POLLUTION PREVENTION AT SOUTHWIRE COPPER DIVISION

SUMMARY

Southwire Copper Division (CDS) formed employee teams to identify and implement pollution prevention and waste minimization opportunities throughout the plant. Measures implemented by the teams have resulted in cost savings through reduced solid and hazardous waste, toxic chemical use, and wastewater.

BACKGROUND

CDS, located in Carrollton, GA, is the largest recycler of copper bearing scrap in North America. CDS reclaims copper from discarded copper bearing materials and converts it into copper redraw rod, a basic raw material for production of copper electrical wire. CDS processes over 24 million pounds of copper bearing scrap each month.

In 1994, CDS established the Waste Minimization/Pollution Prevention program which was expanded in 1996 to four High Involvement Teams (HIT). The purpose of the program is to, whenever feasible, prevent or reduce waste and pollutants at their source. The facility support groups (combined) and each of the three major manufacturing areas has its own team. The three manufacturing areas are the Smelter, Tankhouse and Rodmill. Teams meet at least once a month.

POLLUTION PREVENTION MODIFICATIONS AND RESULTS

Smelter Manufacturing Area

• Pipe modifications were made to the blast furnace to allow full flow through the water jackets. This reduced the amount of damaged water jackets due to high temperatures and reduced the amount of water sent to the water treatment plant.

• A team worked with the manufacturer of oxygen/temperature probes to reduce the amount of probes damaged during transport, handling and storage. This is expected to increase the amount of usable probes by 30 percent, or approximately 870 probes per year.

• A team is working on reducing the poling down time at the Maerz furnace from 1.5 hours to 45 minutes or less. This will result in a reduction of ammonia used in poling by 50 percent, or 1,370,000 pounds per year.

• A screening operation was initiated to better separate metallic bearing material from used refractory brick. The metallic bearing material is then transferred back to the blast furnace for recycling, reducing the amount of material being disposed by approximately 36 percent, or 655,000 pounds per year.

• An external recycler will reclaim metals from converter furnace baghouse fines. This will result in a decrease of 19.6 percent by weight, or approximately 810,000 pounds, of hazardous waste disposed in 1997.

Tankhouse Manufacturing Area

• Hydrochloric acid is now purchased in bulk reusable containers, eliminating the use and disposal of 1,275 glass bottles annually.

Rod Mill Manufacturing Area

• The amount of isopropyl alcohol used at the Rod Mill was reduced by 30,000 gallons per year. As a result, VOC emissions were 49.6 percent lower in December 1996 than in January 1996.

• A wood pallet company repairs broken pallets for reuse by the Rod Mill, reducing solid waste disposal costs.

Support

• Approximately 27 million gallons of rainfall was collected and used as process cooling water, reducing city water usage.

• The amount of solid waste disposed in 1996 was reduced by 8.6 percent over the previous year, saving $2,600.