The Management Consulting Group

Make Your Federal Resume Fed Ready Now Uncle Sam is fussy
about your paperwork

Environmental Career Center

Hampton, Virginia

Want a great job with a good salary, security, nice benefits,
and promotion opportunities in natural resources policy &
management, environmental protection, sustainability planning &
design, or related area? How about helping with the
environmental clean-up of Katrina? Interested in a cool job at
the Flat Tops Wilderness Area in Colorado, Denali National Park
& Preserve in Alaska, or NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science
Center in Woods Hole? If you answered yes to any of these
questions, then a Federal career of protecting our environment
may be right for you.

However, if you expect to email your current résumé when
applying to Federal agencies, think again. You need to create a
résumé version (or several versions) to meet Uncle Sam’s rigid
rules now to be prepared in advance of the right opportunity.
Why? Because some Federal job application procedures require
much more paperwork, have tight deadlines, and can be
intimidating … though they have simplified the process much
over the past decade.

You may apply for most Federal jobs with a résumé, an Optional
Application for Federal Employment (OF 612), or other written
format. If your résumé or application does not provide all the
information requested on the OF 612 and in the job vacancy
announcement, you may lose consideration for a job. Obtain the
OF 612 at www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill
/of612.pdf .

Information That Is Required In a Federal Résumé:

If you prepare a résumé, be sure you provide all of the
information listed below. This is the same information that is
identified on the OF-612 application form, You don’t need to
send both an OF-612 application form and a résumé.

Tell the agency what job you are applying for -The vacancy
announcement number, title and grade

Provide all of the following:

-Full name, mailing address and day/evening telephone numbers
-Social Security Number

-Country of Citizenship

-Highest Federal civilian grade held, job series, and dates of
employment in the grade.

Education:

-High School name, city, state and zip code, date of diploma or
GED

-Colleges and/or Universities attended, city, state and zip code

-Major field(s) of study

-Type and year of degree(s) received.

Work experience related to the job for which you are applying.

-Job title

-Duties and accomplishments

-Number of hours per week

-Employers name and address

-Supervisor’s name and phone number

-Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)

-Salary

-Indicate if your current supervisor may be contacted.

Other Qualifications:

-Job-related training courses (title and year)

-Job-related skills (e.g., other languages, computer
software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.)

-Job-related certificates and licenses

-Job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments (e.g.
publications, memberships in professional or honor societies,
leadership activities, public speaking, performance awards,
etc.) (Do not send copies of documents unless specifically
requested.)

Veterans Preference:

-Indicate if you are claiming 5 points (attach DD 214) or 10
points (attach an Application for 10 Point Veterans’ Preference
(SF-15) and proof required as indicated on the SF-15.)

Refine Your Résumé — Prove You’re the One They Want

Obviously, you may want to have several versions of your Federal
résumé for each type of position you desire and for which you
qualify. For example, prepare one Federal résumé for an
Environmental Protection Specialist (GS-0028 series) and one
résumé for Wildlife Biologist (GS-486 series). You may review
qualifications for each job in the US Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families -
see
www.opm.gov/fedclass/html/gsseries.asp.

Remember to check the Federal job announcement thoroughly for
all the required and desired qualifications and other
information the hiring official specifies. The KSAs are often a
candidate screening tool for Federal agencies - KSAs are
knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required
qualifications for the job. If they are listed, then you need to
prepare a narrative that describes how you meet each KSA. Be
clear, complete, and concise. This is extra work, but at least
Uncle Sam has created a résumé writing tool for you.

Résumé Building Tool

The OPM has a nice résumé building tool online that will help
walk you through the process. Go the OPM web site www.opm.gov, and click on the Create a
Résumé button. You may simply cut and paste from your current
résumé, but remember to include in your résumé all the
information discussed above.

Prepare your Federal environmental résumé now. When you find a
great job opening with short deadline, you’ll be way ahead of
competing candidates, and less stressed out. Do it now.

ECC

Lots of people consider that a tan makes them more attractive and more healthy-looking, and so go out of their way to sit in the sun for hours and get one. However, this doesn’t always result in much of a tan, meaning that you will often have to sit in the sun for days on end to see any noticeable effects.

The solution to this problem, at least supposedly, is sun tan oil. Tanning oils are there to make your skin more sensitive to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, meaning that it absorbs more and therefore goes browner. This is controversial, as UV rays have been linked to skin cancer among other diseases, and it is believed that using tanning oils can lead to skin damage – a high price to pay considering the only reason to use them is, essentially, vanity.

