United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics
Washington, DC 20460
EPA742-S-97-001
June W37
EPA Pollution Prevention 1997
Atf4atf0nal Progress Report
Executive Summary
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In a work of this magnitude, a disclaimer is necessary: There is a lot of good prevention
work we could have highlighted here and have not for lack of space. In no way does our
failure to mention any project imply that we do not value its contributions to environmental
protection. Likewise, mention of programs, products, services, and organizations in this
publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the EPA.
Copies of this report are available from EPA's Pollution Prevention Information Clearing-
house. Comments on the report are welcome. Readers can direct their comments to the
Clearinghouse at:
401 M St., SW (7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202-260-1023
Fax: 202-260-4659
E-mail: ppic@epamail.epa.gov
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pollution prevention first emerged as a watchword for environmental protection in the
work of Dr. Michael Royston nearly 20 years ago. Royston's book, "Pollution Preven-
tion Pays," advanced an idea that has become the basis for an enormous range of
activity — that preventing pollution, rather than controlling it or cleaning it up, could
provide both environmental and economic benefits. Environmental protection and
economic progress could be complementary, not competing, goals.
Pollution Prevention 1997: A National Progress Report highlights activity in the pol-
lution prevention arena. This report is a sequel to the first such report, issued six years
ago (Pollution Prevention 1991: Progress in Reducing Industrial Pollutants). Much
has changed in that short period of time. The level of activity in pollution prevention
has mushroomed, the concepts underlying pollution prevention have become more
widely disseminated, and creative solutions and technologies have emerged to deal
with complex problems. Pollution prevention is on the move, from the boardroom to
the classroom and from the statehouse to the community center. If there is one
overarching and encouraging change in the last six years, it would have to be this
growing enthusiasm for pollution prevention, particularly in education. The spread of
pollution prevention to elementary schools and high schools, and the interest in "green-
ing" university campuses on the part of students themselves are among the most hope-
ful signs for the future.
Part of the resurgence of interest in pollution prevention reflects the common sense
understanding of most people that it is easier to prevent problems than to fix them.
This common sense understanding is reflected in the environmental management hier-
archy of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, in which Congress established as na-
tional policy that:
M Pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible;
B Pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled in an environmentally
safe manner whenever feasible;
B Pollution that cannot be prevented or recycled should be treated in an environ-
mentally safe manner whenever feasible; and
B Disposal or other release into the environment should be employed only as a
last resort and should be conducted in an environmentally safe manner.
Environmental challenges have not gone away in the last six years. Increased popula-
tion and consumption patterns threaten to outpace the gains achieved through environ-
mental statutes. Persistent and bioaccumulative toxic chemicals are found in the envi-
ronment with long term effects that we are only beginning to understand. Waste treat-
ment technologies sometimes transfer pollutants from air to water to land or vice versa.
A legacy of waste sites presents frustrating challenges for remediation, while dispersed
and nonpoint sources of pollution represent some of the most intractable problems for
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Fxa utive Summary
restoring and sustaining environmental quality. Pollution prevention is a primary tool
for dealing with all of these challenges.
The intent of this report is to highlight some of the widely differing activities that can
prevent pollution, and to give readers a sense of the creativity and diversity of partici-
pation in pollution prevention. Given the scope and pace of activity, we have not tried
to present a comprehensive picture of progress across the country. (In the interests of
space, we have left international activities out of the report entirely, although we rec-
ognize that prevention approaches are not confined to this country.) The selection of
material inevitably reflects an EPA perspective. For this reason, we are particularly
grateful for the perspectives of a distinguished group of guest commenters, who are
dedicating much of their professional lives to pollution prevention. We are delighted
to hear their voices and to have this document strengthened by their views.
While this report points to the great strides that have been made in developing and
implementing pollution prevention programs, there is still much to be done in pre-
venting pollution itself and measuring progress. We hope that readers will come away
with a renewed appreciation of the value of prevention, as well as ideas and new ap-
proaches that they can consider adapting to their own situations.
Each of the chapters in this
report discusses the pollution
prevention activities of a par-
ticular sector of society
(summarized below). Guest
commentaries are included in
each chapter of this report,
representing organizations
as diverse as the National
Association of Counties, the
Dow Chemical Company, the
Department of Defense, and
the North Carolina Depart-
ment of Environment, Health
and Natural Resources. All
parts of society have an in-
terest in preventing pollution
— state and local govern-
ments, educational institu-
tions, community groups,
non-profit organizations —
and each group has pollution
prevention advocates. Al-
though their specific issues may differ, one thing becomes clear as you read what they
have to say — we share a common goal in preventing pollution.
