South Coast Air Quality Management District

Execute Contract for Additional Development and Testing of Low-VOC Cleaning Materials for Lithographic Printing Operations

SYNOPSIS: 

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is currently conducting a study that will assess, develop, and demonstrate low-toxicity and low-VOC cleaning materials used in lithographic printing. The study, which covers the same type of facilities and cleaning materials regulated under AQMD Rule 1171 - Solvent Cleaning Operations, ends in October 2002. The DTSC has requested AQMD to fund further testing of alternative cleaning materials at additional lithographic facilities to assure a broader and more representative range of facilities. Funding for the proposal is included as part of an U.S. EPA Section 105 grant award.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, August 9, 2002, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a sole-source contract with DTSC to develop and test low-VOC, low-toxicity cleaning materials for use in the lithographic printing operations in an amount not to exceed $75,000.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Rule 1171 - Solvent Cleaning operations was amended on October 8, 1999 to reduce VOC emissions from the cleaning of ink application equipment used in lithographic printing operations. These reductions would be accomplished in two tiers by lowering the VOC limits on December 1, 2001 and July 1, 2005. The existing VOC limits are 800 grams per liter for roller wash step-2, blanket wash and on-press components cleaning; 600 grams per liter for roller wash step-1; and 50 grams per liter for removable press components. The July 1, 2005 VOC limits are much lower at 100 grams per liter for roller washes steps 1 and 2 and on-press components cleanings; and 25 grams per liter for removable press components. These limits may be achieved through greater use of exempt compounds, aqueous materials, or with the development of advanced materials or technologies. The VOC emissions from cleaning operations associated with the use of lithographic ink application equipment are approximately 3.5 tons per day.

Staff has proposed to study this industry by funding two separate studies. First, at the August 2, 2002 Board meeting, the Board approved $355,000 to fund three contractors including the Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA), to develop and test new cleaning materials at 10 lithographic printing facilities in the basin. Second, AQMD staff is aware of a similar ongoing study being conducted by DTSC under contract to IRTA to find cleaning materials for lithographic printing equipment that are low in toxicity and VOC. The DTSC study covers the same type of facilities and cleaning materials regulated by AQMD Rule 1171 for this industry. DTSC has studied six facilities thus far. DTSC has informed the EPA and AQMD that their 2-year study ends in October 2002, and has requested AQMD to fund testing at 5 more facilities. This proposed action, in conjunction with the approved contract awarded at the August 2, 2002 meeting by the Board to develop new low-VOC cleaning products for lithographic printing, represents our efforts to assure that a broader and more representative range of facilities will be studied. In total under the combined efforts, IRTA will have studied at least 21 facilities with at least 11 to 16 different process combinations.

U.S. EPA awarded Section 105 grants for the following projects: Permit Program (FFY 1992-93), FIP Modeling (FFY 1992-93), Remote Sensing (FFY 1992-93), Enhanced Monitoring and Compliance Regulation Development (FFY 1992-93), and Market Incentives/Enforcement Strategies (FFY 1996-97). As of FY 2001-02, $245,172 of funding was unexpended from these programs. AQMD requested that the unspent funds be redirected to other projects. The EPA approved the proposed project for $75,000.

Proposal

Staff is proposing that the Board authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with DTSC to further test alternative cleaning materials at additional lithographic printing facilities.

The tasks to be performed are as follows:

Task 1: Identify and Select Participating Companies. At least five (5) lithographic printers within the AQMD jurisdiction will be identified to participate in the project. The companies will span a range of types. The contractor will attempt to include facilities that use different ink types and have different lithographic printing processes to ensure that the alternatives will apply to all types of operations.

Task 2: Develop Test Protocol with Each Facility. The contractor will work with the facilities to characterize their operations and develop a site-specific protocol for testing the alternatives for on- and off-press cleaning. The testing may vary depending on the current worker practices and cleaning procedures.

Task 3: Identify/Develop Alternatives for Testing. This task will involve working with each of the facilities to find alternative cleaning materials suitable for their on- and off-press cleaning. In all cases, existing alternatives will be tested and in some cases, it may be necessary to have new alternatives formulated.

Task 4: Test Alternatives. The testing will include preliminary compatibility testing of alternative cleaners on the inks supplied by the facilities, followed by initial testing and scaled-up testing at the facility. The goal is to find a lower-emitting alternative that is as good as or better than the current cleaners.

Task 5: Analyze/Compare Current Cleaners and Alternatives. This task will involve comparing the technical feasibility, performance, cost, energy requirements and emissions of the current cleaners and the alternative cleaners. Another part of the analysis will involve determining the toxicity implications of the substitution.

Task 6: Prepare Progress Reports and Final Report. During this task, the contractor will provide periodic progress reports on the status of the project. The contractor will also prepare a final report that summarizes the testing, the findings and the results of the project.

TASK IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
 

		Months After Project Initiation
	Task Description	Start Date	Completion Date
1	Select Participating Facilities	1	4
2	Develop Testing Protocols	2	7
3	Identify/Develop Alternatives	2	14
4	Test Alternatives	3	17
5	Analyze/Compare Performance and Cost	11	18
6	Prepare Final Report	17	20

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII, (B)(2) of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole-source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d: Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interests of the AQMD. Specifically, these circumstances are: B.2.d(1) projects involving cost sharing by multiple sponsors.

The DTSC has funded a 2-year study with IRTA to find low-VOC and low-toxicity cleaning materials for the cleaning of lithographic printing ink application equipment. The DTSC study covers the same type of facilities and cleaning materials regulated by AQMD Rule 1171. This study is ongoing and ends in October 2002. Providing additional funding to the study will enable DTSC to continue testing alternative cleaning materials at additional lithographic printing facilities to assure that a broader and more representative range of facilities will be covered under the study.

Benefits to AQMD

Rule 1171 requires that a technology assessment be conducted by AQMD to determine the feasibility of the 2005 VOC limits for cleaning materials used in lithographic printing ink application equipment. The results of this two-part study as a whole, in combination with another study on this industry also funded by this Board in August 2002, will assist the AQMD in evaluating the appropriateness of maintaining the 2005 VOC limits. The total facilities covered by the AQMD-funded study and the DTSC study funded by the U.S. EPA will be twenty-one (21). This number of facilities will give the necessary across-the-board coverage of all of the potential variations in inks, substrates, presses, and work practices encountered in this complex industry. Furthermore, successfully identifying new alternative cleaning materials may reduce VOC emissions by 3 tons per day in 2005 from the cleaning of lithographic printing ink application equipment.

Resource Impacts

The total AQMD funding for the work contemplated under this contract will not exceed $75,000. Funding for this project is included in the FY 2002-03 Budget for Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources, as authorized at the August Board meeting.

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