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Technical Assistance
The role of WMS is to provide training and assist with assessment and improvement projects. The role of the Department of Ecology is to identify environmental
wastes and risks and P2 opportunities and provide regulatory assistance. These two
groups, along with the EPA, provide some level of funding. The role of facility staff
is to attend and participate in all analysis and implement the suggestions during and
after the kaizen events.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
This program is partially funded through an EPA demonstration grant. This provides
funds to each of the 10 EPA regions for regional EPA offices and state environmental
organizations to develop new, groundbreaking environmental projects.
For work at the cabinet manufacturing company, the Department of Ecology and
the EPA spent $58,000 on consulting time, personnel training, and overhead. Of
this money, $21,700 came from the Department of Ecology, $31,600 came from the
Pollution Prevention Grant, and $4,700 came from EPA Innovations Office funding.
The Pollution Prevention Grant is comprised of 50 percent EPA funding and 50 percent
Department of Ecology funding. The cabinet manufacturing company spent a total of
$258,000. This was broken down into $42,000 spent on labor for the lean events and
$6,000 spent on WMS services, with the rest spent on capital investments.
Because of the streamlining process that is inherent to lean manufacturing, operating costs at a facility will decrease once the program is in place. This could be due to
fewer staff, a shorter processing time, less undesired product, or many other reasons.
It also results in a reduced waste stream, which lowers processing, regulatory, and disposal costs. As of September 2006, the cabinet manufacturing facility was expected to
save $1,090,947 annually in cost, time, material, and environmental expenditures from
actions implemented during the pilot project (May–August 2006) and was expected
to save an additional $465,618 annually from actions pending implementation.
EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAM
The Washington State Department of Ecology Toxics Reduction Advisory Committee published a findings and recommendations document in December 2008.
Between 1992 and 2006, the P2 program in Washington has reduced hazardous
waste and hazardous substance use by 200 million pounds, saving over $400 million ,
11 times more than the total revenue generated from the P2 planning fee during
the same time period. For every dollar businesses invested in P2, most observed a
$6 return through cost savings and efficiencies.
However, there are still some limitations to this program. It is a workloadintensive program that relies on an ongoing partnership. Additional funding sources
may be required for the program to continue in the event that EPA funding is no
longer available. It is dependent on facilities that have a potential for both lean and
environmental improvement.
Because lean manufacturing does not specify that it will focus on environmental improvements, it sometimes does not take advantage of these opportunities.
If environmental regulatory requirements are not considered in the kaizen process, the changes may not satisfy these requirements. New environmental risks or