Finishing Talk Newsletter - June 2008

JUNE 2008

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5

THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF MASS FINISHING

CONTENTS

(PART I)

MASS FINISHING

1

INDUSTRY EVENTS

2

NEWS & NOTES

3

FROM THE FORUM

6

FINISHING SPOTLIGHT

12

THE LAST WORD

15

By: A.F. Kenton, President of Nova Finishing Systems

A

ll man made items or objects can be considered parts and are mostly made from metals, castings, or molded parts. Raw materials for these parts can be ferrous or non-ferrous metals, plastics (which can include epoxies), and any inorganic or organic, capable of being formed. Basically, that means that almost everything and anything that man uses can be worked via machine or hand. Before such items or industrial

Inside This Issue: From the Forum:

parts can be used or exchange hands to its end use or user, they must be made to fit, form, and function safely. The word safely is open to interpretation; however, it primarily means that it should not hurt, cut, or damage surrounding objects or people. The word ‘safely’, or that end product condition of the item or part in question, is normally achieved by a finishing process or just the term “FINISHING”. Now, even though we are talking about an end item or part, there is

Finishing Spotlight: Carolina

Who wants to talk Electropolishing? (page 6)

Classic Golf Tournament (Page 12)

still a question about what a ‘finish’ is. That is, how a part looks or is finished depends to a large extent as to how it is to be used. That means that the word finishing can take on other meanings than just safety. The word can also refer to the coating applied to the part or its surface modifications for aesthetic or treatment purposes to prolong or protect its life. Most parts or objects exposed to out of doors environments are usually finished with a heavy, thick coating which is desirable for

Review: EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environment (Page 15)

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FINISHING TALK

INDUSTRY EVENTS 2008 June 16-18:

July 17-18

September 10-11:

SUR/FIN 2008

Lean & Green Summit

Powder Coating Forum

Indianapolis, IN

Boulder, CO

Cleveland, OH

www.sur-fin.net

www.leanandgreensummit.com

www.pcimag.com/pcforum

June 21-24

August 5-6:

September 14-16:

CCAI Annual Meeting

Powder Coating School

Southern Metal Finishing

Clearwater Beach, FL

Mystic, CT

Charleston, SC

www.ccaiweb.com

surfacefinishingacademy.com

surfacefinishingacademy.com

July 8-11

August 15:

September 15-16:

PDA Applicator Spray Course

Bel-Air Finishing Workshop

Powder Coating School

Houston, TX

North Kingston, RI

Charleston, SC

www.pda-online.org

www.belairfinishing.com

surfacefinishingacademy.com

July 14-18

September 8-13:

MST Conferences

IMTS '08

Orono, ME

Chicago, IL

www.mstconf.org

www.imts.com

Have an upcoming event? Tell us about it at: www.finishingtalk.com!

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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5

NEWS & NOTES Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Branch of AESF is hosting a reception on Monday, June 16, 2008 to welcome everyone to Indianapolis during SUR/FIN®. The event will be at Jillian’s on South Meridian Street and will include food, drinks and the latest in electronic video games. "We felt it was important to provide an opportunity for people to meet in an informal atmosphere and talk to other people in the industry. This venue offers a setting of good food, great fun and close proximity to the convention center.” said Jerry Phillips, President of the Indianapolis Branch. For ticket information please contact Jerry Phillips at (317) 842-8120 or Amy Burns at [email protected] Boulder, CO Organizers of the 2008 Lean & Green Summit announced today the addition of Harley-Davidson’s Tim Hunter, Chief Engineer of Fabrication and Assembly. Hunter will be addressing the benefits of lean manufacturing principles on issues of the environment and sustainability. He will be the closing keynote presenter, with Nike’s Senior Advisor, Darcy Winslow, opening the conference. The Summit will debut July 17-18, 2008 at St. Julien hotel and Spa in Boulder, CO. For more information please contact Dwayne Butcher, 317.813.5455 or Dwayne@leanaccountingsummit. com. Or visit them online at: www.leanandgreensummit.com. Detroit, MI Tentative agreements with the International UAW reached on May 16, 2008, covering approximately 3,650 American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM) associates at five facilities in Michigan and New York,

