Green is everywhere. Profit still drives business, but companies in every industry increasingly recognize the benefits of environmental responsibility.
It can reduce costs and increase profits. It can positively change the way consumers perceive a company. It can prevent legal problems. And, importantly, it may help ensure not only a healthy economy for future generations, but a healthy planet as well.
The trucking industry is no exception. Recognizing the advantages, trucking has turned its attention to green initiatives in recent years.
Consider: Truck designs are more aerodynamic and the exhaust they produce has fewer pollutants. Hybrid vehicles are gaining greater acceptance. Idle reduction technologies and other fuel-saving components are more frequently spec’ed from the factory and retrofitted in the aftermarket. Suppliers save millions of tons of material and significant energy resources through remanufacturing programs. Distributors, dealers and service providers are taking steps to make their facilities more energy efficient and produce less waste.
The overall benefits can be summarized simply: “You can tout your business as being green, and your grandkids will be around to run the business,” says Pat Biermann, president of HD America.
While some in the aftermarket have been slow to respond to a greener way of doing business, the economic impact of not doing so may soon become apparent. More fleets are looking to partner with companies – including those who provide them with parts and services – which meet their environmental expectations and help them be more environmentally conscious, as well as fuel efficient.
Additionally, environmental regulations will continue to increase and the cost of non-compliance can be financially disastrous, both through fines and legal costs.
“Regardless of the presidential race outcome, both candidates are favorable to regulating in this area,” says Tim Kraus, executive director, Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association. “Most congressional staffs and the elected officials currently are working on massive changes in environmental law. Regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will become more powerful in the next few years. Compliance will be enforced and fines will become commonplace.”
In this month’s cover story, the Truck Parts & Service editorial staff examines some of the environmental issues and initiatives in the trucking industry that are, or will, impact the aftermarket.
Go Green, Make Green
Being environmentally proactive can both reduce operating costs and create more revenue.
By Derek Smith, Editor
Distributors and service providers can make more green by going green. Getting started does not necessarily require a large investment of time or money; there are small steps that can be taken.
It begins with a commitment to getting employees and customers to adopt the mindset that not only does it make fiscal sense, it’s the right thing to do.
“As a company, our major concern is that we are a good corporate citizen,” says Marc Karon, president of Total Truck Parts. “For that reason we make sure that we comply with all regulations and we take good care of the environment where we have locations. We discuss this with our managers and our people, and explain the importance of being responsible with respect to how we impact the environment.”
A first step might be something as simple as recycling day-to-day waste. “As distributors, it is our responsibility to find ways to cut down waste products,” says Bryan Hansen, president of Page Brake Warehouse. He says moving toward a paperless office and reusing shipping materials or using reusable containers are basic examples.
Inside the shop, Tim Kraus, executive director of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, suggests using aqueous degreasing systems and non-solvent based fluids for cleaning parts. Next, he says, try and get customers to do the same, and maybe “Provide a collection service for environmentally unsafe materials, such as used oils, solvents and chemicals.”
Recycling can be a source of revenue. According to Karon, “We also receive money back from all kinds of recycling activities including selling scrap iron.”
But, he says, the most impactful recycling efforts are using the remanufacturing programs available from suppliers. “The best way distributors can be environmentally conscious is to look for ways to use more recycled and remanufactured products in their mix of products sold,” says Karon. “For example, Bendix has developed a process of recycling for the desiccant inside their air dryer cartridges [see page 28]. We use these cartridges instead of the less expensive ‘throw-away’ versions wherever possible and we educate the customers on this advantage.”
He adds, “By using quality remanufactured products, we have been able to sell competitively against new versions of the product with no loss in performance to the customer. This also has increased our profit.”
Pat Biermann, president of HD America, recommends training and encouraging parts salespersons to help steer customers toward more environmentally friendly items. Not only can this practice create additional sales opportunities, it can help customers reduce operating expenses through greater fuel efficiency.
Kraus adds: “Consider selling a range of energy efficient products, such as tire pressure inflation or monitoring systems, aerodynamic devices, light-weight hubs and drums, aluminum wheels, etc.” Adding new lines can help as well, such as auxiliary power units, on-off fan clutches, data devices to track truck performance and low back pressure exhaust devices.
Even promoting what you already do in a positive environmental context can be communicated to customers, such as keeping tires properly inflated and wheels in alignment on customer vehicles. Both contribute to improved fuel efficiency.
