The SWAP SHOP: A surplus materials exchange network at DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation

The diversity and continually changing nature of the research and production programs at the ORR plant sites, as well as the size of the facilities and their physical separation on the ORR, lead to the buildup of surplus equipment and materials from canceled or completed projects, changes in work orders or directives, or over-procurement of particular items or materials. Many times, for lack of a means to find legitimate uses for these excess items, they have been disposed of as wastes or sold as salvage. Recognizing that this situation prevails at most, if not all, government facilities, Congress has enacted legislation encouraging the establishment of waste minimization, pollution prevention, and cost avoidance measures throughout government-owned facilities. In response to this, the Secretary of Energy has instituted a high-priority DOE initiative to develop, promote, and implement waste minimization and pollution prevention at government installations. One result of the increased awareness and emphasis on environmental concerns and improved resource management is the recent grassroots development of a surplus materials exchange network developed and operated on a voluntary basis by Environmental Protection Officers (EPOs) at the Oak Ridge installations. The EPOs are full-time or part-time staff members employed by each division to provide guidance and assistance for achieving compliance with all environmental regulatory requirements and to resolve waste disposal problems. The materials exchange network, called the SWAP SHOP, provides an EPO communications and problem-solving network to help eliminate unnecessary disposal of usable surplus chemicals and equipment at the Oak Ridge plant sites