— ee eee oe 2 oe 2 Rae tA SAM ee aba d Perored pa gery ee ee 2 ee ee ee 2 ee ir 2 ee Pe ey TP Terr ST TEP Rear e eet wee ere rene ee rae fe A clean site is good business Here is a test. Which site is more likely to be pol- luted by spilled fuel and lubricants: an industrial log- ging site, or the driveway beside your house? The answer might surprise the average urban dweller, Those gleaming, rainbow-colored fuel slicks com- monly seen on driveway puddles are becoming scarce in the woods as companies and contractors clean up their acts in terms of fuel handling and storage. And a Smithers consultant. has found a market niche in showing them how to do it. "It is simply good business practice," says Ray Hol- lenberg of the techniques he teaches through North- West Response Ltd., the environmental consulting company he launched i in 1995.- se Establishing proper fuel handling and storage at the outset can mean the difference between a $500 cost to tidy up at the end of operations, or a major $50,000 clean-up of a contaminated water source. "For a small. business, a $10,000 clean-up for a small spill is not unheard of," Hollenberg says. As a former Environmental Safety Officer with BC Environment, Hollenberg saw many violations of the Waste Management Act that were simply the result of a general lack-of knowledge and training: in fuel handling and storage. He left the government and started consulting when he saw an opportunity to'take his skills and market them in the private secior, “There was no one teaching pollution prevention and spill response to-the industry," Hollenberg says. At the same time, requirements of the new Forest Practices Code indicated a real need for people oper- ating in the woods to kriow how. to prevent pollution of soils, streams and groundwater. Hollenberg made a significant contribution toward fulfilling that need while he was still with BC En- vironment. Seeing that there was a demand for a standardized level of knowledge and guidance in the area of fuel handling, Hollenberg brought together information for the Ministry of Forests, BC Environ- ment, the Provincial Fire Commissioner and the Motor Vehicle Branch in a publication titled Sum- mary of Environmental Standards and Guidelines for Fuel Handling, Transportation and Storage. TEACHING POLLUTION PREVENTION HAS KEPT Ray Hollenberg busy since he launched NorthWest Response Ltd. last year. "I had found that companies were willing to do anything that was required to bring their operations up to standard —if they only knew what the standards were," “Photo contributed ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, BUT NORTHWEST RESPONSE has made a business of showing operators in the logging industry how to minimize both damage and casts. Since the manual came out in 1995, there has been a second edition, and a third is currently in the works. "I had found that companies were willing to do any- thing that was required to bring their operations up to standard -- if they only knew what the standards were," Hollenberg says. Using the manual can reduce the stress a contractor might feel as he tries to run a logging or trucking business without running afoul of environmental regulations, “You really just need the book and a front-end loader to properly prepare and maintain a site," Hol- lenberg says. Oil changes are a typical example of a scenario where the ground can be polluted, he notes, The oil filter is pulled off, oil soaks into the ground, rain-- water washes it into a siream... thé initial ercor can be compounded many times over. "Water is a critical factor. Water is mobile - -- it itdis-- tributes the contaminant," Hollenberg says. Bul contamination can be prevented by good site preparation and ensuring that a good maintenance plan is introduced. The manual gives detailed instruc- lions and diagrams showing how this can be done. Fuel transfers are also a problem. Smaller cutblock sizes mean equipment is moved more frequently, so contractors have to ensure they have a good mobile fuel facility on site, Hollenberg’s manual outlines what is required and provides a list of additional recommendations, Because he also does audits of bush operations, Hollenberg has the opportunity to view a wide vari- ety of ingenious responses to environmental regula- tions. “Loggers are the most innovative people I've ever met in terms of design and how they make things work," he says, And while he can often still recommend additional precautions, he has seen a significant commitment to clean industrial practices in the bush. "A lot of it is common sense."