“If you want to be recognized as the ‘environmentally friendly’ company, you need to establish and promote it as your brand” Karon says. “Run regular promotions that detail environmentally friendly products and tell a great story.”
Green will continue to gain importance in the aftermarket, just as it is throughout trucking.
“This will be a growing opportunity for distributors to market products,” says Karon. “Fleet and municipal awareness has never been higher.”
It Takes a Village
One industry supplier shows its environmental commitment in a unique way.
By Erin Sund, Assistant Editor
When Eaton Corporation decided roughly 10 years ago to commit to development of hybrid technologies, it was a new player in a young, but evolving field. The company knew success would require investment, most notably in intellectual resources – the men and women needed to develop breakthrough ideas for alternative energy platforms.
Since the trucking industry has traditionally lacked the glamour to dazzle the best and the brightest, and Eaton had little presence in this particular area, Kevin Beaty, the newly appointed hybrid business unit manager for Eaton, knew the company would have to go about things a little differently.
“It represented a substantial challenge,” says Beaty.
Attracting new thinkers meant new thinking.
Inspired by West Coast product design firms, Beaty was convinced that a fresh, open workplace might go a long way in recruiting top employees to head the company’s alternative energy initiatives.
Thus was born the Hybrid Village – a 7,800 square-foot, open-air facility that opened in 2002 and is neatly tucked into the sprawling campus of the Eaton Truck Group in Galesburg, Mich.
Like its quest to develop new technology, the mold was broken.
There are no typical grayish cubicles that dominate workplaces throughout corporate America. Rather, work stations resemble outdoor cafés. The main conference room resembles a barn with its galvanized steel and hipped roof design. Use of translucent glass bricks adds to the upbeat theme of the village, while a basketball hoop reminds everyone that work should be fun.
And, of course, there is a good amount of green, environmentally friendly features. “Other than the barn, there is no drywall or painted walls to be found,” says Beaty. “Therefore, everything can be fully disassembled with no demolition involved, nor the need to haul off anything to a dump. In fact, we have already reconfigured our space three times with minimal waste. We also added a number of windows facing south that bring in natural light to cut back on electricity, as well as help bring in some warmth during the winter months.”
It wasn’t just a carrot to entice a pool of non-traditional talent, it was an organic carrot. And, according to Beaty, it’s working.
“We’ve assembled an excellent team of fresh, independent thinkers,” says Beaty. “The design here also has helped us thin out the candidate pool. It’s very easy to spot someone who is going to be uncomfortable with this style of work environment. You can’t hide in a cubicle here.”
For the roughly 40 individuals who didn’t need to hide, Beaty says, “The cross flow of information is where it needs to be. That includes not only our internal team, but also the communication that takes place with our suppliers and customers.”
Meanwhile, Beaty says, Eaton remains committed to bringing hybrid technology to the commercial trucking industry based on the business unit’s initial successes – at least some of which he has to admit are the result of the Hybrid Village.
Extreme Green
Hill International Trucks turns a new location into an industry example for environmental responsibility.
By Denise Rondini, Contributing Editor
Hill International Trucks took green to the extreme when it designed its newest facility in Washington, Pa. Though right off the interstate, the rural location lacked public utilities, including water, sewer and gas lines.
“We had to get pretty creative in how we were going to manage the building without all those nice features that are available when you build inside the city limits,” General Manager Kim Maxwell says. “We knew we would have to be pretty self sufficient.”
What some would consider deficiencies, Hill’s management team looked at as opportunities, turning their blueprint into a greenprint. They started with how to heat the facility in an environmentally friendly way. They looked at many options, ultimately choosing to use shop waste oil as the heat source.
“If we went electric, it would have been very expensive and there was no way the system would ever pay for itself,” Maxwell says. He expects the current system to pay for itself in five years.
Given Pennsylvania’s harsh winters, heating the service department posed an added challenge. They decided to heat the entire service department floor with a hot water system featuring two boilers fueled by recycled shop waste oil.
One question was whether the dealership would generate enough waste oil to heat the entire facility. “We sat down with the contractor and looked at two options,” Maxwell says. The first was to heat half the building with the floor heat and the other half with electric, the second was to go with all floor heat.
