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North Central Mass Business Environmental Network to be Established, Dec 1, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

North Central Massachusetts
Development Corporation
860 South Street Fitchburg, MA 01420
Tel. (978) 353-7607
Fax (978) 353-4896
Contact: Marissa Torres
(978) 353-7600 x235

NORTH CENTRAL MASS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK TO BE ESTABLISHED

Fitchburg, MA-November 3, 2010-The Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTA), in conjunction with the North Central Mass Economic Development Council (NCMDC) will be starting a Business Environmental Network (BEN) for North Central Mass to help business stay up-to-date on issues and opportunities pertaining to environmental, health or safety (EHS). The OTA, a nonregulatory, free, confidential service provided to manufacturers and others who wish to save money by reducing toxics, water and energy use, and stay in compliance with EHS requirements, started similar roundtables in the state, and facilitates meetings and organization as desired by member companies.
Since its inception, the NCMEDC has chosen to focus program efforts on lending and financing assistance to support economic development and has been successful in becoming the major alternative lending source in the region. The Council is composed of representatives from the entire 26-community region. It is advisory in function and involves business and community leaders, five Chambers of Commerce, regional planning and development organizations, and state and municipal elected officials among others totaling 122 members in 2008.

The first North Central BEN meeting will cover:

  • DEP's cold cleaning degreasing rule from the source
  • TURI Lab at UMass Lowell, which can help you find cleaning alternatives
  • OTA 's services for helping you stay in compliance and implement sustainability measures

The first meeting will be December 1, from 8:30 to 10 AM at the Chamber offices, 860 South Street, Fitchburg, and will feature a presentation on the new cold cleaning degreasing rule by Azin Kavian of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Ms. Kavian, who helped develop the new rule, will explain how this new air regulation applies to the volatile emissions from solvent metal degreasing operations using cold cleaning, (with capacity to hold more than one liter of solvent, and with some exceptions). The new rule limits the vapor pressure of cold cleaning solvents to 1.0 mm Hg
measured at 200 Celsius. Many cold degreasing solvents such as halogenated solvents, alcohols, ketones, naphtha, mineral spirits and Stoddard solvent have higher vapor pressures than that, and these facilities now need to switch to a solvent with a lower vapor pressure, utilize a non-volatile system (such as a water-based cleaning system; or install air controls. Jason Marshall of the TURI cleaning lab will also be present, to explain how the lab helps companies perform trials of alternative solvents. The presentation will be followed by a discussion of what topics might be of use to you in the future.

Come with your suggestions for future meetings. For more information about the speakers, please contact Rick Reibstein at (617) 626-1062, [email protected].

To register, visit

www.northcentralmass.com or contact Marisa Torres "at (978) 353-7600 x235..