The alternatives leave a lot to be desired, though. Using a tanning bed has the same problems in terms of skin damage, and costs a lot too. Fake tan tends to be very fake-looking, making you go more bright orange than brown, and it is hard to escape the feeling that you’re a little tragic if you use it.

With this is mind, many consider the tanning oil alternative to be the best of a bad bunch. It is possible to go some way towards minimising the risks of tanning oil if you get oil that protects you from the sun at least to some extent (look for ones with SPF on the bottle), and try to only stay in the sun for half an hour or so. Since you have put on the tanning oil, it is very important not to stay out for too long, and this is the mistake that many people make.

Whatever you do, remember that tans are not really as healthy as people think they are: a tan is actually your body’s way of dealing with damage that has been caused by the sun, in an effort to stop you from getting sunburn. If you are going to have a tan, it’s wise to limit the times when you do rather than try to have one all year round, and to be very careful with the sun. If you hurt yourself now, you might not know about it until you’re 50 or even older, but when you find out it won’t be a nice surprise for you.

John Gibb is the owner of sun tan oils information, For more information on sun tan oil please check out www.Sun-Tan-Oils-information.info

TF (oil purifier,oil purification,oil filtration,oil filter,oil
treatment,oil recycling,oil regeneration,oil filtering, oil
reclaim plant,oil recovery,waste managment,oil disposal,oil
reclamation.oil restoration )series is particularly suitable for
purifying turbine lubricating oil. It also applys to treat
hydraulic, coolant oil and other lubrication in which contain
large of water, vapor, impurities, sludge, dielectric and
colloid. It can eliminate them effectively and efficiently. TF
series will result in the improvement of the properties of
turbine oil, other lubrication and extend the maintenance period
of turbine or other equipment which has lubrication system and
keep them operate in good condition.

About NLR
As the leading provider of comprehensive universal waste management services, Northeast Lamp Recycling (NLR) serves commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout New England, New York, New Jersey and the United States. Headquartered in East Windsor, Connecticut, our primary focus is to significantly reduce environmental mercury-contamination associated with the improper disposal and mismanagement of “spent” fluorescent and other mercury-containing lamps. NLR’s goal is to combine sound engineering and management practices while consistently delivering a cost effective and environmentally safe method of disposal. Commitment and dedication to worker safety and environmental compliance ensures their goals are constantly achieved. For more information, visit NLR online at www.NLRlamp.com

About the Author

Northeast Lamp Recycling, Inc. (NLR) has been a leading provider of universal waste management solutions in Connecticut and throughout the northeast since 1994. The primary focus of NLR is to reduce the mercury-contamination associated with the improper disposal and mismanagement of “spent” fluorescents and other mercury-containing lamps.

Embracing Clean Energy Solutions

By Ann-Marie Fleming, December 2005

As the nation works towards meeting the growing energy demands
while maintaining security, energy independence and
environmental protection, many industry participants are turning
towards cleaner sources of energy. Some are looking at better
ways of utilizing existing supplies of power producing material
like coal and natural gas and others are embracing alternatives
such as renewable energy technology. While the future landscape
for the energy industry has yet to be determined it appears that
a diversified portfolio of cleaner and safer means for the
production of electricity is a realistic expectation.

The Drive towards Clean Energy: There are many factors that can
be attributed to the energy industry’s movement towards cleaner
energy. The environment has long suffered and society is less
willing to allow its harm to continue. Higher energy prices due
to growing demand and constrained supply has fueled the debate
for alternative solutions and security efforts to reduce the
nation’s reliance on foreign sources of energy has become a
priority. These themes have become intertwined throughout
government initiatives and consumer sentiment. As described by
Jamie Wimberly, CEO of the Distributed Energy Financial Group
LLC and Founder of the Distributed Energy Stock Index (DESI),
“For the next three to five years, the major drivers toward the
pursuit for cleaner sources of energy as an end unto itself
would include, in this order: government policies and
regulation, corporate strategies and customer preferences. For
most customers, however, concerns over high prices and the
reliability of supply are the drivers to seek alternative
sources of energy or solutions. Fortunately, this is a virtuous
circle. New energy technologies which match those needs are
generally more efficient and thus cleaner, which will make it
even easier for a customer to make a decision to change. More
customer acceptance, in turn, will drive economies of scale and
scope to make the new, cleaner energy technologies even more
competitive over time. But it is going to take awhile.”

