18-month recycling project saves big money

Photo By Staff Sgt. Yash Rojas | Icemen assigned to the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron liquid fuels maintenance section prepare flexi tanks for the transfer of deicer fluid Feb. 3, 2012, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The team worked extended hours to ensure the proper transportation of 35 flexi tank fitters, specialized containers for the fluid, which were approved for transport and designed to resist the potential sloshing effect when in transit, especially when traveling by ocean liner and rail.  

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, UNITED STATES

03.15.2012

Story by Airman 1st Class Yash Rojas 

354th Fighter Wing

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - The 354th Civil Engineer Squadron reached the final stages of an 18-month recycling project recently, saving Eielson nearly $500,000.

The project began when the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron identified 168,000 pounds of unneeded aircraft deicer fluid -- a composition of two glycols with different boiling points, which made distilling and recycling more difficult than normal antifreeze.

"LRS had turned in this [chemical surplus] as an excess, [off specification] item for us to dispose of," said Randall Smith, 354th CES hazardous waste disposal supervisor.

The 354th LRS cooperated with Smith and other 354th CES members to find a way to remove the excess fluid, making room for other mission-critical materials. The chemicals were taking up one of the storage tanks -- necessary space for supplies used in keeping Eielson mission-read, said Smith.

The excess deicer fluid had been contained and stored for three years before being transferred to Smith and his team for proper disposal.

As a result of cutbacks and limited funds, the aircraft deicer could not be disposed of within the existing budget constraints. Immediately, they began looking for other avenues to dispose of or recycle the fluid, said Smith.

354th CES members began trying to sell it in hopes a company might find interest in purchasing and taking the chemicals off their hands.

Finally, after putting it on sale two or three times, Smith said, Scope Marketing Inc. contacted Eielson wanting to make a bid on the surplus chemicals. The company bid $5 and agreed to ship the materials out of Alaska as well.

"Scopes Marketing has always wanted to get involved in government surplus," said Jeannine Penta, Scopes Marketing Inc. national sales director and project manager. "The truth is we knew there were government surplus materials available. Eielson piqued our interest, specifically because we do a lot of work with glycols."

Companies are constantly striving to meet specifications for waste disposal and recycling, especially within Air Force standards, which exceed those set by the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"We help them find homes and are able to move materials that may be contaminated, expired, or cross contaminated," said Penta.

Moving 168,000 pounds of deicer fluid safely from Alaska to Tacoma, Wash., was a task Penta and Scope Marketing Inc., along with 12 other companies, worked extended hours to achieve.

"We take on projects that are challenging and we are really good at solving projects that people think can't be done," said Penta. "We aren't afraid of challenge."

With so many moving pieces in the project, coordination and communication was key and few companies had ever attempted to conquer this colossal logistical challenge, said Penta. No one knew what it would require, but once the process started, all those involved gave it their best effort.

Icemen worked extended hours to ensure the proper transportation of 35 flexi tank fitters, specialized containers for the fluid. These containers were approved for transport and designed to resist the potential sloshing-effect when in transit, especially when traveling by ocean liner and rail.

In the end, Eielson's deicer fluid will have traveled by ship, railcar, and truck by the time it reaches the government-approved warehouses in Los Angeles awaiting the next leg in the trip.

"[The deicer fluid] is going to be distilled, reblended and recycled over in India," said Smith. "That's pretty impressive."

Smith and Penta worked for more than a year and a half to ensure that everyone was communicating properly, materials arrived promptly and everyone working on the project remained committed.

The logistics of moving the material will cost Scope Marketing Inc. more than $450,000. While Eielson remained engaged with the project for its entirety, the cost avoidance is one more way the installation serves its community.

"We are all taxpayers and we are in this together," said Smith. "It's in our job description that whatever we do we have to do it in a way that saves money. We're trying to save money for the taxpayer."

• Date Taken: 03.15.2012
• Date Posted: 03.15.2012 19:18
• Story ID: 85313
• Location: EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, US