David - Engineer Associate

Employee:  David
Graduate of:  Clemson University / Virginia Tech
Current Position:  Environmental Engineer Associate
Location:  Eastover, SC

I graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1999, and from Virginia Tech with an M.S. in Environmental Engineering in 2001. My Master's thesis involved experimenting with biological nitrogen removal in sequencing batch reactors.

I enjoy almost anything that involves the outdoors including hiking, fishing, canoeing, and mountain biking. I'm also involved with my church and enjoy helping teach third graders on Wednesday evenings.

My interest in International Paper was primarily based on my desire to work in industry rather than consulting or academia. I enjoy the mill environment and working with operators as well as other engineers. I also enjoy having the opportunity to work on many different types of environmental projects that exist in the pulp and paper industry. I like being able to see my projects follow through from an idea of how to comply with an environmental regulation all the way to a process or monitoring system that is fully integrated into the mill.

I currently work at the Eastover Mill in Eastover, SC. Much of my work deals with air pollution control and monitoring projects. Some of my projects have included implementing the MACT Pulping Condensate regulation at the Eastover Mill and completing the SARA 313 Toxic Release Inventory.

Day 1

  • Discuss methods of sampling foul and clean condensate from our two steam strippers with an engineer in Utilities. Provide the engineer with the sampling methods I have used and discuss the analytical methods and labs used.
  • Discuss PI/Proficy software with a controls engineer in Utilities. Proficy is the data recording and reporting software we use to monitor the MACT LVHC and Condensate systems on a daily basis. We discuss how the systems are backed up and how long the data is kept.
  • Write-up meeting notes from last Thursday's Safety Specialist meeting and distribute.
  • Attend bi-monthly Safety Lead Team meeting. Discussion mainly around how to step down off the plateau we have reached in our safety performance and continue the improvement we were seeing over the previous two years.
  • Discuss initiating the development of the 2003 department safety goals.

Day 2

  • Begin working on this year's Point Source Data Report. Complete the assignment sheet for this project and distribute. Review 1999 Point Source Data Report and directions for the current year's. Start working on the report.
  • Attend team meeting to discuss monthly goals, safety concerns, etc.
  • Begin discussing set-up for rectified methanol sampling with Operations and Safety. Next week we begin a two-week initial performance test on the MACT Condensate system, which involves sampling of rectified methanol three times per day.

Day 3

  • Five-hour training on PI Processbook and Datalink. Processbook is the new trending system we will begin using in 2003 for all of our operational data (flows, pressures, temps, levels, valve positions, etc.) Datalink is a program that allows us to download the data into Excel.
  • Continue work on rectified methanol sampling procedure. Talk through the rectified methanol sampling procedure with the Recovery Area Manager and discuss concerns he had. Discuss proposed changes in the sample point setup with Safety and how that might affect the necessary PPE required for sampling.

Day 4

  • Attend MTS department meeting. Discussion is around the mill and department scorecards.
  • Talk with Utilities Maintenance about creating a sample line from the rectified methanol pump for our sampling next week.
  • Make revisions to sampling procedure and documentation checklists that will be used in the rectified methanol sampling.
  • Locate a refrigerator for storing the samples in and relocate it to Utilities.
  • Discuss lab analyses and chain-of-custody issues with the environmental lab manager so that all the paperwork will be in line for the performance testing.

Day 5

  • Write memo concerning CMS performance evaluation and initial performance testing that begins next week.
  • Follow-up to determine which operators will be sampling rectified methanol.
  • Distribute testing plan to operations and management.
  • Show sampling setup to Safety and get final approval of safety precautions.