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EPA
United States , '
Environmental Protection
s
, Office of Pollution, .
Prevention, and Toxics
- ' - Washington, DC 20460
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" 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
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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
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access to data
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source reduction techniques by
""oth'e'r""" fe'Seral "agencies";"
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source reduction;
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EEtion opportunities',
, a "source reduction
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ram to promote source
Act" authorizes an $8 million scace grant pro
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Ieaset"tb EPA 'for the Toxic
HTormaEion'on pollution
and" ..... for each toxic chemical. The
qSanEities" of each toxic chemical entering the waste
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g EangeTTn production ........... from ......... the previous -year.
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prt to Congress
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months (and biennially
source
and "the" grant program
ormation
401 M Street, SW, Washington,
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