have been ratified. The new contract reportedly contains large pay cuts and other concessions, and includes the closure of a forge plant in Detroit, MI, and a factory in Tonawanda, NY. Approximately 3,650 UAW members had been on strike since February 26 over wage and benefit issues. The company expects to have its plants running production this week. The agreements should allow AAM’s largest customer, General Motors Corp., to open 20 plants that have shut or partially closed because of parts shortages. For more information, visit www.aam.com. N. Kingston, RI Bel Air Finishing Supply will stage a one-day seminar/workshop on all phases of mass finishing on Friday, Aug. 15, 2008. The event, covering topics such as all types of finishing media, compounds, process technologies, plus wastewater processing, will be held at Bel

Air’s new facility in N. Kingstown, RI. The seminar will include an afternoon hands-on session in Bel Air’s lab, utilizing actual equipment. For more information, visit www.belairfinishing.com. Emory, TX Dile Kent McCnair pled guilty Thursday, in a Tyler courtroom, to the felony offense of storage of hazardous waste without a permit in connection with his former business, Extreme Metal Finishing, Inc. in Point, TX. The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas reported that McNair admitted to storing spent cyanide plating bath solutions and plating bath residues from the bottom of plating baths, from electroplating operations at the Point facility without a permit. McNair is facing up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000.00 for each day of violation at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

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FINISHING TALK

BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF MASS FINISHING, CONT FROM PG 1... protection, but a lot of poor workmanship can be covered up with thick coatings of paint, plastics, or epoxy. Another finish, normally used on metal parts, is a treatment or thin coating that is considered plating or surface treatment. Because this finish is relatively thin, this end process will not - or will only slightly change the current surface features of the item in question. Basically, that means that what you see before you treat the part is what you will get after you finish the part. To accomplish surface modification of a permanent uniform nature requires the mechanical working of the part or object in question, either by hand or machine. That means material removal and/or the blending of

previously worked areas, generally with abrasives in a mechanical type operation. This finishing task is usually best accomplished using mass finishing systems, because it requires the least amount of time and care by an operator and produces a uniform finished product. Even though this is a finishing process and the end product may be the final appearance of the part, it still may require some kind of protective coating or alternative finish. Blast finishing is an option in some cases; however, blasting with inorganic materials can leave a surface finish extremely rough, which is good for the adhesion of heavy coatings but not for tight tolerances, smoothness, or appearance sake. Mass

finishing

systems

have

evolved over the years into three types of energy systems that generate mechanical forces, which create work action or apply pressure to a mix of both abrasives and parts within this equipment. The first system, developed from ancient times, is considered a barrel system from which we derive the terminology ‘tumbling’. This equipment is the slowest method because it exerts only 1 g (or gravity force) to the mass of parts and abrasives within the barrel and primarily moves the mass in one direction. The next system developed is considered vibratory. This equipment uses an open work chamber that is energized by an eccentric or out of balance spinning weight. This equipment can generate up to 8 g’s on the parts

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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 and mass within the work chamber, in an equal x and y and some z directional method of operation. The newest equipment is considered high energy systems of both barrel, and what are called disc finishing systems. These systems can generate up to 30 g’s (gravity forces) to the parts within them in the x, y, and primarily z work action. The energy forces of the mechanical motion of the type of equipment [1] described above is only part of the work action taking place within the equipment. The energy transfer from the equipment to the part is best accomplished with a solid abrasive medium, which is called media, and which can be controlled or is predictable in how it operates or performs a designed function of deburring, burnishing, or polishing. Most systems use a form of abrasive media, with liquid systems for deburring, and hard non-abrasive shapes and materials for burnishing. Polishing is best accomplished in mass finishing equipment using a dry organic process. Mass finishing media supplies come in many sizes, shapes, and compositions. They all deburr or modify surface features of metals and plastics to some extent. Choosing the right media makes a world of difference in time and costs. How efficient the media is in achieving the end results you are looking for is also critical to this selection process. To begin with, all media products can be considered abrasives, even burnishing media. That is, they all have the capability to remove some material off the item or part in question, be it surface dirt

