Environmental Practices

McGinnis Institute of Beet Sugar Technology 2014Mr. Louis Knieper

Purpose

• Gain familiarity with the environmental issues that affect beet-sugar manufacture

• Understanding of why these rules exist• Gain familiarity of how beet-sugar

manufactures are complying with the rules• Understand that compliance is not optional

Topics

• General discussion on the environment• Environmental Rules• Air issues for beet-sugar manufactures• Water issues for beet-sugar manufactures• Solid-waste issues for beet-sugar

manufacturers• Enforcement of the rules

What is the Environment?

What is Pollution?

Who is a Polluter?

Who Protects the Environmental?

What does Toxic Mean?

How Much Should Companies Spend on Environmental Protection?

Minn-Dak Environmental Spending

From: Jeff L. Carlson, VP OperationsSent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 3:11 PMTo:Steve M. Caspers, CFOCc: David H. Roche, CEOSubject: Environmental Expenses 1997-2005 Total Capital Projects $29.7 millionEnvironmental Projects 5.59 million (18.8% of total capital projects) FY 2004 Environmental Expenses$2,750,000 (this includes all mud, limestone, rock and trash, air pollution control,

wastewater processing, permitting and other expenses) 

“But there are limits to how responsibly companies can behave when behaving responsibly raises their costs and consumers are unwilling to pay higher prices. The most important constraint on the pursuit of virtue is the market”

David Vogel, Professor. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley and author of The Market for Virtue: The Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility

Beet Sugar Manufacturing and the Environment

Inputs for Beet Sugar Manufacture

• Sugarbeets• Fuel

• Coal• Natural Gas • Petroleum• Coke• Biofuels

• Air• Electricity

Inputs for Beet Sugar Manufacture

• Limestone• Processing Chemicals• Sulfur or SO2

• Cleaning Chemicals• Filtering Materials• Maintenance Chemicals• Maintenance Items (parts,

metal, wood,etc.,)

Inputs for Beet Sugar Manufacture

• Capital Assets• Buildings• Land• Equipment

Factory Inputs to Process 1000 Tons of Sugarbeets

1,000

926

6532

2.30

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Beets Combustion Air Coal Limestone Coke

Tons

Products and Byproducts

• Sugar• Pulp (wet or dry)• Molasses• Separator Concentrate

Every Step of Beet Sugar Manufacturing Generates Wastes

• Piling and Storage• Washing• Diffusion• Pulp Drying• Juice Purification and

Evaporation• Crystallization• Steam Production• Wastewater Treatment• Solid Waste Handling• Sugar Packaging• Sugar Shipping

Wastes from Piling and Storage of Sugarbeets

• dirt and rocks• weeds• beets and beet parts

Wastes from Beet Cleaning

• dirt and stones• weeds• beets and beet pieces• wastewater

Wastes from Diffusion and Purification, Evaporation and Crystallization

• Wastelime• Unburned rock from

limekiln• Combustion gasses from

limekiln• Noncondensable gasses• Spent chemical cleaning

solutions• Spent softener

regenerating solutions• Condensate

Wastes from Pulp Handling and Drying

• Discarded pulp• Combustion gasses• Water vapor• Condensed water• Ash• Dust from dust collectors

Waste from Steam and Power Generation

• Ash• Combustion Gasses• Pollution control wastes

(water, dust, chemicals, filters)

Wastes from Wastewater Treatment

• Sludge (biosolids)• Nutrients• Noxious gasses

Other Wastes• Used oil• Discarded parts and

equipment• Construction Wastes• Maintenance Wastes• Trash and Garbage• Discarded Beets• Contaminated Storm

water • Contaminated Soil

1800 Tons of Environmental Discharges for Processing 1000 Tons of Sugarbeets

229

1,796

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

Products Discharges to the Environment

Tons

Beet Sugar Factory Outputs (Percent on Total Tons)

Gas Discharges52%

Water Discharge29%

Solid Discharge8%

Sugar6%

Pellets3%

Molasses2%

Beet Sugar Factory Outputs (Percent on Total Tons)

Strategies for Handling Environmental Compliance

• Prevention• Treatment for Reuse

or Release• Release to the

Environment• Storage

Prevention (avoids the problem of pollutants)

• Goes hand-in hand with cost reduction• Fuel efficiency• Lower Wastewater

Generation• Can take large capital

investment• Steam pulp dryer• Dry beet handling

Treatment for Reuse or Release (Removes or reduces pollutants to acceptable levels)

• Treatment for Reuse• wastewater• waste lime

• Treatment for Release• Stack Gasses• wastewater

• Treatment systems often generate their own wastes• dust (particle removal)• sludge (wastewater

treatment)

Release into Environment

• Limited Capacity to accept Pollutants

• Highly Regulated• Carefully Monitored

Almost all Discharges Are Regulated

• EPA• State Department of

Health • Tribal Environmental

Council• County Board• City Council

Penalties for not Obeying Environmental Rules

• Civil and Criminal • Fines• Jail• Disqualification• Escalating

Discharging to the Environment is Costly

• Large Amount of Material• Compliance Costs

• Permitting• Pre-discharge costs• Discharge monitoring• Post-discharge costs

• Fines if there are problems

Temporary and Permanent Storage (Staging Areas, Landfills and Ponds)

• Ownership and Operations

• Permitting• Ongoing Care• Liability

Strategy for Environmental Protection must Balance many Issues

• Balance Costs and Benefits

• Should fit into larger corporate strategy

• Should consider outside stakeholders

• Should consider short- and long-term consequences

Environmental Stewardship is the Right Thing

• Protects Nature• Good Neighbor• Reduces Expenses

(can make money)• Prevents Trouble• Part of the Job

Questions?