What is Pollution Prevention?
Pollution prevention, also known as source reduction, is any practice that eliminates or reduces pollution at its source. Pollution prevention is achieved through material substitutions, process changes and the more efficient use of natural resources (including raw materials, energy, water and other resources). Through pollution prevention, the use and production of hazardous substances can be minimized thereby protecting human health, strengthening economic well-being, and preserving the environment.
Unfortunately, pollution knows no boundaries. Pollution originating in the air, on the land, in the water and even on the other side of the world can eventually impact every living thing. Pollution prevention can be applied across these environmental media (i.e., air, water, or land) and addresses both point source and non-point source pollution. Point source pollution includes industrial and manufacturing wastes; non-point source pollution originates from automobiles, construction, agricultural runoff, and so forth.
How Can Pollution Prevention Help Local Governments with Compliance Assistance?
Pollution prevention practices are one of the best ways for localities to meet compliance standards. Information on the waste streams and pollution prevention tips and strategies are included with each local government operation in this Sector Notebook.
These strategies can
lead local organizations to meet compliance standards,
improve practices and procedures to ensure continued compliance, and
move local organizations beyond these environmental compliance thresholds.
Many of the pollution prevention tips contained in this guide are cost effective procedures that not only save precious environmental resources but also money.
Pollution prevention measures often
inherently save money in production and material costs,
many times lead to increased regulatory compliance and exemption from penalty fees,
lead to reduction in disposal costs, and
reduce risk of employee exposure to hazardous waste by creating safer working conditions.
How to Implement Pollution Prevention at the Local Government Level
1) Integration of Pollution Prevention into Local Government Operations
Local governments across the United States have integrated pollution prevention (P2) into their different agencies using many methods. Currently, P2 practices are used at the local level in the following areas: wastewater pretreatment and septic tank programs; watershed and groundwater protection programs; educational activities targeted at residents; technical assistance and compliance assistance to local businesses and industries; partnership activities between government agencies; and in-house practices of municipal and county facilities.
Below are three examples of successful P2 programs implemented at the local level. These examples focus on a regulatory and non-regulatory P2 program as well as an example of how P2 has been infused into all aspects of a local government agency. There are many other similar P2 programs across the country as well as numerous smaller local government initiatives that focus on P2 activities related to one pollution stream (i.e., a program/initiative set up to specifically focus on air, water or hazardous waste pollution or one that addresses a specific audience such as small businesses, pretreatment facilities, or internal operations). These smaller initiatives are often the first step to creating a more complete pollution prevention program or office within a local government agency.
1. Local Government Program -- Regulatory: City and County of San Francisco, California
The City and County of San Francisco employs an active pollution prevention (P2) program focused on reducing the amount of hazardous waste generated as well as decreasing the amount of pollutants that enters the city's sewer system.
The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer's Hazardous Waste Management Program (HWMP) started P2 activities in 1988 in response to the passage of a 1986 state law which authorized counties to develop county hazardous waste management plans for the reduction and management of hazardous waste to the year 2000. The program was initially set up to target specific small businesses (in San Francisco, small quantity generators generate most of the hazardous waste) with a lot of waste reduction potential in an effort to minimize illegal disposal and to achieve the year 2000 goal of 10 - 40 percent waste reduction. The program now also focuses on larger businesses extending its on-site assessments and information to all businesses in the city and county. It also addresses hazardous waste generated by city agencies and households through multi-media P2 information.
The Department of Public Work's Bureau of Environmental Regulation and Management (BERM) created a Water Pollution Prevention Program (WPPP) in 1990 as a result of criteria outlined in the city's "Best Management Practices Implementation Plan," which was required by the city's Oceanside National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. The WPPP was charged with qualifying and quantifying the city's pollutants of concern, identifying the pollutants, developing and implementing source reduction/P2 strategies, and initiating evaluation methodologies to determine the effectiveness of the program. Its activities target business, industry, and residential sectors through educational and technical assistance materials.
2. Local Government Program -- Non-Regulatory: Broward County Department of Natural Resource Protection, Florida
The Broward County Department of Natural Resource Protection set up its Pollution Prevention Sector of the Pollution Prevention and Remediation Programs Division in 1992 as a non-regulatory program with the mission of encouraging businesses to operate more efficiently, more easily comply with regulation and prevent pollution at the source. This multi-pronged program focuses its pollution prevention (P2) efforts on both the business community and county facilities.