Alternative Energy: Over the years, as innovation has led to
practical alternatives for energy production, a diverse set of
technologies has arisen in the renewable energy arena. Energy
Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD Ovonics) is a developer of
alternative energy solutions that includes a diversified
selection of solar, fuel cell, battery and hydrogen innovations.
ECD’s Stanford Ovshinsky, President, Chief Technology Officer
and Co-Founder describes the Company’s technology portfolio as
being able to provide the complete energy loop. “We generate
electrical energy with our thin-film photovoltaic products. We
store electrical energy in our NiMH battery products. We
distribute hydrogen through our Ovonic metal hydride storage
materials technology. We use hydrogen to power a wide range of
stationary and mobile devices through our Ovonic metal hydride
fuel cell technology or as a fuel source for internal
combustions engines. Hydrogen-powered products produce no
pollution and no global climate changing CO2 emissions.
Additionally, hydrogen is practically limitless. We can and must
reduce our dependence on oil to reduce the potential for
energy-related wars, inflation, and economic instability,”
explains Ovshinsky.

Natural Gas:

Over the years natural gas has become a prominent source of
energy in large part due to the fact that it burns much cleaner
than other fossil fuels and has lower emissions than traditional
coal or oil. While natural gas is a much cleaner source of
energy, a key challenge for this industry has been the reduction
of harmful effects that are associated with the escape of
methane, a form of greenhouse gas. Technology has enabled
participants in this industry to control its impact on the
environment through innovations in detection and analysis to
more accurately identify natural gas reserves, reducing the
number of drilling required. Improvements in storage and
transportation pipelines have also helped to reduce the amount
of natural gas leaks. “The development of extremely efficient,
combined-cycle turbine (CCT) technology has been a breakthrough
for natural gas electric generation, which some energy analysts
see as an important stepping-stone away from coal. The latest
CCTs can convert about 60% of natural gas’ heating value into
electric energy, nearly twice what a typical coal boiler can do.
Gas burns cleaner than coal, too,” states Hammerschlag.

Petrol Oil and Gas, Inc., a Coal Bed Methane (CBM) producer,
utilizes progressive technology to address the environmental
concerns associated with CBM dewatering and carbon dioxide
issues. Paul Branagan, Petrol’s CEO explains, “Petrol transports
water produced from our CBM fields through underground pipelines
and safely re-injects that water into our salt water disposal
wells. Our operations area located in rural southeast Kansas and
Petrol tries to minimize our impact on the farmers and ranchers
fields by handling our water disposal in this manner. It
essentially eliminates the need for tank batteries, trucking and
handling which ultimately reduces the risks of spills,
environmental hazards and cleanup. Although carbon dioxide
production is relatively small, averaging between 1-8% of the
produced gases we recently added a processing plant to strip
carbon monoxide from our natural gas stream, reducing it below
1%. This process increases the heat content of the sales gas as
well as reducing any potential hazards to the interstate
pipeline.”

Clean Coal:

In President George Bush’s Energy Policy cleaner sources of
domestic energy is a key focus to try and take advantage of
local supply in a manner that does not compromise the
environment as the nation works towards energy independence.
“This bill will allow America to make cleaner and more
productive use of our domestic energy resources, including coal,
and nuclear power, and oil and natural gas. By using these
reliable sources to supply more of our energy, we’ll reduce our
reliance on energy from foreign countries, and that will help
this economy grow so people can work. Coal is America’s most
abundant energy resource. It accounts for more than one-half of
our electricity production. The challenge is to develop ways to
take advantage of our coal resources while keeping our air
clean,” stated the President.

The United States congress has funded over $1.3 billion in
research towards making existing coal plants cleaner and to help
in the building of future clean coal plants.

American Electric Power (AEP), one of the largest electric
utilities in the United States has 70% of its fuel portfolio in
coal; however they are actively pursuing clean coal production
to utilize domestic supplies with less environmental impact.
AEP’s Melissa McHenry, Corporate Media Relations describes,
“There is increasing public support for environmental
improvements in using coal for energy generation. We (AEP)
believe that it is very important to be on the forefront of
demonstrating technology and improving technology that will
enable us to continue to use domestic reserves of coal, which
are very important for the energy security of the country, to
generate electricity.”