A cost analysis showed that the cost of floor heat throughout the dealership was not as steep as originally feared. However, in order to keep the building at a reasonably comfortable temperature, they would have to supplement their efforts with other measures. Thicker insulation, tinted windows and mini-blinds help regulate the temperature. The building contractor also suggested roofing material that would reflect heat in the summer.
Once started on the green path, the company kept going. All lights in the building are high output/low consumption, making them very energy efficient. Using these lights alone yielded a 42 percent savings versus traditional bulbs.
The team divided the facility into six lighting zones, each controlled so lights turn on and off at certain times of the day. For example, in the office, if someone forgets to turn the lights off, the system automatically turns them off at 6:30 p.m. The dealership’s service department is open from 7 a.m. to midnight. When technicians enter in the morning, the lights are on (it takes about 10 minutes for the lights to fully warm up) and about 20 minutes after the shop closes, the lights automatically turn off. Someone working late can override the system, but there are no light switches in the service department.
A rooftop air conditioner cools the building in the summer. The zoned concept is used again to regulate temperature in various areas of the building. This allows places that have less human traffic, like storage areas, to be kept warmer than the office in the summer and cooler than the offices in the winter.
Because there was no sewage system infrastructure, a septic tank was installed, along with a water recycler in the wash bay to reduce the amount of water that would be put back into the septic system.
Compared to Hills’ other facilities where water and sewage bills run about $800 to $1,000 per month, the new facility pays only about half that, a large savings even with pumping the septic system out once a month.
Another small savings came from installing concrete or tile instead of carpet, which eliminates the cost of carpet cleaning.
“In addition, in the winter the tiles help retain the heat,” Maxwell says. “Once the concrete under the tiles and the tiles themselves heat up, they stay warm for a long time. And in the summer tile is actually cooler than carpeting.”
The builder suggested a two-door entry system for additional energy savings. The outside door opens into a corridor, similar to a shopping mall. It provides a barrier from the outside air so that in the winter cold air does not rush into the building.
Hill International Trucks went the extra mile when constructing its facility to reduce its environmental footprint, and it has enjoyed lower costs and higher savings as a result. While not all of these energy-saving initiatives can be implemented at existing facilities, some are easy to put in place. Switching to energy efficient lights, using waste oil to heat and zoning the building to better manage heat and electric consumption are all ways distributors and dealers can begin to help the environment while helping themselves.
Getting the Word Out on Green
How one Baltimore dealer promotes trucking’s environmental side.
By Denise Rondini, Contributing Editor
If Beltway International Trucks in Baltimore has its way, customers will accelerate their trade-in cycles to take advantage of new trucks’ greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions. With diesel prices eroding end users’ bottom lines and economic incentives for purchasing eco-friendly trucks, there is a compelling cost-benefit argument.
That is the foundation of a communications campaign called “A New Truck is a ‘Green’ Truck.” The campaign stresses the environmental and fuel-efficiency benefits of current model trucks and educates customers and others in the trucking industry about the societal benefits of new truck design improvements.
If it succeeds, the aftermarket may learn that helping customers cut costs while bettering the environment has economic viability. Additionally, these greener vehicles and hybrid trucks will in a few years enter the aftermarket for parts and service support, so independent distributors and garages need to be prepared.
Speaking to an audience of customers, federal and state representatives, manufacturers, environmental groups and dealership personnel, Beltway Owner Jack Saum, Sr. says truck buyers should understand that the environmental benefits of reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency far outweigh the increased base price of new trucks.
“It’s time to focus on all the major accomplishments our industry has made for the benefit of the environment and the customer,” Saum says. “We know that the commercial truck industry is creating trucks that are more fuel-efficient and better for the environment. But until now, our industry has done a poor job of getting that message across to legislators and customers.”
Saum began sharing that message at a leadership dinner hosted by his dealership. Beltway lined up speakers including Doug Greenhaus, NADA/ATD director of environment, health and safety, who spoke to attendees on funding solutions from state and federal grant programs. Other presenters discussed technical issues, such as hybrid technology, auxiliary power units and retrofitting emissions-control systems to older trucks.
Maryland Delegate Jim Malone, vice chairman of the House Environmental Matters Committee, told attendees: “Your industry can be proud of the many recent advances in truck and engine design.” He encouraged the audience to keep reinforcing the fact that new trucks are far “greener” than those manufactured just three years ago.
