Industry News
Reuse of Spent Foundry Sands Yields Environmental Benefits
T
he EPA/USDA released the risk as- sessment stating that spent (used) foundry sand from iron, steel, and
aluminum foundries, when used in cer- tain soil related applications are protec- tive of human health and the environ- ment and yield environmental benefits. This assessment has been years in the making with a lot of hard work by many AFS and other professionals. Though not directly applicable to investment castings, this can have favorable impli- cations on investment casting concerns with these government agencies. The Investment Casting Institute Members thank all of you for your hard work. "A Whale of a Job."
– Jerry Donohue, Committee Chairman,
ICI Government Affairs Committee The following is the press release
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), January 2015.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA), in con- junction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Ohio State University, today released a risk assess- ment concluding that silica-based spent foundry sands from iron, steel and alu- minum foundries, when used in certain soil-related applications, are protective of human health and the environment, and yield environmental benefits. “There is potential for substantial
growth in the recycling of silica-based spent foundry sands,” said Mathy Stan- islaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “Our risk assessment con- cludes that the evaluated reuses are environmentally appropriate. Advanc- ing the environmentally sound, benefi- cial use of industrial materials, such as spent foundry sands, provides substan- tial opportunities for addressing climate
®
change and air quality, enhancing state, tribal and local partnerships, reducing costs, and working toward a sustainable future.”
Based on the results of the assess-
ment, the EPA and the USDA support the beneficial use of silica-based spent foundry sands in manufactured soils, soil-less potting media, and as a foun- dation layer in road construction. EPA’s risk assessment of the evaluated uses concluded that they are environmental- ly appropriate because the constituent concentrations in the sands are below the agency’s health and environmental benchmarks. EPA estimates the environmental
benefits from using silica-based spent foundry sands in the specific applica- tions studied, at the current use rate, results in the following savings in one year:
• The energy savings equiva- lent to theannualelectricity consumption of 800 homes; emissions reductions
• CO2
equivalent to removing 840 cars from the road; and,
• Water savings of 7.8 million gallons
Foundries purchase virgin sand to
create metal casting molds and cores. The sand is reused numerous times within the foundry operation itself. However, over time the sands become unusable and are referred to as spent foundry sands. The spent foundry sands are then reused in a number of ways, including as an ingre- dient in potting soil and as a foundation layer in roadway construction. The risk assessment results are spe-
cific to silica-based spent foundry sands from iron, steel and aluminum foundry operations. Spent foundry sands from leaded and non-leaded brass and bronze foundries, and spent foundry sands con- taining olivine sand, are not included in this assessment.
The EPA encourages foundries and
foundry sand recyclers to consult state regulations to ensure planned uses are consistent with state beneficial use and waste management programs and that the chemical and physical properties of the sand meet applicable state environ- mental limits, engineering performance criteria, and other state requirements. This report provides states, tribes and other interested parties with key infor- mation to support their foundry sand beneficial use decisions. More information on the risk assess-
ment:
http://epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/ imr/foundry/
index.htm This risk assessment supports EPA’s
ongoing efforts to advance sustainable materials management: http://www.epa. gov/smm
### The ICI’s Government Affairs
Committee is responsible for the ongoing review of regulatory and legislative activities affecting the investment casting industry and recommendation of appropriate action to interested parties as the situation dictates. Matters of concern to the industry will be reported to the membership and other affiliated organizations in a timely fashion, with a minimum of quarterly correspondence. Topics requiring action by the ICI or its members will be communicated with supporting materials necessary for these actions to be effective.
To
ensure effectiveness, cross functional committee support is required. If you or someone that you know is in a position where they are or need to be current on regulations or legislation affecting our industry and would be interested in participating on this committee, please contact Executive Director Joseph Fritz at 201-573-9770 or via e-mail at
jfritz@investmentcasting.org.
February 2015 ❘ 89
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