or heavy metal. All media will work or do something to a part in a mass finishing system. It is a relative thing, a kind of guilty by association. In mass, the strongest beat up on the weakest, or at least have some major influence in the behavior or final appearance of the parts. Because we are talking mostly about machined parts or man made objects, the design configuration of these parts are made in such a way that they are not too compatible with nature. What I mean by that is that naturally occurring media or random abrasive supplies are normally not good enough to work most parts because of their irregular shapes. In short, because of the irregularities of random sizes and shapes of abrasive materials and their mass behavior, the media usually gets stuck within the configuration of the part, thereby neutralizing the

surface modification process, which can result in a non-uniform finish. If the part is relatively simple and can be worked with this random media, it is normally the least expensive media and way to process parts. There are now some extremely hard, man made abrasive products made in this random form, which are very effective for both deburring and burnishing; therefore, this media should be considered when and where possible. In addition to random, abrasive products classified into specific size ranges are man made abrasive shapes of uniform specific size. Generally speaking, all mass finishing media, like parts, are man made into preformed shapes from 1 of 4 basic composition materials or bonding agents. The most abrasive materials are made with ceramic and plastic materials. These bonding Continued on page 9...

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1715 E. Conover Blvd. Conover, NC 28613

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FINISHING TALK

FROM THE FORUM: WHO WANTS TO TALK ELECTROPOLISHING? Posted on March 14, 2008 This month we discuss some of the challenges of electropolishing, particularly with aluminum. Our members also touch upon various ways of masking surfaces to isolate the finish. Forum members DustinGebhardt, Carolina Process Control, and Metfinoh, share their wisdom to help johnthepolisher come up with solutions to his electroplating dilemmas. Feel free to add your thoughts to their ongoing discussion by visiting the forums at www.finishingtalk.com/community/topic180-wantstalk-Electropolishing.html (or search for it in the “Other” forum under “Who wants to talk Electropolishing?”). For more ‘From the Forum’ discussions, check out our monthly internet television show, Finishing Talk Live, where hosts Paul Fisher and Paul Skelton bring the boards to life!

www.finishingtalklive.com johnthepolisher I have been polishing & buffing metal "the old fashion way" since 1988. After reading about electropolishing, I decided to buy a small, 5 gallon electropolishing kit to see if I could reduce the amount of time buffing stainless steel and aluminum. I fired up the new "system" for the first time today. The instructions told me to "break in the tank" before processing my first piece. This was done by polishing a piece of scrap aluminum for 8 hours at .8 amps per square inch at 10 volts. The result was a totally dull finish except for some black burn marks where the wire was touching the part. I hope that is what it was supposed to look like. I have a nagging feeling that I will be visiting this forum quite often...

Metfinoh Are you sure you have a solution that is suitable for Al? Most EP solutions are for SS only. Breaking in the solution is the same as "seeding" the solution, which is really all about the metal content in the bath and can be measured in Specific Gravity. There is tons of info online about EP. You should check out the website for the Metal Coating Process Corporation (www.electropolish.com) for

starters. Good luck. johnthepolisher According to the manufacturer, the solution is supposed to work for both aluminum & stainless. I have only tried a couple of pieces of aluminum, with less than satisfactory results. The tank temperatures are not getting hot enough with the heaters that were sent with the kit - which could be part of the problem. Thanks for the link; I have been "googling" like a mad man, trying to find info on EP! How important are tank temperatures for processing different metals? I don't plan on deviating from the instructions, but I do wonder how temperature affects electropolishing, and why it affects electropolishing. This question is purely out of curiosity... CAROLINA PROCESS CONTROL John, always remember there are three things that can effect any process bath.... -Time -Temperature -Concentration

DustinGebhardt Temperatures in an e-polish bath can drastically affect the work being produced. Depending upon the bath and base metal, high/low temps could cause uneven polishing, preferential dissolving of corner (rounding of sharp edges), pitting (especially true of alloys and aluminum), or a reduction in polishing rate among, other things. The manufacturing process for the part also plays a role, as forgings act differently than castings, which are different from stampings. In many manufacturing processes, the edges of the piece are under more internal stress than elsewhere on the part. This makes them more susceptible to attack by the e-polish. Normally, the epolish chemical is designed to take that into account, and it tries not to attack those areas by using inhibitors and other things. However, when you change the temp, you change the way the different parts of the bath work together and their