Many customers want to reduce their carbon footprint, Saum says. “Customers need to know that in some North American markets, the air taken in by a new truck is dirtier than the air it exhausts,” he says. Customers who upgrade their fleets with new trucks can be proud that they are contributing to cleaner air and a much better environment for all of us, Saum says. “And with fuel prices escalating at unheard of rates, it’s important to note that an increase in fuel efficiency will improve the bottom line of any business.”
Green Iron
Retrofit components can help your customers be more fuel efficient and environmentally responsible.
By Denise Rondini, Contributing Editor
Customers have always been loyal to the color of iron under the hoods of their equipment, whether it’s red, yellow or black. Nowadays, with record fuel costs and a greater commitment to environmental responsibility, the industry is increasingly looking for products of another color: green.
Whether it is new equipment, more astute maintenance practices or retrofit components, customers are thinking green to reduce their operating costs and establish themselves as environmentally concerned.
Following is an overview of ways end users are going green, and the opportunities they present for you.
FUEL
A vehicle’s basic configuration has a lot to do with fuel economy. “A properly spec’ed truck can achieve impressive miles-per-gallon performance,” says Peterbilt Motors Company. Air resistance plays a big role and while many owner/operators prefer a more traditionally styled truck, an aerodynamic model can save up to 4 cents per mile or more in fuel. Aero devices that can be spec’ed (or in many cases retrofitted) include air deflectors, roof fairings, side skirts and an air-dam front bumper. According to Peterbilt, a full cab roof fairing that matches the height of the trailer can save up to 15 percent compared to running without a fairing.
One way to ensure that customers are driving the most environmentally responsible vehicles is to encourage them to go with a SmartWay certified vehicle. SmartWay is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative that requires a vehicle to meet seven basic guidelines:
- Model year 2007 or later engine;
- Integrated cab-high roof fairing;
- Tractor-mounted side fairing gap reducers;
- Tractor fuel-tank side fairings;
- Aerodynamic bumper and mirrors;
- Options for reducing periods of extended engine idling (auxiliary power units, generator sets, direct fired heaters, battery powered HVAC systems and automatic engine start/stop system); and
- Options for low-rolling resistance tires (single wide or dual) mounted on aluminum wheels.
According to Jerry Warmkessel, marketing product manager, highway products, Mack Trucks, fuel tank fairings offer a 1.5 percent fuel advantage for the vehicle. “Add an aerodynamic bumper and you get another one half of one percent. So you are talking about a 2 percent fuel saving with an aerodynamic bumper and fuel tank fairing.
“When you are talking about $5 a gallon for fuel and are getting six or seven miles to the gallon, you can save quite a bit.”
Encouraging customers to use low rolling resistance tires will save them another one half of one percent.
In addition to fuel savings, the goal of the SmartWay program is to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce NOx, particulate matter and other air pollutants.
According to Peterbilt, as customers increasingly focus on their daily operating expenses resulting from higher fuel costs, sales of aerodynamically styled, fuel efficient trucks continue to climb and account for the majority of the Class 8 on-highway market today.
IDLE REDUCTION
A recent survey showed the average owner-operator idles more than five hours a day, regardless of the weather. That’s the equivalent of an extra 18,000 annual miles on the engine, according to Argonne National Laboratory.
Reducing idle-time to zero eliminates those 18,000 miles of wear and tear while enabling the driver to extend oil-drain intervals and save more than $5,000 a year in fuel costs. The EPA estimates heavy-duty truck idling in the U.S. consumes 960 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. According to the EPA, truck idling results in annual emissions of 11 million tons of carbon dioxide, 180,000 tons of NOx and 5,000 tons of particulates.
Increasingly, the choice to cut idling may not even be up to the fleet or driver, as anti-idling laws and regulations proliferate in states, cities and counties nationwide. A nationwide no-idle law may not be far in the future.
“With regulators and the rest of us wanting more efficient use of fuel, fewer pollutants in the air and added savings for our pocketbooks, anti-diesel regulations are becoming more pervasive,” says Ed Williams, CEO of Firefly Energy, a battery technology company.
Warmkessel adds, “The smart operator wants to avoid idling these days. The price of fuel is at record levels, many local and state environmental regulations strictly limit the amount of time trucks may idle and fleets now recognize the increased maintenance costs of excessive idling.”
