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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010.12.09 MEMO-Existing Conditions 1 MEMORANDUM TO: File FROM: Carl E. Lawson, Jr., Hazardous Waste Inspector SUBJECT: Kaleidoscope Imprints 103C Mid Tech Drive DATE: December 9, 2010 UPDATED: March 28, 2013 I inspected Kaleidoscope Imprints at 103C Mid Tech Drive today with owner Steve Karras and Nick Operations Wood-framed screens are used to transfer designs to apparel. Emulsion Application and Curing The screens have emulsion applied to them manually while they lie flat on a table. The emulsion is a semi-solid material. The emulsion creates the design on the screen. Once the emulsion is applied the screens dry in racks at room temperature sometimes with the aid of a fan if needed due to the level of relative humidity. Once dry the emulsion-covered screens are placed on a light and vacuum curing table. A clear positive (plastic-like) sheet with a design is placed beneath the emulsion-covered screen and above the light source below. The screen is then covered and exposed to a curing light from below while a flexible sheet covers the screen from above and is pulled against the screen by a vacuum source. The light cures the emulsion on the screen except for the part of the screen shielded from the light by the design on the acetate screen. The emulsion is drawn more deeply into the screen by the vacuum process. Washing of Uncured Emulsion to Reveal Screen Print Design The screens are now subjected to a water wash in a basin. The non cured emulsion washes off of the screen while the cured emulsion remains leaving a design. The screens are washed with a manually-operated power wash trigger wand and hose that draw water from an open 55-gallon supply drum cut to about ½ of its full height. The water is recycled draining from the basin into the drum 2 and back to the power washer. The supply drum receives fresh water that is manually added from buckets. Containment for the supply drum is provided by a spill control pallet with a 66-gallon sump capacity. There are no direct plumbed connections. Once the water can no longer be recycled it is manually transferred two gallons at a time to a waste water collection drum which is on another 66- gallon sump capacity spill control pallet. The waste water is removed by Safety Kleen. The screens now air dry while standing in the basin. If needed immediately for production the screens are vacuumed with a wet vacuum. The vacuumed material is disposed of in the wastewater collection drum. Screen Printing The dry screens are next used at printing stations where plastisol ink is manually applied to screens for transfer to the apparel. The ink is a semi solid material and the containers are stored on shelves within a concrete bermed area. One gallon containers of paint thinner are kept on the production floor in containment bins for use by staff in spot cleaning ink from machines if needed. Screen Cleaning of Ink After screen printing is complete the screens are brought to a screen cleaning room that is itself a concrete bermed area. Within this room is a parts washer basin that recycles solvent. The screens are cleaned of solvent in the basin and then placed in racks within the room for air drying. The solvent is not removed; it is only lost due to evaporation. Accumulated solvent sludge is removed periodically. Also within this room is one drum of new solvent that is added to the parts washer as needed to replace the solvent lost to evaporation. Per Kaleidoscope staff the new drum only contains 17 gallons of solvent even though the drum capacity is 30 gallons. System filters and waste sludge are both removed by Safety Kleen. Screen Cleaning of Cured Emulsion Design Formerly if the screen design was not to be used again the screen was placed inside an automatic emulsion removal machine. The screen was enclosed in the machine and then washed by a mechanized wash system of emulsion wash and water. Presently, screens are cleaned of cured emulsion design by first being soaked inside a plastic container filled with emulsion removal chemistry. Once the soaking is complete the screens are placed over the solution to drip for a period of time. This allows emulsion to drip away and helps preserve the quality of the water in the adjacent wash basin. Next the screens are manually washed of emulsion with a power washer wand in the adjacent basin. The waste water 3 solution generated by the washing process drains to a plastic supply drum cut to about ½ of its full height and placed beneath the basin. From the basin the water circulates back through the power washer to be used repeatedly until a point is reached where it is no longer usable. Water is added to this basin manually using buckets. There are no plumbed connections. Once the water can no longer be recycled it is manually transferred two gallons at a time to a waste water collection drum which is on another 66- gallon sump capacity spill control pallet. The waste water is removed by Safety Kleen. All containers and drums of water and solutions are contained by a network of spill control pallets. Waste Mineral Spirits and Sludge Waste mineral spirits and sludge are generated from part of the screen cleaning process in which screens are cleaned of ink inside an enclosed, bermed room with a screen cleaning machine that recycles solvent. Accumulated solvent sludge is removed periodically. There is no waste solvent removal because solvent is lost to evaporation only. Residual sludge is periodically removed by Safety Kleen. This is a closed-loop process. Screen Cleaning Machine Solvent Filters Filters within the screen cleaning machine that filter the solvent during the recycling process are disposed of by Safety Kleen. Diluted Emulsion/Water Mixture Emulsion used to create designs on the silk screens is cleaned using a water washing process. All water is triple-filtered and reused until it is no longer effective. Once no longer usable the water/emulsion mixture is manually moved into a separate drum using a two-gallon container for removal by Safety Kleen. Safety Kleen classifies the mixture as a nonhazardous material. Total material storage of ink is 75 -90 gallons.