Pollution prevention is potentially the most effective method for reducing risks
to human health and the environment, because it is:
• the surest way to avoid the inadvertent transfer of pollutants across media
that may occur with end-of-the-pipe control approaches,
• the surest way to eliminate the risks that are inherent in any release of
pollutants into the environment, and
• the surest way to protect natural resources for future generations, by
avoiding excessive levels of wastes and residues and by minimizing the
depletion of resources.
Pollution prevention is also potentially the most cost-effective method of envi-
ronmental protection, because it:
• reduces raw material and energy losses,
• reduces the need for "end-of-pipe" treatment and disposal technologies,
and
• reduces long-term potential liabilities associated with releases into the
environment.
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Chapter One — Promoting Prevention at EPA
Dr. Lynn Goldman, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesti-
cides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), introduces this chapter, observing that "pres-
sures on the environment are on the rise, in the United States and around the world."
Dr. Goldman comments on the connection between the move to reinvent government
and pollution prevention, noting that both initiatives have the ability to "save re-
sources that can be devoted to further environmental protection." The remainder of
this chapter is organized around the seven themes that have provided the focus for
the Agency's activities in prevention as identified by Administrator Carol Browner
in her 1993 Pollution Prevention Policy statement.
B Incorporating pollution prevention into the mainstream work of EPA. Much
of what. EPA does involves promulgating, implementing, and enforcing
environmental regulations. To encourage regulated entities to undertake
pollution prevention, this mainstream work of EPA must be focused on
prevention. The Agency has undertaken a concerted effort in the past six years
to find the best ways to incorporate prevention into regulations and permitting,
through such efforts as the Source Reduction Review Project and EPA's
Common Sense Initiative. EPA has also looked inward, at activities in its own
facilities, and committed to taking advantage of prevention opportunities.
B Building a national network of prevention programs. EPA cannot force or
encourage pollution prevention on its own; rather it must work with state and
local governments to develop a national network of prevention programs that
will assist regulators at all levels of government in promoting pollution
prevention. EPA is providing funding support, technical assistance, information
dissemination, and forming; federal/state/local government partnerships to focus
efforts on pollution prevention as the national goal for environmental manage-
ment.
S3 Pioneering cross-media prevention programs, representing new models for
government/industry interaction. Voluntary programs such as Partners for the
Environment are EPA/industry interactions aimed at educating industry,
citizens, state and local governments, and other stakeholders on ways in which
they can participate in pollution prevention. These partnerships include the 337
50 Program, Climate Wise, Green Lights, WasteWi$e, Design for the Environ-
ment, Project XL, Environmental Accounting,WAVE (Water Alliances for
Voluntary Efficiency), and Pesticide Environmental Stewardship.
• Establishing new federal partnerships. EPA is working with other federal
agencies to promote pollution prevention across the federal government. The
partnerships involve establishing policies, implementing programs, managing
facilities, and acquiring goods and services.
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txccuti ve Summary
• Generating environmental information on pollution prevention. One key to
pollution prevention is access to information on pollutant sources, types of
pollution generated, and technologies that can help prevent pollution at the
source. Programs such as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) yield informa-
tion for industry, government, and communities on major types of releases, the
industrial and government facilities that are releasing them, and the environ-
mental media into which the pollutants are being released. Environmental
information can be a powerful tool to drive purchasing decisions. EPA's
Consumer Labeling Initiative is examining ways to provide consumers with
better environmental information, including improved product labels.
• Developing partnerships for technological innovation in pollution prevention.
EPA's partnerships with industry and universities are developing new tech-
nologies for future pollution prevention efforts. These partnerships include
the Green Chemistry Challenge and an Environmental Leadership Program,
both of which support facilities, that have volunteered to demonstrate innova-
tive approaches to pollution prevention. EPA's Office of Research and Devel-
opment has invested heavily in developing and analyzing prevention technolo-
gies.
• Changing existing federal laws to encourage pollution prevention as the
preferred method for reducing risks to health and the environment.
Chapter Two — Looking at Industry
Although pollution prevention has spread to a wider audience, industry remains at
the center of pollution prevention activities. Studies have shown that the economic
benefits are compelling arguments in favor of pollution prevention, but only when
managers are able to see the cost savings that pollution prevention would bring. Envi-
ronmental accounting is a key factor in demonstrating to businesses the value of pre-
vention.