There are a number of ways truck owners can avoid idling:
- Genset-Type Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) – These devices function independently from the truck’s HVAC and engine systems, with some exceptions. Several devices use built-in fuel tanks, rather than siphoning diesel from the truck’s main tanks. Most charge the truck’s batteries and electrically heat the truck’s engine block, ensuring easy cold cranking.
- However, some drivers complain about auxiliary engines contributing to noise or vibrations in the sleeper. Some units weigh as much as 500 pounds, and only a few states grant the federally recommended 400-lb. weight variance for APUs. Additionally, they use slightly more fuel than other idle-reduction options
- Integrated APUs – Many of these power sources are lighter than most gensets, and most don’t require cutting extra vents into the sleeper or using valuable under-the-bunk storage space, but rather rely on existing truck ventilation systems. They generally use less fuel than genset-type APUs. But most depend on the truck’s cooling and heating systems, so if the truck is inoperative, depending on the problem, the APU might be inoperative as well.
- Battery-Powered Systems – These systems are quiet, almost completely pollution-free and satisfy even California’s (the most stringent in the country) emissions regulations with virtually no maintenance other than cleaning and replacing air filters. However, depending on system configuration, batteries are limited in most cases to just over 10 consecutive hours of full power when running air-conditioning. The most recent arrival to the anti-idling scene, comprehensive systems powered by Group 31-size absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, has been slow to capture a significant portion of the market. But the reliability of these systems, many of which are capable of sustaining 10 hours of continuous heating or cooling without any engine support whatsoever, has them poised as the way of the future.
- Other Idling Alternatives – This includes fuel-fired heaters and shore power, possibly supplemented with auxiliary HVAC and solar with battery power. These systems require a low capital cost but largely are incomplete in and of themselves, requiring support of other systems. Shore power isn’t widely available nationwide.
HYBRID VEHICLES
Installing aerodynamic devices and recommending other fuel-saving retrofits, along with encouraging your customers to use anti-idling devices, are all excellent options. But some customers are going a few steps further and running hybrid vehicles.
While not in widespread use, hybrid vehicles are likely to gain popularity and the aftermarket will start seeing these vehicles in a few years for parts and service.
Hybrid systems come in two general types: hybrid electric and hybrid hydraulic. The systems typically work by capturing energy during braking, storing it and then using it to assist in launching and accelerating the vehicle. According to Peterbilt, testing has proven that hybrids provide a significant improvement in fuel economy and have the potential to reduce annual brake realignment services by 50 percent.
Bill Reilley, dealer principle, Lakeside International Trucks, says there has been a high level of interest in hybrid vehicles and he sees hybrids as a potential growth area for dealers. Reilley recently held open houses at four of his locations in part to showcase the new hybrids. “Our purpose was to educate customers about grants and credits that are available through the state and federal government for the purchase of hybrids and to educate them on the technology of the hybrid and the true value it can bring to their business from an operating costs standpoint.”
A hybrid can save a customer up to 1,000 gallons of fuel a year, Reilley says. “With today’s diesel prices it can save the customer about $5,000 a year or about $30,000 over the normal life cycle of the vehicle.”
Utility operations, municipalities and some retail operations such as ice delivery companies and dairies are likely candidates for hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles can work especially well in the refuse market, Warmkessel says, because they capture energy from braking. “Since refuse vehicles go from house to house to house, they are doing as much braking as acceleration. This is where the greatest opportunity exists.”
Dealers must let customers know about the benefits of hybrids, Reilley says. “Our job is to bring value to customers by educating them and showing them the availability of the options and products that cut costs and allow them to operate more efficiently.”
Warmkessel sees a bright future for hybrids. “A lot if customers say that by 2012 or 2014 they want 10, 50 or even 100 percent of their fleet to be hybrid.”
Customers are hungry for information to help them make informed decisions, Reilley says. “The environmental footprint is a big deal and companies want to go green. They want to do the right thing and it is not just about improving the bottom line; it is about the environment and having a reputation for being committed to being an environmentally responsible company.”
$avings from the Scrap Heap
Reman programs save customers money, eliminate waste.
By Denise Rondini, Contributing Editor
Giving components a second life through remanufacturing is one of the best aftermarket examples of environmental responsibility, and its benefits are significant: Remanufacturing helps improve the environment by reducing waste and saving energy and it produces quality products that are considerably less expensive than buying new.
