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Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / Anyone here with a Welding Emissions Management Plan?
- - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-18-2010 17:50
Just curious what all this involves/entails when creating one of these plans......I understand that it means that we have to send someone off to Smoke School so they can identify/evaluate the Visible Emissons Opacity and determine if we're in compliance or not.

Man, all of this environmental stuff just gets more complicated everyday.
Parent - By welderbrent (*****) Date 08-18-2010 19:37
Don't have one John, BUT,  I thought you had to have monitoring equipment that determined both the types of emissions as well as the particulate concentration.  Didn't know you could do only a Visible Emissions.

Be interesting to see what others have had to do to set up a program.

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-23-2010 19:11
only plan i have is to work upwind from my machine
Parent - - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 08-24-2010 02:35
Does Your machine run better on methane?
Parent - - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-24-2010 04:09
i dont know cant afford the methane adapter you have 1 i could borrow
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 08-25-2010 02:04
Just eat beans and stand upwind from the air intake :-)
- - By weldwade (***) Date 08-19-2010 00:31
John,
Is there any regulation or permit that you have to follow? Among many other things in mining, what I do, dust collection/ dust management is extremely important. There are very strict EPA and permit requirements we MUST follow in order to operate the plant. That is where I would start. As far as equipment there is many to choose from and I would be happy to give you my opinion on their pro's and con's. I have to go to smoke school every year and it is not a joy! Probably the worst excuse for a day away from the mine I can think of. So my advice is DON'T VOLENTEER!!!
Parent - - By up-ten (***) Date 08-19-2010 01:17
What does it say about farts?
Parent - By Tyler1970 (***) Date 08-19-2010 10:23
that falls under a diffrent plan.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-19-2010 11:17
I swear I think someone is just making up this stuff as they go along, just to make a job for themselves.

Brent, Wade, we have an air permit, storm water permit, and many others that now require this new emissions management program...every year I find out that there are more and more requirements/records to keep up with in this business.
Parent - By ctacker (****) Date 08-19-2010 11:53
Another reason America is losing jobs to other countries!
Parent - - By OBEWAN (***) Date 08-19-2010 11:55
Are we talking about weld fumes like Hex Chrome?  Our AWS section has had at  least 2 or 3 meetings with presentations on emmission programs for Hex Chrome fumes.  OSHA has detailed guidelines for monitoring.  Would you believe that grinding dust is toxic even and can not just be swept up and thrown in the trash since it is "hazmat"?
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-19-2010 12:17
Hex Chrome is one of the items, but there are many more. I'm aware of Hex Chrome and the latest OSHA regs that went into effect back a few months ago, but this emissions plan covers painting, grinding, blasting, welding, drilling, sawing and just about anything related to fabrication of structural steel. I'm just getting into this, so I'm not 100% sure of everything just yet. I'm hoping we have filters, maintenance, controls/best practices and training in place already for the other pollution prevention programs that will cover these requirements also.

For those who don't know: As OBEWAN stated, sweeping up the dust and placing it in with the general trash is a no-no, but be aware that if this happens, they can deem the "entire container"(trash can, dumpster) as hazardous waste. It is very ridiculous, but they make the rules and we have to play along. One florescent light bulb in a dumpster can cost you a fortune by the time they treat the entire dumpster as hazardous waste. We have to maintain a lamp recycling program, even though we only have a few bulbs per year to be disposed of.
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 08-19-2010 14:21 Edited 08-19-2010 14:23
And just wait until every bulb you use at home and at work has mercury in it.  Every trash in the country will be 'Hazmat'.

Some very interesting items posted there John, and Wade.  This is definitely getting out of control.

About 20 yrs ago the LeTourneau repair/sales office in OR had to start monitoring ground water run off, the pit at the steam cleaner, and other areas for metals, chemicals, oils, etc and see that everything was caught before it could run off onto the surrounding properties.  Our safety man at the time doubled as our environmental person as well.  But this sounds way beyond what I remember from back then. 

Caring for our environment is important, but at what cost, there has to be common sense involved.  Some of their rules make absolutely no sense at all.  Methods of disposing of unused paint, used thinner, and other products.  Flourescent bulbs with mercury- that we spent the last 30 yrs trying to clean up from and now they bring it back into our lives by forced legislation.

Good Luck John. 

Have a Great Day,  Brent

edit: Wouldn't this make a good addition to the 'Safety' section instead of OTB&G?
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-19-2010 15:40
I posted it down here (behind a password to enter forum)just so I could keep it between us chickens, and it wouldn't show up in a general google search somewhere.
Parent - - By Kix (****) Date 08-19-2010 16:35
Maybe, but it sounds like we will be talking about tax pay outs for welding with 25% or more CO2 gas mixes before to long. ;-)
Parent - By welderbrent (*****) Date 08-19-2010 16:49
Oh yes, putting too much CO2 into the atmosphere, that we took out of it in the first place, while doing our job to rebuild America. 

But they are trying to HELP small business.  Tax them more, that always helps. 

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-19-2010 17:02
Possible penalties for using FCAW with 100% CO2? They are pushing for GMAW with argon mixes due to less welding emissions and also pulsed GMAW with argon mixes.
Parent - By Mat (***) Date 08-20-2010 04:56
With half of British Columbia on fire?  I doubt anyone will notice.

Visibility in Prince George: 3 blocks!
Parent - - By OBEWAN (***) Date 08-21-2010 14:51
Why even think about a penalty for welding with co2?  It does not ADD co2 in any way.  It is just using the co2 that is already in the atmosphere.  Remember, we do not make co2 for welding, we just isolate it from the other gasses in our existing atmosphere.  To make Argon, we need to isolate co2 from oxygen, helium, argon, xenon, yada yada yada...so why not tax argon too?
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 08-22-2010 04:01
I don't think CO2 is reduced from "air", as the earth atmosphere is only about 1/2 of 1 % CO2.

I do agree that the ammount of CO2 from welding operations doesn't ammount to squat in the overall scheme of things.

Our Govt. does not apply reason when making laws, particularly environmental laws.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-23-2010 11:18
The penalty would be from using the process and gas(FCAW w/CO2) that creates the most welding emissions.
Parent - - By Kix (****) Date 08-23-2010 16:22
They will figure some way to tax it even if we're putting back what was already there.  They'll claim that if you take it out of the atmosphere, that you can't put it back in. lol  They can pretty much do whatever they want really and we can't do squat except for vote. About Argon, I don't think we have to worry about any taxes on that because it's not depleting the ozone.
Parent - By Mat (***) Date 08-24-2010 03:04 Edited 08-24-2010 03:12
Everyone wants the greener items, but to get them to that point, there is at the present time no "green" way to get the commodities to the consumer without some by-product involved in the manufacturing of said product.  By taxing the process involved with making the world greener, it only becomes more expensive for everyone else.

Companies shouldn't be penalized for emissions, but companies that are looking to minimize emissions should be subsidized.
Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / Anyone here with a Welding Emissions Management Plan?

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