One starting place for considering industrial pollution prevention is the TRI main-
tained by EPA. TRI data, which are collected and published annually, show a steady
decline in the volume of toxic chemicals released to the environment by the manu-
facturing sector. Since 1988, the year TRI reporting was first required, releases of
hazardous substances have decreased by 44 percent, although the volume of waste
generated has increased, attributable at least in part to an improving economy and,
therefore, increased production. One of EPA's best-known voluntary programs, the 33/
50 Program, had a goal of reducing releases of 17 selected chemicals by 33 percent as
of 1992, and 50 percent by 1995. This program achieved the 1995 goal a year ahead
of schedule.
Companies that serve as models for pollution prevention responses have common ele-
ments, beginning with strong management support and commitment. Five large cor-
porations fostering prevention are highlighted: Monsanto and Union Carbide, leading
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Executive Summary
chemical manufacturers; Public Service Electric and Gas, a utility that used materi-
als management to yield pollution prevention returns; AT&T, which has made inno-
vative use of environmental accounting methods to further its pollution prevention
goals; and Home Depot, one of the most active retailers promoting a pollution pre-
vention agenda among its clients and staff.
While larger companies frequently have both the financial and technical resources and
expertise in-house to implement pollution prevention practices, smaller businesses may
have a greater need for assistance. These businesses may find it difficult to identify
opportunities for pollution prevention in their processes and products and may also
may have fewer resources available to implement the changes, whether in equipment,
accounting practices, or other areas. Five examples of successful small businesses are
described, along with information on federal and state programs that are available to
assist small businesses, including EPA's Small Business Compliance Assistance Cen-
ters and state Small Business Development Centers.
Industry pollution prevention initiatives go beyond changes in manufacturing pro-
cesses to include product stewardship programs to reach suppliers and customers with
a pollution prevention message; working with communities and stakeholders to create
more sustainable products and expand market share; and selling "green" or environ-
mentally-preferable products. Innovative ideas and technologies in pollution preven-
tion, ranging from new soldering process for circuit boards to using ultraviolet light to
coat beer cans (thereby eliminating emissions of volatile organic compounds), con-
clude the chapter. ;
Guest author Edwin L. Mongan of DuPont observes that the key to future success lies
in cooperative efforts involving companies, local communities, regulatory agencies,
and environmental groups. Craig Doolittle of the Dow Chemical Company points out
the importance of prevention for global competitiveness, and highlights the value of
"resource productivity" — using less raw material to make more product with less
waste. Both authors emphasize, the importance of flexible, performance-based envi-
ronmental regulatory programs, and the need to integrate business and environmen-
tal management systems. Marc J. Epstein of INSEAD focuses on three specific tools
for improving corporate environmental performance: capital investment decision-mak-
ing, cost management, and performance evaluation.
Chapter Three — The Role of Other Federal Agencies in Prevention
The federal government is the largest single buyer of goods and services in the United
States, and the largest property-owner. In its varied roles as purchaser of products,
facility manager, regulator, and policy maker, the federal government is uniquely situ-
ated to encourage pollution prevention through the example of its own actions. Fed-
eral agencies have become substantially more active in pollution prevention over
the last six years, under the guidance of legislation and a number of Executive
Orders. This chapter highlights the varied pollution prevention activities of 11
federal agencies:
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Executive Summary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education Program provides competitive grants for research, education, and
extension projects in four regions of the country. The projects help farmers
reduce pesticide use, manage wastes, and reduce energy consumption.
U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S. AID) operates an Environ-
mental Pollution Prevention Project which focuses on locally sustainable
pollution prevention programs for urban and industrial waste in developing
countries by providing technical assistance for diagnosing problems, training,
information dissemination, and assistance in program development.
The Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology
is assisting industry in technology development through four programs: (1)
Advanced Technology Program, which provides cost-shared grants for high-
risk technologies with commercial potential: (2) Manufacturing Extension
Partnership for small and mid-sized companies: (3) collaborative laboratory
research with industry; and (4) the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
outreach program.
The Department of Defense (DoD) engages in numerous pollution prevention
activities affecting both military installations and weapon systems. As a major -
user and generator of hazardous substances, DoD has focused on reducing the
use of these chemicals in its own facilities and by its suppliers. Life-cycle
assessment is an integral part of these projects.
The Department of Energy (DOE) also uses, generates, and releases a large
amount of hazardous substances; its recent successes in addressing this problem
have earned DOE an "Environmental Champion" award. Each facility is
responsible for developing pollution prevention goals and determining the best
method for achieving them. DOE is also working with its contractors to
encourage and assist them in implementing similar pollution prevention efforts.