ArvinMeritor, for example, remanufactures more than 3 million brake shoes annually. At its Plainfield, Ind., remanufacturing facility the company receives 4,300 tons of components a month. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems remanufactures more than 270,000 units every year, including air dryers and valves at its facility in Acuna, Mexico, and compressors at its Huntington, Ind., facility.
Remanufacturing used components versus disposing of them and buying new offers important environmental benefits. For example, Bendix estimates that its remanufacturing process eliminates the need to recycle 5.5 million pounds of material per year. In addition, each year the company’s desiccant recycling program prevents about 420,000 pounds of desiccant materials contaminated with oil and grease from ending up in landfills. Last year ArvinMeritor’s Plainfield facility refurbished, recycled and reused 60 million pounds of steel.
Not only is remanufacturing good for the environment, it can save your customers money – up to 20 to 30 percent versus a new component, says Joe Mejaly, vice president and general manager, Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket, ArvinMeritor. Even with the cost savings, customers are getting “OE-quality, reliable equipment,” he says.
Another benefit of remanufacturing is that it takes a lot less energy to make a remanufactured component than a new one.
“The environment always is going to be better off whenever you reduce your energy and material consumption,” says Sean Deutsch, business unit manger for Eaton Reman. “Remanufacturing also significantly reduces your need to dispose of used iron and other materials, as well as the costs and energy associated with transporting the waste. So you have a win-win situation in terms of not only being green, but you also are reducing your costs, improving the efficiency of your operation and giving the consumer a reliable and competitively priced product.”
For those reasons remanufacturing is gaining popularity. Consider this: According to Mejaly, ArvinMeritor recently remanufactured its 20 millionth brake shoe and its 50,000th carrier.
“The trucking industry’s interest in remanufactured components continues to grow and has become an attractive option for more and more customers,” says Eaton’s Deutsch, “That interest is spawning a wealth of environmentally friendly benefits; the chief of which is helping to shrink the industry’s carbon footprint.”
Ultimately, whether or not you promote the use of reman’d parts with your customers comes down to a business decision. “Asking for and installing reman components simply makes good fiscal sense, especially in these times of escalating fuel costs,” Mejaly says. “Customers realize that reman’ing is an excellent way to recycle – reusing a component (like a brake, axle or transmission) makes good business sense for specific business applications.”
Three cheers for the earth
Remanufacturing offers three key environmental benefits, according to Bendix:
- Remanufacturing existing products prevents significant amounts of materials from ending up in a landfill;
- Recycling all or part of a product to manufacture new ones means fewer raw materials are needed and, as a result, the demand for raw materials is reduced; and
- The remanufacturing process also minimizes the energy that is devoted to the recycling process.
Handle With Care
Follow the rules for used oil storage and disposal to avoid the penalties.
By Erin Sund, Assistant Editor
Oil might be the most regulated substance on earth, and working with it is an environmental liability for any repair garage. Improper disposal of used oil or incorrectly handling a spill can result in steep fines – in the tens of thousands of dollars – as well as the cost to clean and remediate polluted sites.
Following the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Used Oil Management Standards can keep your company out of trouble.
When it comes to storage:
- Label all containers and tanks as “Used Oil.”
- Don’t allow tanks to rust, leak or deteriorate. Fix structural defects immediately.
- Never store used oil in anything other than tanks and storage containers.
If an oil spill does occur, follow the EPA guidelines for safely containing the spill. Review these guidelines with employees and have the appropriate cleanup materials on hand before the spill occurs:
- Prevention is better than cure. Keep machinery, containers and tanks in good condition and use caution when transferring used oil. Have sorbent materials available on site.
- If a spill or leak occurs, stop the oil from flowing at the source. If a leak from a container or tank can’t be stopped, transfer the oil to another holding container or tank.
- Contain spilled oil with sorbent berms or an EPA-approved sorbent.
- Clean up the oil and recycle it. All used cleanup materials, that contain free-flowing used oil also must be handled according to the Used Oil Management Standards.
- Remove, repair or replace the defective tank or container immediately.
- Document when and why the accident occurred. Good recordkeeping not only helps spot trends to avoid future problems, it can protect you in the event you are called to defend your cleanup in court.
Environmental regulations can vary greatly from state to state, so it’s wise to consult your local environmental bureau with any oil handling questions. The EPA also provides a Small Business Ombudsman service – www.epa.gov/sbo – with direction and clarification on environmental issues.
