Worldwide Recycling Equipment Sales, LLC (WWR) has recently begun working with U.S. EPA consultant and environmental solutions and mercury control expert Rudy Maes. Rudy will assist Worldwide Recycling in the Research and Development Department and will fill the position of Chemical Engineering Director. Rudy has more than 35 years thermal processing experience. He has designed and built thermal unitsincluding hazardous waste incinerators for Dow Chemical Company, the military, Environmental Chemical Corporation, Environmental Soil Management Incorporated, Merck and Company and others. He is Principal Chemical Engineer experienced and skilled in the design of most unit operations encountered in the chemical, environmental, pharmaceutical, recycling and agriculture industry. Rudy is a reactive chemical and dust explosion expert and is sought in the industry for the prevention and mitigation of dangerous process conditions.
Rudy has been general manager and plant manager for numerous soil remediation projects, both nationally and internationally. He has managed projects for Waste Management, such as designing and building Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSD) and leading the charge and management of these facilities. As a troubleshooter and consultant, he has facilitated the operation of several thermal desorption plants that were initially inoperable or required re-engineering. Some examples of the companies he has assisted in these projects include the Innova Soil Technology thermal treatment plant in Melbourne, Australia and Bilfinger-Berger Umwelt GmbH/ Astec Industries in Stockholm, Sweden. He has more than 20 years of experience in treating mercury contaminated waste including contaminated soil, sludge, dental amalgams, liquid mercury waste, glassware and fluorescent lamp powder. He has more than 10 years of experience in the drilling and completion of oil, gas and brine wells. Rudy is skilled in treating drilling muds and other petroleum-based contaminated materials and the recovery of hydrocarbons from drilling operations. He has drilled and managed the operation of UIC Class I deep injection wells.
Rudy is chief engineer for Advanced Environmental Recycling Corporation (AERC) and currently contracts with the U.S. EPA as a consultant and Inspector in the Enforcement Division. He works in the highly toxic and flammable chemical risk management and audit program for high risk chemical plants, refineries and raw natural gas processing plants including upstream and midstream facilities. He serves as a risk management consultant for Marcellus shale natural gas well frac chemicals usage and accident investigation, and as a process safety management inspector. Rudy is 40 hour OSHA trained and has a strong understanding of the engineering super codes NFPA, API, NEC, ASTM, ANSI, ASME, NBIC, OSHA PSM, ISO 9000 and ISO 14000.
He is experienced in investigating explosions, fires and other major safety and environmental incidents at various chemical factories and is knowledgeable in dealing with hydrogen sulfide concentrated acid explosions. Rudy is a HAZOP facilitator and has conducted 20 different HAZOP processes. He is the inventor, author and co-author of seven different patents for the removal of mercury and multi-pollutants from flue gases in thermal desorption systems. He developed MSDS sheets and a safety program for the use of these sorbents and led the product development efforts where he managed over 1 million pounds of specialty sorbents for the remediation of the pollutants from flue gas streams in thermal desorption systems.
Rudy trained at the USEPA Regional HAZMAT and Emergency Responder Conference and has received a variety of awards and recognitions. He won the Merck and Company Annual Safety Award in 2002 and was presented the NJ Commerce and Industry Award for Environmental Excellence for the Merck and Company. WWR is excited to be working with this industry expert and anticipates the positive growth his consultation will provide for the company as we move toward the future.