The General Services Administration is one of the largest purchasing units of
the government and, with EPA, is piloting several projects to evaluate and
distribute information on environmentally-preferable products.
The Department of the Interior is approaching pollution prevention and waste
minimization at the Bureau level. Organizations such as the National Park
Service and the U.S. Geological Survey are proceeding with plans to reduce the
amount of toxic materials used, stored, and disposed.
The National Aeronautical and Space Administration's (NASA) pollution
prevention strategy has resulted in a significant reduction in releases of TRI
reportable substances over the last few years. NASA is using facility-specific
plans to promote and implement pollution prevention goals.
The U.S. Postal Service's Waste Minimization/Pollution Prevention Program
has resulted in a 76 percent decrease of solid hazardous waste generation since
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1992. Changes have occurred in the painting of service vehicles, the use of
dry cell batteries, recycling of mail trays and pallets, and numerous other
areas.
& The Department of Transportation (DOT) is moving on several fronts to
integrate pollution prevention into its activities. Reductions in energy use by
encouraging walking and bicycling, use of recycled materials in asphalt,
wetlands mitigation, and decreased use of polluting substances are some of
DOT's initiatives.
9 Through the "Greening of the White House" project, President Clinton has
instituted numerous changes in the operations of the White House to transform
it into a model for energy efficiency, waste reduction, and environmental
protection.
Guest author Fran McPoland, the Federal Environmental Executive, highlights the
challenges of Executive Order 12873: waste reduction, increased recycling, and pro-
curement of environmentally-preferable products and products with recycled content.
Sherri Goodman with the Department of Defense points out the accomplishments of
DoD in environmental protection, and emphasizes its goal of continuous improvement
in environmental performance through new technologies, new partnerships, smart busi-
ness decisions, and an emphasis on eliminating pollution at its source. Christine Ervin,
writing on behalf of the Department of Energy, also points out both the strengths and
the limitations of existing environmental paradigms in the face of growing population
and resource demands, and maintains that the future belongs to those who best inte-
grate resource efficiency into products and factories.
Chapter Four — Preventing Pollution at the State and Tribal Level
States have been in the forefront of innovation in pollution prevention. State activi-
ties have shifted over the last six years, from legislation — in 1992 over half of the
states had passed some form of legislation promoting pollution prevention — to
implementation issues, integration of pollution prevention into existing regulatory
programs, and attempts to measure progress in pollution prevention.
Some states administer their pollution prevention programs though regulatory agen-
cies with media-specific offices such as air, water, or solid waste. Other states also
involve nonregulatory agencies, such as university-based technical assistance programs,
a small business program, and a technology transfer foundation. Implementing these
programs involves a variety of approaches including technical assistance and outreach,
mandatory facility planning, and regulatory integration. At least 40 states offer confi-
dential, on-site pollution and waste assessments for small, and sometimes larger, busi-
nesses. Over 30 states operate information clearinghouses on pollution prevention
and 30 states have some form of pollution prevention facility planning program. States
also offer hotlines to provide specific information and answer questions, computer
searches to provide up-to-date information, research on specific pollution prevention
techniques, workshop and training seminars, publications, and grants and loans,
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Executive Summary
particularly to small businesses. States are also incorporating pollution prevention
into regulatory activities such as enforcement settlements, permitting, compliance
inspections, and waste management. Pilot projects in Massachusetts, Ohio, New
Jersey, Indiana, and Illinois are described in this chapter.
As state pollution prevention programs look ahead, they face two primary challenges.
The first is to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of their technical assistance and
outreach efforts, in terms of actual pollution prevention results at the company level.
Second is the ongoing need to integrate pollution prevention into state regulatory
programs.
Tribal governments have only recently been able to consider, both economically and
technically, pollution prevention as an alternative to end-of-pipe controls. Although
most tribal governments are still in the nascent phase of environmental manage-
ment, since 1992, tribes have received 18 Pollution Prevention Incentives to States
(PPIS) grants and 14 Environmental Justice through Pollution Prevention (EJP2)
grants. Several tribes have taken steps to integrate pollution prevention into their
regulatory and voluntary programs. Critical issue for integration of pollution pre-
vention into tribal activities are the lack of communication among tribes and the
need for education and outreach on pollution prevention. Tribes. EPA, and state
agencies are hoping to overcome these barriers by increased tribal participation in
national conferences and membership in organizations such as the National Pollu-
tion Prevention Roundtable.