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 respective rates of reaction. Now, corners may get attacked faster, which would round them off. Machined castings and alloys are also notorious for having a microscopic, non-homogenous structure. Under a mid to high power microscope, the structure of the alloy becomes apparent as you can differentiate one metal from the other. In castings, often the surface of the part is slightly different than the internal areas, and you expose the internal areas when you machine the casting. Again, changing the temps can cause the epolish chemical to preferentially go after one part of the alloy, which could cause pitting and other defects. Stay within the vendors range and you should be okay. And make sure you know what material you are dealing with. One person's aluminum may be night and day different from the next guy’s. I've seen a few e-polish job shops that struggle with this on a daily basis. johnthepolisher Is it possible to "mask" an area that you don't want Continued on next page...

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FINISHING TALK

WHO WANTS TO TALK ELECTROPOLISHING? - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

to e-polish? For instance, if a customer requests that a certain surface should remain unpolished, is it possible to protect that area from the polishing solution? We have done this on chrome plated parts with aluminum tape, or in certain situations by applying a thin coat of paint.

DustinGebhardt Yes. You can use special tapes or paints to mask the area you don't want polished. Just be aware that the e-polish process removes some of the surface material, and you may be left with a noticeably raised, unpolished surface. johnthepolisher Typically, the areas that I have to mask have serial numbers stamped into the parts - so the raised & unfinished surface is exactly what I am looking for. You wouldn't happen to know of a good supplier of masking materials, would you?

DustinGebhardt I've always used the products of Tolber. They have a whole slew of distributors in the US, my favorite being my former employers out in TX, A Brite. johnthepolisher Thanks for the info, Dustin. Sorry for the delayed response, but I had to manually polish a bunch of parts to keep my cash flow positive (you can check out a couple of recent pieces in the polishing forum). johnthepolisher Since my last post, I purchased a small heater which heats the tanks to the recommended temperatures, but I am still not able to polish anything - which I believe is due to my power source. As per the instructions which came with the set up, I bought a Lincoln Electric AC/DC 225/125 stick welder. I reduced the voltage by wiring the welder to 110v with a dimmer switch on one line (to further reduce the voltage to 10 - 15 volts). I installed an amp meter shunt between the bus bar and the positive power supply. But, according to the amp

meter, I can only generate around 5 amps - even with the welder cranked up to the highest setting. According to the ohm meter, I have the correct voltage. Now I'm wondering if the amp meter is junk, or if I hooked up the power source incorrectly. I have to admit that I am getting quite frustrated - the whole process seems fairly basic and easy to understand, but I can't get "Frankenstein" off the operating table. If I can get this sucker to work, I will be more than happy to invest in a real rectifier to replace the welder. But I don't want to throw another couple thousand dollars into this process without seeing some results. Any insight would be greatly appreciated...

Do you have some insight for John? Log on to the Finishing Talk forums today to join in on this discussion – or start a discussion of your own! www.finishingtalk.com/community

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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 agents are used to bind uniform small grains of abrasives together into a shape. Burnishing media is made from non-abrasive porcelain ceramic and either molded or cut steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass or other metals. Lastly, there is a category of organic materials that are used dry without water systems, and are used primarily to polish; but when blended with inorganic materials they can be used as effectively as an abrasive media. Now, the most important thing you want to remember about mass finishing media is that the heavier and larger the media used, the faster it will process the parts that have to be worked. That means that the more media you can get into a machine system, the faster it will work on the parts because of the weight factor. Where this is not true is in

the old barrel tumbling systems. The older barrel systems need an air gap. Proper fill of media in a barrel should be between 2/3rds to 3/4ths full, so that the parts and media can slide, causing the work action and processing. The weight rule works well for any part, media, process, or equipment. The weight of a preformed shape is also affected by the minerals it is composed of. The most common material used in abrasive preformed media is aluminum oxide. Given the same physical size and shape of the more common compositions, silica or sand is about the lightest mineral preform shape; then aluminum oxides, silicon carbide, and zirconia. Now, given that information about mineral weights, the actual materials that make up the bond can also affect the overall weight

of the preform. If the supplier of the media does not know or understand the significance of the bond, go by the weight rule for the aggressiveness of the media. A good back up for the weight rule is the speed or rate of break down of the bond. That rule being ‘the faster the media wears or breaks down, the more aggressive the media’, because new, fresh abrasive is exposed to do the cutting. However, besides weight and speed, surface finish is also an important factor to be considered before a media is selected. A heavy coarse media is not normally suitable for plating or surface treatments. Then again, that type of media may be required in a 2 or 3 step operation prior to a plated surface treatment. Going by the rules above, to Continued on next page….

