\y ' ' EPA United States , ' Environmental Protection s , Office of Pollution, . Prevention, and Toxics - ' - Washington, DC 20460 5 F § °f{ -^^- " October-19.96 PREVENHON EPA/7.42/F-93/005 Pollution Prevention Fact Sheet: Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 ' r . - ' - . . . ,':'.- Purpose The-Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, signed into law in November 1990, - establishes pollution prevention-as a "national objective." The Act .notes that: ' ' . ' ;. -. .".'_... . ' ' .- . . "There are significant opportunities for industry to reduce or '".>. ' .prevent pollution at' the .source through cost-effective .changes in production,' operation, and raw materials, use..-The -opportunities for source reduction are often not realized because existing ' . regulations, and the industrial resources they require for .-.-.. compliance, focus upon treatment and disposal, rather than source ' reduction...Source reduction is fundamentally'different and more desirable than waste management and pollution.control." Environmental Protection Hierarchy The Act establishes a hierarchy of environmental protection measures, . declaring that pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source wherever feasible, while pollution that cannot be prevented shpuld.be recycled in an environmentally safe manner. In the absence ;of feasible prevention or recycling opportunities, -pollution should be treated: disposal or other release intothe, environment should be used as a last resort. . ' . Definition of Pollution Prevention Pollution prevention is"defined'in the law to mean "source reduction" (as- ' . r further defined below), arid other practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants-through: . _ . . ''.-'. --Increased'efficiency in-the use of raw materials, energy, water, - or other resources, or; .... --Protect ion-.of'natural resources by conservation. Definition of Source Reduction Source reduction .is; defined in the law to.mean .any practice which reduces the amount-of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any .. 'waste stream or otherwise released into the.environment (including fugitive 'emissions'),, prior >to recycling, treatment, or disposal; , and which reduces'the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of , such substances," pollutants,or'contaminants.' , - PPIC is staffed by Garcia Consulting Incorporated V. ------- II ............ I"! ....... ........ ill .......... I ..... r! ...... j '"I'iJ ............. i| ............ IllljP'li ....... i i:nllllli lr ............ II ..... mil ........ llrrnf ................ ....... plrlj ......... |j-r₯l |T , ........... nn! ....... T|,|,m .......... ypTT ...... l;l .......... n'T-nnulllgl ..... |; ...... || ...... rjll|Tn; ..... T, Hi "::'|»;"r: .......... ! ,TI ........ nm ..... fran^Tn : . ................. ! | .......... 1 ..................... ; ........................... ; ill ..... ........ ii|in ..... Jiii ........ || ..... fiixiiiil ............. ! ....... i ..... |J ..... iiiili! ....... I1 ....... linl ...... jjl| ...... if-Hlif if ii*'!!''!|?i, i!ii|i| ........... l»ii ...... '*!i| ..... 41*'*!1! i1 ''« if' ..... , ...... Iw *! ............ '«, i* ..... i"- ..... li, ...... ! ..... |i;'i 'i! ........... ........... " < 'ft" "'I'11 ........ ' ..... Vfi* '''!'! ..... *' ° '' .......... lu '*" '' ''"' " : 'if ..... ....... ...... f J ...... ife, ;:;,*|t ..... /,-'i .-1,1 ,;;, ' formalizes" ......... tEe" ...... eslTa^TsKment ......... of" an office at EPA "of11 ...... pollution1 ........ "5revenEioir"anc[ ............ Toxics! ..... .......... lidependent of the s ingle . ........... -_--IS_ ........... _-_ifi(j by the-.Act and to develop 3r eduction . " Among other provisions , a s raegyo pe procuremen access to data g._g_,__,j,___j.____,_,g,a^ statutes.;"" "?f "V' ₯":-,:" i'. ':' W " IiTTPiKM sB; > '"Sail I^BlWIIHllMlIWBMMfiWlMBMIiS'l''' "*'{ |I!P| '::; *"T' "" '' " ' ! "': "''" = ''' '~ '""'"''''"''' '" 1":l""!!!!' source reduction techniques by ""oth'e'r""" fe'Seral "agencies";" 11!1 ippi:! ;: *$ ei m f: iff'il ? " t I source reduction; iT-WiSi''.!'^?.'-*"^.1 ":"!'. !! '" !,",:-ti!'!; i'Vi'."'t 'S!1;;;' 'ASSjI EEtion opportunities', , a "source reduction , and an ann'ual award program llllillllBIIIBIWllP'illlllHIBIIIlBBi*!*""111111^1111 ! alil11 J"" 'lllll|l|!l iiinniiiiui'inii^'vuiui''!"1 ' ' ram to promote source Act" authorizes an $8 million scace grant pro - state Ieaset"tb EPA 'for the Toxic HTormaEion'on pollution and" ..... for each toxic chemical. The qSanEities" of each toxic chemical entering the waste " -^ g EangeTTn production ........... from ......... the previous -year. " ....... """ " ......... " ..... " ......... K^^^^^ prt to Congress ' months (and biennially source and "the" grant program ormation 401 M Street, SW, Washington, l |S^^ /'.sftfJHI.,'' StaV'M^ Is! arcia Consulting Incorpora . !,» »4 : ijlii - . ------- |