> A newcomer to this forum, I'd like to address a question to Bill Turley,
> in response to his sensible reflections on deconstruction:
>
> Bill:
>
> I appreciate your point - the marketplace already reflects the sensible,
> economic, available deconstruction technologies quite well, as nearly
> every town has somebody in business of salvaging building materials.
> Given that the "wreckers" and "salvage operators" who operate the (very)
> few businesses making a living in this area are usually operating on a
> shoestring, without a "technology development" budget, is this an area in
> which some research into new salvage technologies might pay-off? Some
> states have "market-development" organizations that might be able to fund
> technology-development and transfer projects. Can you envision any
> research that such programs might beneficially undertake? or do you think
> this would be a waste of time?
>
> I ask this because here, in Seattle/King County, we have benefited from
> the excellent technology-development and transfer work of the Clean
> Washington Center (before they were de-funded by the Washington State
> Department of Trade and Economic Development). As an example of the
> benefits this group provided: Their research into technologies for glass
> recycling led to the establishment of a processing-plant in Seattle that
> is using recycled glass to produce products with precise specifications
> for technical applications such as filtration of gases and liquids and
> sandblasting. King County, in fact, recently purchased 18 tons of
> filter-sand to charge the sand-based water filtration system at a
> municipal Olympic swimming-pool.
>
> It has been very productive for us that the Clean Washington Center was
> able to help this technology develop to the point where we are actually
> able to obtain products made from recycled materials that perform well and
> are competitively priced. That experience leads me to ask you if such an
> approach might benefit the "deconstruction" industry.
>
> Fortunately, by the way, the Clean Washington Center was able to keep its
> stable of engineers together and continues to apply its talents to
> developing recycling technologies under the name "CWC." Our state,
> unfortunately, no longer benefits directly from this work, however.
>
> Thanks
>
> eric
>
> Eric Nelson (206) 296-4324 and Karen Hamilton (206) 296-4317
> Environmental Purchasing Program
> King County Procurement Services
> 500 - 4th Ave, Room 620
> Seattle, WA 98104
>
> Environmental Purchasing web-site:
> http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green
>
>
>
>
>