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ALTERNATIVES- THE AGENCY IS CURRENTLY IDENTIFYING TECHNOLOGIES TO 
SEPARATE OUT POTENTIALLY TOXIC COMPONENTS FROM SLUDGES AND TO 
ENCOURAGE PROCESS CHANGES THAT REDUCE THE USE OR ENCOURAGE THE 
RECYCLING OF POTENTIALLY HARMFUL MATERIALS SO THAT THEY DO NOT ENTER 
MUNICIPAL TREATMENT WORKS AND CONTAMINATE DOMESTIC SLUDGES- MANY 
CITIES ARE INCORPORATING INDUSTRIAL PRETREATMENT PROGRAMS INTO THEIR 
WASTE MANAGEMENT SCHEMES - 
SEVERAL NEW RECOVERY TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR USE BY 
METAL FINISHERS: THESE INCLUDE HIGH SURFACE AREA REACTORS, REVERSE 
OSMOSIS, ION EXCHANGE AND EVAPORATIVE RECOVERY- ALL OF THESE 
TECHNIQUES RECOVER 98% OR BETTER OF THE MATERIALS (MOSTLY METALS) 
WHICH ARE NORMALLY DISCHARGED TO TRADITIONAL END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT 
SYSTEMS. THESE RECOVERY PROCESSES WILL OFTEN PAY FOR THEMSELVES WITH 
THE VALUE OF THE RECOVERED RAW MATERIALS, AND ALSO ELIMINATE OR 
MINIMIZE THE GENERATION OF HAZARDOUS SLUDGES WHICH ARE CHARACTERISTIC 
OF END-OF~PIPE TREATMENT SYSTEMS- A SIDE BENEFIT OF UTILIZING THESE 
PROCESSES IS THAT PLANTS ALSO TYPICALLY REDUCE THEIR WATER USE BY 50 
To 75 PERCENT: 
EPA's RESEARCH ACTIVITIES 
IN RESPONSE TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE S REQUEST, I WILL DISCUSS SOME OF 
EPA’s ONGOING AND PLANNED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WHICH PERTAIN TO OCEAN 
