Roth: Lean and green in Oklahoma

The change, consternation and in some cases upheaval happening in parts of North Africa have called upon the world to again engage in a conversation about energy production and consumption, with oil and gas traders attempting to predict the markets and establish prices. Fear and speculation are causing immediate price increases of more than 10 percent, even though countries such as Libya account for a small proportion of the world’s oil production.

All of this energy run-up is occurring in the backdrop of what some economists have described as the Great Recession, where state governments across the country are struggling to deal with major budget problems and a jobless recovery seems to be our immediate economic reality.

In December of last year, I wrote about how Tulsa Public Schools saved taxpayers $1.4 million by turning out their lights and retrofitting their schools. It is clear that one of the best economic solutions is to consider practical, tangible, “green and lean” opportunities to save your business and your family hard-earned dollars.

The business world in Oklahoma is also figuring out how to tighten its own belt, while continuing to innovate and compete in today’s market.

In Oklahoma, AAR Aircraft Services purchased a $20,000 sludge press that helps process wastewater in a more environmentally and economically efficient manner.

AAR Aircraft Services was concerned that its old etching process was not very lean. As a part of performing maintenance and cleaning services on airplanes at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport, AAR would generate a lot of “slurry water” that contained contaminants from the aircrafts it serviced. After separating the clean water from the sludge, AAR had to incur costs in order to have the industrial waste removed appropriately. AAR paid by the gallon, sometimes more than 16,600 gallons per month, which was incredibly expensive. Likewise, AAR Aircraft Services became concerned that this process was not very green environmentally and was costing way too much “green” economically. Aside from taking up space, there is the potential that contaminates from the waste could seep out of a landfill and into the ground, causing contamination.

The brand-new sludge press allows the company to be green and lean. The new sludge now utilizes both chemicals and air pressure to separate the waste and clean water, and leaves behind a dry cakelike form. This completely reduces the amount of waste that goes to the landfill by up to 97 percent. Talk about a savings. And because it is dry, it diminishes the likelihood that the waste will seep out and contaminate the ground.

Furthermore, Paul Chaney of AAR says that the company “spent about $20,000 on it, and we’re getting about $36,000 a year in return for this portion of it. It will take about eight-and-a-half months to pay for itself.” Wow, now that’s a smart return on investment.

AAR Aircraft shows how environmentally sound projects can translate into “green” for businesses. AAR Aircraft learned of these kinds of ideas by attending the Lean and Green Initiative at the University of Oklahoma, sponsored in part by stimulus funds distributed form the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. This is a great example that shows a synthesis of green policies, green education, and green business can create real lean and green solutions for Oklahoma businesses and the families they employ.

Jim Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy for Oklahoma.