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FINISHING TALK

BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF MASS FINISHING, CONT...

achieve the greatest amount of material removal or the fastest deburring media, you normally want to use the largest preformed ceramic shape, available with the coarsest zirconia[2] abrasive grain size possible which is probably .060 in size and often goes by the name ‘fast cut’. This selection is often unrealistic, because you need a shape small enough to get into all the holes, angles, and slots without getting stuck, while also working all of the areas that need to be worked. The media size and shape does not necessarily have to be smaller than the hole or work area, but it should be able to poke a small portion of the shape into that same work area. Normally, inside dimension should not be worked because of tight tolerances. On the other

hand, if a media shape is too large it will not work corners or recesses, leaving a slight shadow appearance or texture in these areas on the finished parts, even after a secondary treatment. When a media shape wears down to about half its original size, it basically becomes ineffective for the part, or parts, it was selected for deburring. This is what I call its ‘half life’. It can still be used on smaller parts, but because of its size and/or mass, it loses its effectiveness or efficiency. On tight tolerance parts where lodging is a problem, this media shape may have to be replaced a lot sooner than its half life. Media may also have to be replaced sooner than half life if the deburring process is not properly maintained. That is, wet

systems are designed to flow or function, thereby removing oils and debris. If the media becomes glazed, it is basically ineffective as an abrasive media and may have to be replaced way before it reaches half life. Glazing occurs when oils, metals, or other debris get imbedded into the surface of the media, due mostly to poor liquid flow or chemical additives in the process. Basically, glazing is a coating on the media that creates a barrier so the media cannot break down. Besides the abrasive grain size, the next controlling factor for selecting a media is the bond or glue that holds the matrix together like cement. In fact, the manufacturing process of preformed shapes is almost exactly like making cement, except the

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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 finished shaped must be cured in an oven and baked to create the proper hardness. Each manufacturer of preformed abrasive shapes makes at least 5 to 7 standard grades, compositions, or formulations of the same size or shape. Another rule to consider here is that the smoothness of the part’s surface finish can only be the same as the size variation of the largest particle grain size that makes up the media. That is the reason for these different formulations. They are necessary for regulating the cut and the surface finish of the final part. Parts made out of different materials with different hardness factors may have different finishing requirements. Therefore, not only do you have to deburr the part, it is also necessary that you create the right surface smoothness.

Now, I have told you what the fastest deburring media is, but there are a lot of exceptions to this rule. First of all, ceramic media is almost always used on ferrous metals because its hardness and rigid form makes it very aggressive. Plastic bonded media is almost always used on non-ferrous metals because it is more flexible and gives on metals, making it a more gentle media. For deburring plastics, ceramics are generally recommended, except when appearance is a concern. In some cases, ceramics can be used on non-ferrous materials; however, the media will normally leave the metal rougher than what its surface finish was prior to processing. A better and faster choice for nonferrous metals would be a finecut ceramic, or a hybrid, light weight ceramic media, which is supposed to be an all purpose

media for both ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Light weight ceramic is about the same weight as plastic and works well in some applications, but it still takes longer than normal on ferrous parts, and leaves non-ferrous parts somewhat rougher than plastic media. Some plastics can be used on ferrous materials, but the longer time cycles are not normally cost effective - except when used in high energy equipment systems.

