is in the automotive area, the underlying philosophy must be considered in all other facets of surface engineering. The full paper can be accessed and printed at short.pfonline.com/NASF17Oct2 . The Trump administration has reversed, or hit "pause," on a series of major environmental rulemakings at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. One decision among many that the agency will make this fall will be whether to go forward with a proposal to revise existing wastewater treatment stan- dards for metal finishing and electroplating. The NASF is discussing several issues with federal regulators to help inform the upcoming decision. One major topic is whether the EPA has sufficient data on metals treatment performance and technology advances in the industry over time. The associa- tion completed a Milwaukee-based case study earlier this year on the industry's overwhelming success in the past 25 years in reducing metals waste loadings to municipal treatment plants. Since the presentation to EPA offi- cials in April, the agency has been reviewing the Milwaukee study and other information, and awaiting the White House's nomination of political leadership to oversee the agency's water programs. The NASF was scheduled to meet with the EPA again in late September. Oregon Taking Comments on Tightening Nickel, Other Air Guidelines On October 2, the state of Oregon is closing its public comment period for a proposed rule to overhaul its existing guidelines on "ambient benchmark concentrations" (ABCs) that could drive future new standards for nickel and a range of other air emissions from metal finishing and other industries. Once the ABCs are completed, state air officials plan to use the changes to assess potential health risks of emissions, priori- tize which emissions to control first and take regulatory action on any of several dozen chemicals. The state is basing its decision to address soluble nickel compounds at the sub-nanogram level on California's recent efforts and recommendations. The Department of Environmental Quality's currently proposed ABCs for nickel and nickel compounds are as follows: • The benchmark for soluble nickel compounds (various) is 0.01 micrograms per cubic meter, where soluble nickel compounds include nickel acetate (373-20-4), nickel chloride (7718-54-9), nickel carbonate (3333-39-3), nickel carbonyl (13463-39-3), nickel hydroxide (12054-48-7), nickelocene (1271-28-9), nickel sulfate (7786-81-4), nickel sulfate hexahy- drate (10101-97-0), nickel nitrate hexahydrate (13478-00-7) and nickel carbonate hydroxide (12607-70-4). • The ambient benchmark for insoluble nickel compounds (various) is 0.004 micrograms per cubic meter, where insol- uble nickel compounds include nickel subsulfide (12035-72- 2), nickel oxide (1313-99-1), nickel sulfide (11113-75-0) and nickel metal (7440-02-0). EPA Director Scott Pruitt NASF REPORT