Consultation document on Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane(D4): annex 2

Annex 2: Voluntary Questionnaire (2010)

The following questions were sent to certain facilities in May and June 2010.  If your facility did not receive this questionnaire and are interested in providing Environment Canada with the information for your facility, answers to these questions should be sent by email to pgpc-cmp.dppc-cpd@­ec.gc.ca.  Please type “Consultation on D4 - Industrial release regulations - Questionnaire” in the subject line of your message.

1. Quantity, use and cost of the substances:

1. Can you provide the quantity and use of D4 and D5 for the last 5 years ending with 2009? If yes, please provide them.
2. What is the trend in use for D4 and D5 in your facility? Do you know the trend in use for D4 and D5 for your industrial sector?
3. What is the cost of D4 and D5 per unit (please identify unit of measurement) over the last 5 years?

2. Alternatives:

1. Are D4 and D5 alternatives to each other? In what cases?
2. Are there alternatives to D4 and D5 that can currently be used to replace them?
3. Are these alternatives currently available in Canada?
4. What are the costs per unit (please identify unit of measurement) of these alternatives?
5. Do you know if or when these alternatives will be available in Canada?
6. If no alternatives are currently available, are you aware of any on-going research?

3. Industrial Process:

1. In what kind of processes are D4 and D5 used at your facility?  Please briefly describe the process.
2. Is it a continuous process or a batch process?
3. Is it a closed-loop system?
4. Does the process involving D4 and D5 use dedicated lines?
5. Do you have drains on the floor?
6. Is there any possibility of D4 or D5 entering these drains? If it goes into the drains, are the liquids collected or treated?
7. Is there possibility of release of D4 and D5 to waterways during the process or maintenance of the equipment? If yes, where?

4. Shipping and Handling Practices:

1. In what kind of containers are D4 and D5 delivered to the facility (Drums, tote, road truck, rail)?
2. Are these containers directly connected to the process lines? If not, how do the substances enter the process?
3. How are the empty containers handled (Rinsed on site? Shipped back to supplier? Sent to specialized handling/disposal facility?)?
4. If applicable, what are the costs associated with rinsing, returning back to suppliers or to disposal facilities?

5. Cleaning Practices:

1. What are the cleaning and rinsing practices at the facility for the process?
2. Where does the cleaning/rinse water go? Is it recovered and shipped to a specialized handling facility? Re-used in the process? Treated on site?
3. What are the associated costs to these cleaning practices?

6. Industrial Effluent (wastewater):

1. Does your facility have an effluent? If yes, what kind of effluent (process, cooling water, sanitary, other)?
2. Is your effluent treated on-site? If yes, what kind of treatment and for which effluent i.e. process effluent, cooling waters, sanitary?
3. What are the costs associated with the treatment system (initial capital investment and on-going annual operating costs)?
4. Is your effluent discharged into the municipal wastewater treatment plant (please indicate the type of municipal wastewater treatment, if known: primary, secondary)? To a water body?
5. Is your effluent likely to contain D4 or D5?
6. Do you have equipment to measure the effluent flow rate (e.g. flow meter)?
7. Do you have an estimate of your effluent flow rate (or water consumption - would the water consumption be representative of the effluent flow rate?)?
8. Is your process effluent separate from the sanitary effluent and cooling effluent?
9. Would you be able to install equipment to measure your process effluent flow rate? Would you have an estimated cost of installing this equipment?
10. What would be the associated costs (capital and operating) of this equipment?

7. Facility Shut Down (for maintenance or process upset):

1. Is there possible release D4 or D5 during facility shut down?
2. What would be the impact of a shut down on the concentration of siloxanes in the effluent (because of possible lower effluent flow rate)?

8. Technology to control or reduce release of siloxanes:

1. Are you aware of any existing control technology to control or reduce releases of D4 and D5 in industrial effluent?
2. Do you have an estimate of removal efficiency for D4 or D5 and of the cost associated with this technology?

9. Sampling and analysis:

1. Have you ever tested your industrial effluent for D4 or D5? If yes, what were the results of these tests? What were the costs of the analysis?
2. Do you currently sample and analyze other substances in your effluent? If yes, please provide a list of substances.
3. Are these analysis done on site or sent to a private laboratory?
4. What would be the cost associated with sampling and analysis of D4 and D5 in your effluent (analysis, material, shipping, labor)?

10. Management System:

1. Do you have any management systems in place (ISO, Responsible Care, other)?
2. What would be the cost associated with developing and implementing such a system?
3. Are you a member of an industry association? If yes, please provide name of the association.

11. Municipal and provincial regulatory requirements:

1. Does your facility operate under a permit or certificate issued by the province? If yes, under which regulations?
2. Does your facility operate under a permit or certificate issued by the municipality? If yes, under which by-law?
3. Are there any municipal rule or by-law(s) that controls your effluent?

12. Other information:

The following question will only be asked to companies that have previously provided data on release to water

1. How did you estimate or calculate the reported value in the section 71 notice?
2. Were these values based on estimates/assumptions? What were they?
3. Is it possible that there could be some trace of D4 or D5 in an analyzed sample of your effluent?
4. Would you be willing to collaborate with EC and give us the permission to sample and analyze your effluent?