AEP have been conducting environmental retrofits as well as
pursuing new Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC)
plants. The IGCC process according to McHenry, entails
approximately a 20% cost premium over conventional coal-fired
plants, but efficiency advantages and a long term view on
removing all types of pollutants outweigh the initial cost
differential. While research-scale IGCC plants have been around
for more than a decade, until recently there was no one willing
to move forward with a commercial project. “In the past, you
could purchase the plans for building an IGGC plant, but all of
the risk of construction and hoping it would work was on you.
Now GE and Bechtel have formed a consortium and other companies
such as Shell have stepped up to build plants and guarantee
their operation. That is critically important when you are
building a regulated plant.”

Manufacturing:

In China, coal dominates energy production, but is also a key
driver of the steel industry. The use of coal across multiple
markets is often associated with environmental destruction, but
the Chinese Government’s increasing focus on reducing the impact
that their economic and population growth has on the environment
has led to cleaner manufacturing processes. This focus has
inspired companies producing the materials to pursue methods
that support this progressive consciousness.

Puda Coal Inc., a leading supplier of China’s premium grade
coking coal for the steel making industry, uses skimping
technology from Germany to produce clean coking coal. Puda’s
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Zhao Ming explains, “Clean
coking coal is a ‘must have’ raw material for coke production,
and high quality coke is a ‘must have’ raw material for steel
production. Clean coking coal not only guarantees the quality of
the steel product, but also reduces the industrial waste from
steel production. It is very environmental friendly. Producing
high quality coke will generate a low coke-over gas helping to
reduce the harmful effects of air pollution.”

Puda is working to take advantage of the nation’s movement
towards more environmentally conscious production helping firms
within the steel industry reduce waste and establish a clean
steel process through the use of their clean coking coal. “The
Chinese government just came out with a new policy system
whereby all firms that do not meet the environmental
requirements will either be closed, have operations stopped or
ownership changed. As for the steel industry, in order to meet
the environmental requirement, they need to start working on the
beginning phase of the whole production process. Therefore,
clean coking coal, produced by Puda, is becoming a very popular
raw material among all steel manufacturers, resulting in the
overwhelming market demand for Puda’s high quality clean coking
coal. We will have quintupled our current capacity by early 2006
just to keep pace with this demand, from 500,000 metric tons
annually to 2.7 million metric tons. Our company is showing very
energetic growth and great future potential,” states Ming.

Looking Forward:

It appears that the energy industry, across it diverse
production avenues, will continue to evolve and adapt. While the
long term landscape is yet to be determined, the direction
appears to be forward moving in terms of diversification and
cleaner sources and generation of energy. “I actually think the
energy industry is going to go through some pretty tumultuous
years over the next decade. Think about the challenges: very old
and deteriorating energy infrastructure; supply constraints
leading to a lot of price volatility; backward looking energy
policies; security concerns; and customers who are demanding
more, including more environmentally conscious production. To
respond to these challenges, it is not a question of if the
energy industry is going to change, but how it is going to
change and how fast. New technologies, new business models and
new government policies will absolutely be necessary. I find it
interesting that the oil majors, with the luxury of a longer
term perspective, are already placing their bets on a ‘beyond
petroleum’ vision of the market in the future,” states Wimberly.

Disclaimer: www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp,
http://www.renewableenergystocks.com/About/Disclaimer.asp
©Copyright InvestorIdeas 2005

(Bolzano/Italy) Maguma will publish at the beginning of April
2005 a new module, the PHP AT of eBay. This new module will be
integrated in the modular PHP IDE, Maguma Workbench. The
Accelerator Tooolkit for PHP (PHP-AT) allows the integration of
data available on eBay via a set of custom PHP classes. The
PHP-AT is written completely in PHP and only requires PHP
version 4.3.x or higher compiled with the cURL and OpenSSL
modules. Future versions of the eBay PHP-AT will also be
supported with Maguma Workbench in this manner. With the
integration of the eBay Acellerator for PHP in Maguma Workbench,
the productivity of the creation of new webapplications
integrating eBay can be increased. Maguma Workbench is the
professional PHP IDE for developers, the IDE contains all the
important and new features that make programming with PHP easier
and faster. A huge number of features are included in the IDE to
create complex projects with the fewest steps. The modularity of
Maguma Workbench will give you the posibility to create new
add-ons without headaches. Ease of use and native code
performance make Maguma Workbench one of the best PHP IDEs on
the market. Have fun programming

Ahhhh, the scent and sight of a burning paraffin wax candle and the appealing ambiance that it floats throughout a room! One may think that this scenario is innocence in its purest sense. There is, after all, that cozy feeling which makes one give thought to everything that’s good in this world. That is until you take the time to get acquainted with the darker side of the world of paraffin wax candles.

