Landfilling alternative sought for
millions of tons of wasted sand
EPA has released a guide to help states get more
productive use out of millions of tons of sand discarded by the
foundry industry.
The State Toolkit for Developing Beneficial Reuse
Programs for Foundry Sand is designed to significantly increase
the volume of sand that is reused from foundry operations, saving
landfill capacity and protecting natural resources.
Each year, foundries, also known as metal casters,
use about 100 million tons of sand to create molds for cast metal,
but then dispose of about 10 million tons. Most of the disposed
sand is not hazardous and could be reused in a variety of ways including
roadbeds, construction fill, and cement manufacturing. However,
barriers in state programs and the market result in only about one
million tons (10 percent) being reused.
While the toolkit can help states promote beneficial
reuse of foundry sand, it is also helpful to states when starting
or revising programs aimed at a much wider range of industrial byproducts,
such as coal combustion byproducts and construction and demolition
debris.
For a copy of the toolkit and more
information, visit www.epa.gov/sectors/metalcasting/foundry.html. |
