Volt Birth Watch 121: Keepin' It Wheel

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Autoblog Green has picked up a press release from Alcoa, which reveals that the aluminum giant has secured the wheel contract for the Chevy Volt project. And though we could justifiably complain that this is literally putting the wheels before the horse (we still have no official confirmation of the battery contract status) there’s even more to dislike about this move. Obviously the Volt has to justify its sky-high MSRP on its green credentials (given that GM’s green credentials are riding on this single program), but choosing Alcoa as a wheel supplier further degrades the program’s green cred. Alcoa was recently named number 15 on Political Economy Research Institute’s (PERI) Toxic 100 of 2008 for releasing 13.11 million pounds of toxic air this year. The firm has run afoul of the Environmental Protection Agency several times for violations of the Clean Air Act and creating at least one groundwater superfund site. But hey, Alcoa’s wheels are about 20 percent lighter and twice as strong as other cast aluminum wheels. So whatevs, right? Then again, we are talking about a firm that trumpets paint burning as an environmentally friendly move.

Edward Niedermeyer
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  • Ronnie Schreiber Ronnie Schreiber on Dec 22, 2008
    Then again, we are talking about a firm that trumpets paint burning as an environmentally friendly move. You make it sound as though the waste is being burned in open pits, polluting the air with dark black smoke. I have no doubt that this paint waste is being disposed of with the "best available technology". Nothing that humans do is without some environmental impact. The trick is to choose a disposal method with the least impact. As the linked article says, the alternative to burning the waste is burying it in a landfill. Since automotive paint waste can include toxics like cadmium and lead, landfilling may not be the best alternative. Controlled combustion with appropriate exhaust technologies may have less environmental impact than landfill. Also, since the paint waste can have some BTU value, heat energy can be recovered for other uses. While the article said that the paint "chips" are non-hazardous, it should be noted that is a term based on what the law says is "hazardous", just like CFR 49 says that a 55 gallon barrel with less than 1" of liquid is considered "empty". While the paint waste involved in the article may be legally non-hazardous, it can still contain some hazardous materials so it needs to be disposed of appropriately. Ironically, I actually have some professional experience at disposing paint waste, having managed all waste streams for a DuPont automotive paint lab. DuPont, btw, is #1 on PERI's list of environmental bad guys, but then as psarhjinian pointed out, it's basically a list of leading industrial companies. If you're in manufacturing and you aren't on the list, you're probably not in such great shape. It would be interesting to see where Apple and other companies who offshore much of their production would be ranked if their outsourced-to-China operations were included. State controlled economies do not have a sterling environmental track record (see Ecocide in the USSR: Health and Nature Under Siege: Murray Feshbach, Alfred Friendly, Lester Brown). It's not clear from the article just what they are talking about since it mentions "paint chips" but also describes the waste as being overspray. Assembly plant paint shops produce two kinds of paint waste, as far as I know. The walls of the paint shop are sprayed with a strippable coating that is replaced when the overspray builds up. Also, there is a circulating water system below the floor grates that collects overspray. Clay and other materials are added to the water to give the paint something to bind to. After separating the water, which can be reused, the resulting sludge has to be disposed of. Paint booth sludge has a high water content and all that clay etc, so it has a relatively low BTU value. Most of that ends up being burned at cement kilns, which operate at high enough temperatures that they can burn low BTU materials and destroy them to 5 or 6 nines (99.9999% destroyed). My guess is the article is talking about the strippable coatings for the paint shop walls, which has a higher BTU content than the sludge. Landfilling or deepwater injection should be a last resort.
  • Ronnie Schreiber Ronnie Schreiber on Dec 22, 2008
    Most kitchens in the US have about the same amount of Nickel in them as a Prius battery. If your convinced that the Prius has a dirty manufacturing process - you might also have to believe that so does your flatware, sinks, garbage disposal, and dish washer, and that buisness flight cross country, besides that shiny grill on the front of the Hummer next to you in traffic. A sophisticated form of the tu quoque argument. The fact remains that mining is not environmentally benign, and yes, I recognize that the appliances in my kitchen come with an environmental cost. Oh, and that Hummer gril? It's most likely chrome (which has its own environmental issues) plated plastic, not stainless steel. I at least recognize that the titanium, aluminum, rubber and polymers used to make my bicycle has some environmental impact. It would be nice if Prius drivers and environmentalists would acknowledge and not minimize the environmental impact of their own lifestyles. My bike is morally superior to your Prius. That's not really how I feel, but I think it's an appropriate response.
  • Redbarchetta Redbarchetta on Dec 22, 2008
    If you’re in manufacturing and you aren’t on the list, you’re probably not in such great shape. Chrysler is not on the list, you might be right.
  • Lewissalem Lewissalem on Dec 23, 2008

    Alcoa runs a few man made lakes here in NC. During a drought a few years ago, they refused to slow down the hydroelectricity production on High Rock Lake and the lake almost completely dried up, killing much of the wildlife that relies on the lake. This is only one example of Alcoa's environmental record.

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