Did you know that paraffin is a petroleum by-product which means that paraffin wax may be a risk to the well-being of your health? How is that, you ask? Well after petroleum is processed into gasoline, kerosene, motor oil, diesel and other fuels, the excess waste is then used in the production of paraffin which contains harmful toxins and carcinogens. Hmmmm.

The black soot buildup on your walls, ventilating system, furniture and so forth after burning paraffin wax candles is similar in composition to diesel soot. This dirty matter makes a deposit of unwanted and dangerous pollutants into our homes that endangers the health and welfare of family, pets, and ourselves when breathed into our collective lungs. Studies have shown that cancer-causing agents released by paraffin wax candles are just as toxic as second hand cigarette smoke and can cause damage to the heart, lungs, circulatory system and nervous system. This is not a good thing.

Why then have scented candle sales increased to over 2 billion dollars annually over the last decade according to the National Candle Association? I’m not sure but I’d hazard a guess that the mesmerizing glow and soothing fragrances are part of why seven out of every ten households burn candles regularly.

Here’s a question, though, that I’d like to pose to anyone that subscribes to the rules of common sense. It’s the one that your parents or teachers of yesteryear asked when the majority was acting in an intellectually challenged way. I’ll paraphrase it here : “If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you do the same thing?” The same thing holds for paraffin wax candles but what alternatives are there to break this dangerous habit?

I’m glad that you asked. The answer is Soy Candles. Why the joy for soy? Soy wax is 100% vegetable by-product and not a petroleum by-product. Soy is completely non-toxic and non-carcinogenic and soy candles produce little or no soot to damage the surrounding room or to those with allergies or breathing problems. Soy wax is environmentally safe, biodegradable and is easily cleaned up with just soap and water.

Hold on, I’m not finished yet….Soy candles burn cleanly and evenly leaving very little to zero excess wax on the sides of the jar to eliminate waste. They also burn cooler than most paraffin wax candles which will lessen the risk of serious burns from melted wax. These babies also burn 30 to 50 percent longer than paraffin wax candles which makes them more economical to use. They also seem to hold their fragrances extremely well compared to the naughty petroleum by-product kind.

Ok, Ok just one more reason to think soy. These candles are made from 100% soybean wax made from soybeans grown right smack here in the USA. So what? Well, this not only benefits our environment but also supports our local agricultural industry. It appears that soy candles beat those bad-boy cousins on every level.

Ya gotta get the facts before indulging in the pleasure of enjoying the world of candles. Think outside the box and do the right thing. Your life and others may very well depend on it!

About the Author

Brian is a partner in E-Connors Enterprises which builds and promotes various websites. He enjoys the world of candles and feels strongly about the health benefits of soy candles and the beauty of gel candles. Go to HeavenlyGelCandles.com for more info.

Wind is produced from the uneven heating of the atmosphere and
irregularities in the earth’s surface. The air movement between
these areas is what we refer to as wind. Just as we can use
flowing water to turn turbines, we can harness the power of the
wind with wind turbines to create electricity.

Wind turbines have been in use since the 1920s. Their earliest
use was to provide electricity in remote areas that didn’t have
access to a large utility company. Today there are fewer areas
that are “off the grid” but wind power can now be used to
supplement traditional power sources.

Wind turbines can be used individually to provide power for a
household, or they can be used in arrays to provide electricity
on a large scale. These arrays of industrial sized turbines are
called “wind farms” and are usually situated in areas that
receive consistent strong winds. Coastal areas, hilltops, and
mountain passes are common areas for wind farms.

Thanks to advances in wind turbine technology we are now able to
use the wind as an affordable alternative to fossil fuel for
producing power. New technologies make turbines more efficient
and modern production techniques bring the cost of turbines down.

When used as a supplement for residential electricity, wind
turbines are connected to the breaker box provided by the power
company. The power produced is available for immediate
consumption, and if the wind turbine produces more electricity
than is needed the excess is fed back into the utility grid for
a credit on the homeowners power bill.

