Graphic Arts Technical Foundation
The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) is a nonprofit teaching and research organization dedicated to the printing
industry with 3,000 corporate members and 2,000 individual teacher members. GATF research
activities include waste control, environmental studies, press and prepress research, and
quality control. Educational activities include an extensive publication program, career
and curricular consultations for schools and universities, seminars, workshops and
conferences for the graphic arts community.
GATF is involved in both USEPA and state initiatives aimed at pollution prevention for
printers. The Foundation is an active participant in the USEPA's Common Sense Initiative,
the Design for the Environment alternative blanket wash evaluation, and is a founding
partner in the Printer's National Environmental Assistance Center.
The Common Sense Initiative (CSI) is a project designed to develop a better way to
regulate industry by incorporating a cleaner, cheaper and smarter approach. Pollution
prevention (P2) is an integral component of this program. CSI will recommend to EPA a new
multi-level permitting system that provides for operational flexibility, less compliance
costs, and enhanced public participation. In addition, the best management practices
designed to prevent pollution will be identified.
The goal of the Design for the Environment alternative blanket wash study is to develop
a Cleaner Technologies Substitute Assessment document that reviews performance, cost and
environmental impact data for a variety of alternative blanket washes. Several case
studies and facts sheets have been produced and distributed to GATF members.
GATF has joined with Printing Industries of America, the Hazardous Waste Research and
Information Center (Champaign Illinois), and the University of Wisconsin/Extension to
develop the Printer's National Environment Assistance Center (PNEAC). The computer based
service has received initial funding from EPA. The goal of the Center is to link -- via
the Internet -- technical service providers like state small business P2 programs,
relevant printing trade associations, regulatory agencies, printing experts, and printers
around the United States. PNEAC maintains a national toll free number (888/877-6322),
fax-back service (888/877-6322), web page (http://www.pneac.org), and two listservers
(contact printech@great-lakes.net). PNEAC also provides training on a variety of P2
opportunities to a variety of organizations, both governmental and private sector
entities.
The Foundation assisted USEPA develop several documents, including "Guides to
Pollution Prevention: The Commercial Printing Industry" (EPA/625/7-90/008). GATF also
provided technical support to EPA's Waste Reduction and Innovative Technology Evaluation
program as they published "Waste Reduction Evaluation of Soy-Based Ink at a Sheet-Fed
Offset Printer" (EPA/600/SR-94-144) and "Replacement of Hazardous Material in
Wide Web Flexographic Printing Process" (EPA/600/SR-93/149). There are several other
pollution prevention studies available that were performed under this program.
GATF provided technical support and helped coordinate a P2 life cycle factor analysis
study conducted by Battelle Memorial Institute and funded by USEPA. The report entitled
"Development of a Pollution Prevention Factors Methodology Based on Life Cycle
Assessment -- Lithographic Case Study" (EPA/600/R-94/157) was published in January,
1994.
The University of Wisconsin/Extension is developing a series of P2 video tapes for
lithographers with help from GATF, which has provided technical review of numerous
state/local P2 guides, articles and fact sheets. The publications GATF examined were
produced by New Jersey, Wisconsin, Virginia, California, Sacramento County (CA), Iowa,
Montana (which GATF helped develop) and Delaware.
GATF was an active partner in the production of the Massachusetts Toxic Use Reduction
Institute's report "Blanket Wash Technology Study: An Evaluation of Commercially
Available Blanket Washes" (Technical Report #15). In addition, GATF is providing
technical support to Massachusetts Printer's Partnership, a program designed to encourage
P2 and ease compliance burdens. The state is in the process of developing a workbook which
will be used to implement the program.
The University of Texas and TNRCC worked with GATF to develop an approach to determine
VOC emissions from printers in the Dallas- Ft. Worth and Houston areas as part of the
Texas Area Source Project. The approach, when validated, can then be applied across the
nation to estimate the impact printers have on air quality.
The Printing Industry of Florida, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
and GATF are working together as part of the Florida Compliance Alliance Program. This
project is designed to educate printers about P2 opportunities and environmental
compliance requirements. A "plain language" compliance guide has been developed
and will be distributed at a series of workshops held across the state.
GATF provided technical input and review for the "P2 for the Printing
Industry" manual produced by the Illinois Waste Management and Research Center,
funded by EPA and the Northeast Waste Management and Research Center. The manual contains
an overview of the printing industry, P2 options for printers based upon process type, a
flow of typical printing operations and a brief regulatory compliance review.
USEPA's Region I's New England Environmental Assistance Team enlisted GATF in the
production of the "Fit to Print" document (EPA/901/B-97/001). The Foundation
offered technical input and review in the development of this manual that discusses
federal and state environmental regulations that apply to the lithographic printing
industry as well as applicable P2 options.
In addition to working with government agencies, GATF staff responds to about 1,100
requests for compliance and P2 information from non-members as well as members. Most of
the P2 articles published in GATFWORLD, the membership magazine, are available
individually.
GATF is a partner with the National Environmental, Health and Safety Conference; an
annual event sponsored by a coalition of printing industry groups. The topics presented
often address compliance and P2 issues specific to each printing process (e.g.
lithography, screen flexography, rotogravue).
For more information contact:
Gary Jones
Manager
Environmental, Health and Safety Affairs
Graphic Arts Technical Foundation
200 Deer Run Road
Sewickley, PA 15143
(412) 741-6860 x608
fax (412) 741-2311
To order a Graphic Arts Technical Foundation publication contact:
Terry Mahoney
Marketing
(412) 747-6860 x704
fax (412) 741-2311