Stephen R. Schulte P.E. REM

Pollution Control 2 May 2012

Am I a DOT Hazmat Transporter?

I have heard through the grapevine that the U.S. Department of Transportation has inspected one of our competitors regarding hazardous materials registration requirements. Can you give this small metal finishing shop owner an overview on how this would apply to us, since we do not transport hazardous materials? Also, do you have any insight into what may trigger a DOT inspection?

Pollution Control 1 Mar 2012

More PVC Pipe Glue Discussion

I would like to comment on the ongoing pipe glue discussion from your November 2011 column. Users concerned about caustic service could look for what one manufacturer calls “industrial PVC cement” which is made without the fumed silica thickener. For small jobs, I have found that some cements available at home improvement stores do not list colloidal or fumed silica, so consumer protection being what it is, I think it’s a fair bet that those products don’t contain any silica.

Pollution Control 29 Feb 2012

Effects of Proposed Label Changes

Over the last year, we have received several correspondences regarding the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposal to modify the existing HazCom standard to conform to the United Nations Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labeling. Could you provide an update on this proposal and a process a metal finishing shop could follow to meet the GHS?

Mechanical Finishing 25 Jan 2012

Stench!

When our mass finishing equipment is started after being shut down a week or more, an extreme stench emanates from the entire system. How can we control this problem?

Pollution Control 24 Jan 2012

Pipe Glue, Revisited

I’ve contacted several plumbing suppliers and none of them were able to assist me in finding the glue you recommended for CPVC pipe or the pipe tape. We are seeing exactly what you were talking about on a leaky pipe containing caustic or alkaline solutions and would love to put them to rest.

Pollution Control 23 Jan 2012

Spent Hydrochloric Acid

We make HCL drops out of our line and need to pump the spent acid to a holding tank. What is the best type of pump for this?

Pollution Control 25 Oct 2011

Where is the Pipe Glue?

I have contacted several plumbing suppliers around me, and none of them were able to assist me in finding the glue that you recommended for CPVC pipe or the pipe tape. We are seeing exactly what you were talking about on leaky pipe containing caustic or alkaline solutions and would love to put them to rest.