For those interested in living “off the grid” wind power can be
used in conjunction with other alternative energy sources such
as solar power. These two methods of producing electricity
complement each other, when the sun is strong, the wind may be
low, and the wind may be stronger on cloudy days.

Also, since solar power is not produced at night, a wind turbine
can provide the electricity at this time.

Our site provides more in depth information wind energy and the
other sustainable energy sources, howto’s and downloadable
building plans.

When it comes to compressed gases, there is often confusion over
the difference between industrial gases (sometimes referred to
as commodity or bulk gases) and specialty gases (sometimes
referred to as cylinder gases, although industrial gases can
also be supplied in cylinders). The Compressed Gas Association
(CGA), who sets standards to which suppliers of all types of
compressed gases conform, defines its mission as being
“dedicated to the development and promotion of safety standards
and safe practices in the industrial gas industry.” In a broad
sense, in that most compressed gases are used for some sort of
industrial application, all could be considered to be industrial
gases. So to define the true difference between industrial gases
and specialty gases, one must look beyond the application to
other factors such as complexity, level of purity and certainty
of composition.

According to the CGA compressed gases are often grouped into
five loosely defined families: atmospheric; fuel; refrigerant;
poisonous; and those having no obvious ties to any of the other
families. Assignment to these families is somewhat arbitrary and
typically based on the origin, use or chemical structure of a
gas. Specialty gases can belong to any of these five families.
Essentially, they are industrial gases taken to a higher level.
The dictionary describes one of the definitions of the word
specialty as: an unusual, distinctive, or superior mark or
quality. Specialty gases then, can be defined as high-quality
gases for specific applications that are prepared using
laboratory analysis and other preparation methods in order to
quantify, minimize or eliminate unknown or undesirable
characteristics within the gas. Regarding specialty gas
mixtures, precise blending is also necessary to achieve very
specific concentration values for the components contained
within the mixture.

Specialty pure gases Pure gases are considered to be specialty
gases when they are used as support gases for laboratory
instruments such as chromatographs, mass spectrometers and other
various types of analyzers and detectors. Manufacturers of these
types of highly sensitive instruments normally specify the
purity level of pure gases to be used with their instruments.
For example, high-purity, moisture-free helium is often used as
a carrier gas in these instruments. When unwanted impurities are
present, performance of a laboratory instrument may be
compromised, or the instrument itself may be damaged. A good
rule of thumb is, when purity (sometimes as high as 99.9999%)
and/or quantification of trace impurities is an issue, a pure
gas is considered to be a specialty pure. Specialty pure gases
are used in the manufacturing of semiconductors and other
closely controlled applications as well. They may also be used
to assess and monitor the integrity of a bulk pure gas. Carbon
dioxide is a good example. Beverage-quality CO2, as used in the
manufacture of soft drinks, can be classified as being more of a
bulk-type gas because it is used in large quantities. However,
because purity is a health concern, a specialty pure CO2, in
which all trace impurities have been carefully quantified, is
needed to calibrate instruments used to monitor the purity of
the bulk CO2.

Specialty gas mixtures Many specialty gases are actually gas
mixtures that contain individual components. They are frequently
used with various types of analyzers for process control and
regulatory compliance. Some specialty mixtures are somewhat
“standard” and may contain only three or four components, such
as nitric oxide and sulfur dioxide mixtures that are used by
utility companies to calibrate Continuous Emissions Monitors
(CEMs). Others may be quite complex, containing as many as 30 or
more components. Usually, a specialty gas mixture is prepared
using a Standard Reference Material (SRM) in order to validate
accurate measurement of the mixture’s components. This provides
what is known as traceability to a known measurement standard
from a recognized metrology institution such as the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specialty mixtures
typically have components measured in percentages,
parts-per-million and parts-per-billion.

Laboratory analysis to quantify all components and impurities in
a specialty mixture is nearly always critical. A formal document
known as a Certificate of Accuracy or Certificate of Analysis is
provided for each cylinder containing a specialty mixture, and
also for some specialty pure gases. This certificate specifies
the concentration values for all contents, as well as other
important information such the method of blending, type of
laboratory analysis and reference standard used to prepare the
mixture and expiration date. Expiration date refers to the
length of time the components of a mixture remain at their
certified concentrations within the specified tolerances.
Depending on the stability of the components, shelf life can
vary from as little as six months to two years or more. Special
cylinder preparation processes, such as Scott’s Aculife cylinder
inerting treatments, can be used to condition cylinder interior
walls in order to extend a mixture’s shelf life.