Please see the July issue of Finishing Talk for Part II of “The Basic Fundamentals of Mass Finishing” You can reach the author at : Nova Finishing PO Box 185 Hatboro, PA 19040 215-942-4474 * 800-444-4159 Fax: 215-953-1342 [email protected]

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FINISHING TALK

FINISHING SPOTLIGHT: CAROLINA CLASSIC HELD IN WESTERN NC

T

he 9th Annual Carolina Classic golf tournament was recently held at the beautiful Cleghhorn Plantation Golf Course in Rutherfordton, NC, on Friday, May 16th, 2008. Both the Palmetto & Carolina Metrolina branches of the AESF came together in one accord under the leadership of Paul Skelton, the newly elected President of the Palmetto Branch. Under his leadership, and with the help of many members and sponsors, he organized another successful outing with over 60 in attendance. This year’s winning team, with a score of 58 included: Kevin Helton of Crossair, Keith Helton (Kevin’s brother), and Bill Zimmerman of Bommer Bruce Fisher and Paul Skelton Industries, who also took home the Closest-to-Pin Longest Drive (Thanks to all the Sponsors): and Straightest Drive awards. Hole#18: Bruce Fisher (BCF Industrial Supplies) Straightest Drive Contest (Thanks to all the Sponsors): Hole#13: Kevin Helton (Crossair) 9-Hole Mystery Scramble Winners: Kevin Helton, Keith Helton and Bill Zimmerman.

Bill Zimmerman, Keith Helton, and Kevin Helton

KCH Service’s ‘Team II’, made up of J.R. Grogan, Richard McBrayer, Tommy Toney, and Brody Hankinson, took the runner-up spot with a 64. And coming in Last Place, a score of 75 was proudly accepted by Paul Skelton, team Carolina Process Control (CPC). Other Hole-Contests were awarded, such as: Closest-to-Pin (Sponsored by Martron): Hole#3: Charles Williams (Oxford Instruments guest) Hole#7: Paul Skelton (CPC) Hole#12: Charles Williams (Oxford Instruments guest) Hole#16: Bill Zimmerman (Bommer Industries)

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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 This year’s Anniversary sponsors included: American Plating Power, Palm International, Oxford Instruments, Crossair, Metal Chem, Surface Finishing Academy, A Brite Co., PAVCO, The Turner Agency, and Finishing.TV. 9th Hole Sponsors included: OMG Fidelity, Zurv, CPC and A Brite Co. And an Honorary Branch Sponsor and proud son of Frank Hawkins (member, Capsco, Inc.), Lieutenant Derrick Hawkins, US Army. In addition, the NASF and both Palmetto and Charlotte Metrolina branches raffled two NASF memberships to two non-members, Bryan Bollick and Rickey Phillips. In addition to the 56 golfers in attendance, members David French (French & Assoc.) and Steve Gilbert (Luster-On Products) both honored us by cooking everyone dinner on the mega-grille. The menu consisted of brauts, cheeseburgers, and all the fixin’s. This tournament was full of fellowship and fun, ending the season of events for both branches. “I have been a part of the Carolina Classic for five years running, the weather was beautiful, the scenery out here is phenomenal - the Classic always brings about good times. Thanks to all the golfers that participated, the sponsors that support the event, the branches, and obviously the golf course. This wouldn’t be a success without everyone.” commented Carolina Classic Golf Coordinator, Paul Skelton. You can find more pictures from this event by visiting our website at www.finishingtalk.com/

David French and Steve Gilbert cooking up a storm

community and then clicking the “metal finishing associations” category.

Branch News: Elected in April, new officers for the 2008/2009 session were announced for the Palmetto Branch: Elected President, Paul Skelton, CPC; First Vice President, Kevin Helton, Crossair; Secretary & Treasure, Jim Kistler, CAPSCO, Inc. Both branches will announce a joint officers meeting in August to start off the new session in September. ~FT~

Send us pictures and info from your industry related event, and they may end up in a future column of Finishing Talk’s “Finishing Spotlight”.

