Environmental

The Environmental Engineering program was established in response to increasing requests for assistance from industry. With increased need to reduce discharge of substances which adversely affect our environment, greater emphasis is being placed on the elimination, minimization, and treatment of waste materials through education, research and transfer of knowledge in environmental technologies. In cooperation with the Department of Civil Engineering, this program helps companies with various environmental issues, such as the development of processes which are more effective from an environmental point of view, and to also help companies find better ways of treating waste products.

Through this program, companies are able to draw upon University expertise to help find solutions to environmental problems. Companies can also work with faculty and students on research projects to develop environmentally sound processes.

Pollution Prevention Programs

MTES has established a collaborative working relationship with the MD Department of the Environment (MDE), that is enhancing the potential of both organizations to provide assistance to MD companies. Two new initiatives have recently been funded by US EPA grants.

One grant provides funds for MDE to provide free on site Pollution Prevention Assessments to various industry sectors in MD. MTES has agreed to perform these assessments for MDE, providing reports to the companies that include suggestions for modifications that will not only reduce pollution but also save the companies money.

Another grant has been awarded so that MTES can provide Student Interns who will be taught pollution prevention techniques during their Spring semester, and then they will work full time during the Summer, working with volunteer companies to not only identify P2 opportunities but to then provide a more detailed study of the economic impact and potential savings to each company. They will also assist the company to implement any of the modifications that the company deems suitable.

More detailed information on these initiatives can be found on the MDE web site at www.mde.state.md.us.

Lab Capabilities

The environmental engineering capabilities at the University should be viewed as a resource by Maryland companies that are trying to be more environmentally responsive but may not have the expertise to develop the desired improvements. "What if" testing and treatability studies can be conducted in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory. As an example, many companies under a surcharge permit may want to modify their wastewater treatment process to make it more efficient and economical. Process modifications at the bench scale can be explored by the Environmental Engineering Laboratory.

Articles

Removing Heavy Metals from Wastewater

Links

• www.4cleanair.org/TopicLinks.asp
  Air Links

• www.neis.com
  Chemical Industry

• www.epa.gov
  Environmental Protection Agency

• ull.chemistry.uakron.edu/erd/
  Hazardous Chemical Database

• www.ornl.gov/ornlp2/p2edge.htm
  P2 by Design

• www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org
  Small Business Environmental Home Page

• www.tera.org
  Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment

For additional links, see the Useful Links section of this web site.

Contact Us

Please contact Paul Gietka, the Environmental Engineering Manager, for more details on how your company can benefit from this assistance.