The Section's program approaches P2 from two angles: collaborate with regulated business and industrial community, and set an example by examining P2 opportunities in county buildings and operations. The Department hopes to accomplish environmental protection through voluntary P2 and increased regulatory compliance. Through its P2 in County Operations Program and P2 and Best Management Practices (collaborative approach to regulatory compliance and P2 in the regulated community) the P2 Section hopes to help the County achieve its goals. The program has three P2 and Best Management Practices (P2-BMP) Programs in place: the Marine Facilities P2-BMP, the Metal Finishing Facilities P2-BMP, and the Automobile Salvage Yards.
3. Local Government P2 Integration (Regulatory and Non-Regulatory Programs): Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, Nebraska
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) runs a pollution prevention (P2) program that integrates P2 into all of its media programs, thereby moving higher up the waste management hierarchy to prevent the generation of waste. The program evolved from a waste disposal permitting program that began in 1986. The program stemmed from a recommendation of their local Hazardous Pollutants Advisory Committee to define public concerns and issues dealing with threats to environmental health. As a result, LLCHD has formed the following programs to infuse P2 into all its activities.
The Department has a Pollution Prevention Program that increases public awareness of chemical toxicity in relation to decisions made on product purchase, use, handling, storage and disposal. LLCHD has also integrated P2 into the following programs: Special Waste Program (regulatory and toxics use on-site assistance); Household Hazardous Waste Program (identification and reduction of public chemical consumption); Outdoor Air Quality Program (small business technical assistance on multi-media P2 information to improve air quality); Water-Wastewater Program (P2 in planning new subdivisions and sewer extensions); Wellhead Protection Program (identification of potential contamination sources and on-site farm P2 assessments); Clean Community System (education displays on non-point source water pollution for schools, citizen groups, and neighborhoods); and Special Recognition Program.
2) Purchasing and Procurement Opportunities
Local governments can incorporate environmental and health factors into purchasing decisions. Through revised purchasing procedures, local governments and other organizations can avoid potentially harmful chemicals, reduce risk of accidental injuries, and move toward compliance. More information on purchasing and procurement procedures is located in the next section of the Notebook.
3) Other Pollution Prevention Practices to Move Beyond Compliance
Aside from practicing pollution prevention (P2) to achieve compliance, local government organizations can use pollution prevention to improve workplace productivity and efficiency. Many P2 practices in the office save time, energy, natural resources and money.
There are many ways that agencies can practice energy efficiency and reduce air emissions and energy consumption while saving money. The following are some tips that address general office practices:
Purchase Energy Efficient Products and Equipment: By looking for the Energy Star® label on appliances, computers, printers, copiers, light fixtures, and heating and cooling equipment you can reduce your energy bill by 30% and your electric lighting charges by 50% while cutting pollution.
Turn Unused Appliances and Equipment Off: Turn off equipment (e.g., computers, printers, copiers) and lights at night and on weekends - unplug appliances when they are not in use.
Use Natural Lighting or, when not practical, Fluorescent Lighting: Design buildings and offices to maximize natural lighting thereby decreasing energy usage. If lighting is needed, consider using fluorescent lighting. By replacing your lamps and light fixtures with energy conserving fluorescent bulbs, you will save 75 percent of the energy used with incandescent bulbs. If you currently have fluorescent lighting, consider using a more efficient type that has an electronic ballast that burns cooler. Caution: Remember to properly dispose of fluorescent bulbs.
Reduce Paper Usage and Increase Electronic Mail: By double siding copiers, reusing single sided paper (e.g., for receiving faxes, taking notes, etc.), using electronic mail, and circulating documents with routing slips; an organization can save a significant amount of energy and natural resources. One ton of waste paper saves enough energy to power an average home for six months.
Reduce Usage of Packaging and Shipping Materials: By using boxes and envelopes suited to the size of your mailings, you can reduce large quantities of materials - both in the packaging itself as well as the packing materials. When packaging is necessary, reuse old newspaper or purchase packaging materials that do not contain polystyrene or other plastics.
Additional Resources:
"Preventing Pollution in our Cities and Counties: A Compendium of Case Studies," NPPR, NACo, NACCHO and U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1995.
U.S. EPA Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse, 401 M Street, SW (7409), Washington, DC 20460 (http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/p2home)
Enviro$en$e, U.S. EPA Operations Research Development Division, 401 M Street, SW (MC 8722R), Washington, DC 20460 (http://www.epa.gov/envirosense)
National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, 2000 P Street NW, Suite 708, Washington, DC 20036 (http://www.p2.org)
National Association of Counties, 440 First Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
(http://www.naco.org)
National Association of City and County Health Departments, 440 First Street NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20001
U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1620 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006 (http://www.usmayors.org/uscm)
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036 (http://aceee.org)