FINISHING TALK ANNOUNCES ARTICLE CONTEST! Starting on June 1st 2008 and ending July 31st, Finishing Talk will be holding an article contest. Articles must be industry-related (powder coating, painting, electroplating, anodizing, etc…), and no longer than 2,000 words. The winning articles will be published in upcoming issues of Finishing Talk. Articles will be judged on relevance to the industry, professionalism, accuracy, organization of ideas, originality and overall flow. Accompanying images may be submitted along with the article or editorial. We are open to a variety of styles - from the purely technical to pure opinion - so go ahead and submit what you’ve got! Articles may have been published previously, but the author may only submit a pre-published article if they hold the rights to it and have the authority to do so. The 1st place prize will be 6 months of free banner ads for your company on the Finishing Talk website. 2nd place receives 3 months of banner ads, and 3rd place will receive a banner ad for 1 month. You may submit your article digitally either through the Finishing Talk forums at www.finishingtalk.com/community and click on ‘article submissions’, or by e-mail to Anna Levitsky, [email protected]. You may also mail a hard copy to PO Box 349, Rutherfordton, NC 28139. Good luck!

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THE LAST WORD REVIEW: EPA’S 2008 REPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

O

th

n May 20 , 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency released its 2008 Report on the Environment (EPA 2008 ROE), a science-based report that answers questions about recent trends in human health and the environment. The report uses scientifically sound measures, called indicators, to address fundamental questions relevant to the EPA’s mission to protect the environment and human health. These indicators were reviewed in a public forum prior to the creation of the report to determine if citizens (not just scientists) believed that the proposed indicators provided useful and technically sound data. One of the goals of the report is to eventually lead to the development of new indicators, monitoring strategies, and programs and policies in the areas that the EPA determines to be highly important based on measured environmental trends. Since this kind of thing is right up my alley (and since my coworkers are always calling me a tree hugger) I decided to check out the hot-off-the-press ROE. I was impressed with the immensity of the report, as well as the clear and systematic layout of the chapters. The report is divided into five main sections (excluding the Introduction and Afterward), and are then subdivided into more detailed categories: 1. Air (subdivided into Outdoor, Greenhouse Gases, and Indoor) 2. Water (subdivided into Water & Watersheds, Ground Wa-

ter, Wetlands, Coastal Water, Drinking Water, Recreational Water, & Consumable Fish and Shellfish) 3. Land (subdivided into Land Cover & Land Use) 4. Human Exposure & Health (subdivided into Exposure to Environmental Contaminants, Health Status, and Disease & Conditions) 5. Ecological Condition (subdivided into Extend & Distribution, Diversity & Biological Balance, Ecological Processes, Physical & Chemical Attributes, Ecological Exposure & Contaminants) Within these chapters and subsections, the EPA presents 78 environmental indicators on a national scale. For example, the Air Chapter indicates several trends that show a considerable decrease in Ambient Concentrations of Carbon Monoxide in the United States. Armed with graphs, concise explanations of each indicator & its limitations, and easy to understand summaries of the presented data, the EPA delivers otherwise scientific and complex information in a way that is fairly easy for the average American to grasp. In addition, the report includes region-specific data (apparently, I live in region 4). One of the more vague regional indicators shows an increase in Regional Haze between 1992 and 2004, comparing the views from National Parks on both the East and West coast. Interestingly, on the clearest of days (least haze) the view on the East Coast is only as good as the

BY ANNA LEVITSKY

least clear of days (most haze) on the West Coast. Another useful and interesting aspect of the report is the inclusion of detailed ‘before and after’ diagrams showing the difference in (to name just one) Sulfur Deposition throughout the US. The indicator presents two maps of the United States, each color-coded to identify sulfur deposits directly before and several years after sulfur and nitrogen oxide emission controls became mandated by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment. The difference is quite striking. Perhaps one of the most fascinating (and frightening) indicators included in the 2008 ROE is one of the population indicators. With data going all the way back to 1790, the graph features a clear, upward trend slope, beginning with a meager 4 million people and skyrocketing up to the year 2000 - to a population of 300 million. Overall, I found the ROE to be full of information that average individuals would find easy to grasp, as well as fundamentally important to know and understand in today’s industrialized world. Keeping abreast with the quality of the air you breathe, the level of toxicity in the water you drink and the food you consume, and the correlation between the impact of human activity on overall human health is something every person should make an effort to do. So, take the initiative! EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environment http://www.epa.gov/roe

PRST/STD US Postage Paid Rutherfordton, NC

PO Box 349

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Rutherfordton, NC 28139 June 2008 Anna Levitsky, Editor Phone: 704-995-2263 [email protected]

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