Specialty gases are typically not used in nearly as large a
quantity as industrial gases and are supplied in steel or
aluminum high-pressure cylinders containing up to 3000 pounds of
pressure per square inch/gauge (psig). Hence, they are sometimes
referred to as cylinder gases or bottled gases. The cylinder
itself is typically not included in the price of the specialty
gas it contains and must be returned to the gas supplier when
the gas has been depleted. A nominal monthly cylinder rental is
usually charged until the cylinder is returned. Many specialty
gases are also available in small, portable and non-returnable
cylinders such as Scott’s SCOTTY Transportables. Other
specialized containers include lecture bottles that are often
used in laboratories and floating piston-type cylinders that are
used to contain volatile liquid phase mixtures.

The cost of specialization Due to blending technology, cylinder
preparation, laboratory analysis and statistical quality control
necessary to produce specialty gases, cost is much higher than
for lower grade industrial gases. An A-size cylinder containing
218 cubic feet of a low grade of helium suitable for filling
party balloons might cost little more than $50. The same
cylinder containing 99.9999% pure research grade helium, with a
total impurity of less than one part-per-million (1 ppm), would
cost about $500. That’s still a bargain considering 144 cubic
feet of a three-component EPA Protocol mixture having an
analytical accuracy of 1% may cost as much as $1,500. As with
any other specialized product, the end cost of a particular
specialty pure or gas mixture is largely determined by the
degree of difficulty and complexity involved in its preparation.

Considerations when purchasing specialty gases Purchasing
specialty gases can be a daunting task. Because of today’s
bottom line-oriented business climate, one might consider
selecting a specialty gas product based strictly on price. Be
careful! While in some cases organizations such as the EPA may
dictate minimum accuracy and manufacturing processes for certain
gas mixtures, there are few industry-wide standards for
specialty gas quality. Blending, analytical and cylinder
preparation procedures vary between suppliers of specialty
gases. Moreover, suppliers do not always use common nomenclature
when describing their products. Even when product names are the
same, the characteristics of the gases can be quite different.
The best advice is to carefully evaluate your application needs
before purchasing. Then talk with a specialty gas expert to be
sure you fully understand how the characteristics of a
particular pure gas or gas mixture will either meet or possibly
compromise your application. Remember also that most specialty
gases require the use of specialized delivery equipment that is
constructed of materials that will protect gas purity and
integrity.

Motivated by the lack of Australian government legislation and
limited options available concerning the disposal of computer
e-waste, IT Recyclers has initiated a much needed computer
recycling service aimed primarily at Sydney business who wish to
play an essential part in reducing computer landfill.

Due to an affluent lifestyle and a growing population, Australia
is the world’s second largest waste creator after the United
States, according to the Federal Department of Environment.
Compared to countries such as the US, Japan and parts of Europe,
Australia is yet to introduce significant national legislation
that would help reduce the amount of computer waste ending up in
landfill. Australia’s emerging computer recycling industry, such
as IT Recyclers, can’t remain solely responsible for managing
e-waste, state and federal governments must also take an active
role.

“The rate of technology is moving so fast, businesses as well as
consumers tend to update their computer equipment on average
every 3 years,” said David Allman - IT Recyclers business
founder.

“We’ve discovered that many businesses throughout Sydney just
aren’t aware of computer recycling, nor the increasing problem
e-waste is to Australia’s environment. They tend to dispose of
their equipment straight to landfill. On the other hand we’ve
found many concerned business owners taking interest in the way
they treat the environment, but don’t know what to do. Until we
approached them with our service, they’ve reluctantly been
disposing their unwanted computer equipment straight to waste.
The fact is there hasn’t been a convenient or viable recycling
solution on offer until now”, David Allman said.

Estimates by the Australian Federal Department of Environment
say that by next year, 1.6 million obsolete computers and
associated equipment will be sent to landfill, 1.8 million will
be sent to storage, and 16 million will already be sitting in
storage awaiting an undetermined fate.

ENDS

For further information, contact David Allman at IT Recyclers on:

+612 0432 937 452, dave@itrecyclers.com or visit
www.itrecyclers.com