Guest author Linda Bray Rimer of the North Carolina Department of the Environment
points out the challenges that states face in moving pollution prevention beyond "spe-
cial project" and mainstreaming it into state environmental programs. Mary Gade of
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency emphasizes the importance of incen-
tives, collaboration, and partnerships in using prevention to address remaining envi-
ronmental problems, and Andrea Farrell of the National Pollution Prevention
Roundtable highlights emerging international partnerships for prevention as well.
Chapter Five — Prevention at Educational Institutions: Engaging Future
Leaders
Pollution prevention education is available through graduate school. The last six
years have seen an explosion of interest in pollution prevention in educational
institutions.
In kindergarten through high school, pollution prevention is being added to educa-
tional curricula in order to encourage children to practice pollution prevention at
school and at home. Educational partnerships and organizations have created mate-
rials that engage children's imagination and enable them to see the practical results
of pollution prevention. Examples of these educational programs include the Texas
"Learning to Be Water Wise and Energy Efficient." and the active participation cur-
riculum Environmental ACTION.
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A number of universities and nonprofit organizations are developing curricular ma-
terials incorporating pollution prevention into courses in business, accounting, engi-
neering, chemistry, finance, and environmental sciences. For example, the Man-
agement Institute for Environment and Business is working with business schools to
encourage an understanding of how source reduction and waste minimization can
improve the profitability of a company through environmental accounting, design
for the environment, life-cycle analysis, and quality management.
Universities are leading research and development on new pollution prevention con-
cepts, such as life-cycle analysis and industrial ecology. Spurred sometimes by stu-
dents, some universities have become activists in implementing pollution prevention
on campus. For example, The George Washington University in Washington, DC,
signed a formal agreement with EPA to incorporate pollution prevention and other
environmental concepts into all aspects of university life.
Universities are also a vital source of information for industry and communities.
There are at least 35 university-based centers for pollution prevention. These centers
work with industry on technology development and information dissemination, data
collection, audits, and training and conferences. Many states have established their
compliance assistance/pollution prevention coordinators at a regulatory agency with
the technical assistance program located at a university. Universities are forming part-
nerships with federal and state agencies, industry, and local community organizations
to solve real world environmental problems on a local, regional, and national scale.
Guest author David Allen of the University of Texas at Austin comments that most
prevention activities at universities have been grass-roots, but that their long-term
viability depends on making these activities "the rule, not the exception." Michael
Heiman of Dickinson College notes that college prevention programs need not be
limited to the campus — students have the opportunity to build bridges between the
campus and the wider community through environmental monitoring. Jonathan W.
Bulkley of the University of Michigan adds that it is important for colleges and univer-
sities to establish links with pace-setting industrial locations where creative preven-
tion activities are underway.
Chapter Six — The Contributions of Communities and Non-Profit
Organizations
Community involvement has been crucial in achieving many of the pollution preven-
tion successes discussed in this report. Chapter Six discusses two entities that are
influencing pollution prevention at local, national, and global levels: communities
and non-profit organizations.
Community-Based Environmental Protection (CBEP) projects focus on local condi-
tions and problems, recognizing that each community is unique and that solutions for
one locale are not necessarily applicable to another. CBEP also encourages partner-
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Executive Summary
ships between public and private entities to address local environmental issues and
resources.
While community concerns over industrial pollution are a primary focus for preven-
tion, pollution prevention in the local and regional levels is often interwoven with
issues of transportation, land use. and building design/indoor air quality. Several local
initiatives are highlighted in this chapter.
Prevention has been a primary impetus for several new professional associations,
including the American Institute for Pollution Prevention and the National Associa-
tion of Physicians for the Environment. Established local government organiza-
tions, including the National Association of Counties and the Center for Neighbor-
hood Technologies, have found a new role in helping to advance prevention among
their members. Prevention has been the occasion for established environmental groups,
such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council,
to take on new and expanded roles in collaborative projects. Other groups promote
prevention by supplying the public with data developed under the TRI.
Guest author Paul drum of the Working Group on Community Right-to-Know stresses
that public access to complete environmental information is key to pollution preven-
tion. Mary Rosso of the Maryland Waste Coalition adds that resources and education
are the critical factors that make it possible for communities to implement local
prevention programs. In a joint commentary reflecting the views of the National As-
sociation of Counties and the National Association of County and City Health Offi-
cials, Naomi Friedman and Karen Troccoli discuss the importance of local govern-
ment involvement in prevention programs, acknowledging that one of the challenges
these kinds of initiatives face on a local level is that prevention is a long-term invest-
ment, in many cases longer than the political terms of elected officials.
Chapter Seven — Measuring Pollution Prevention
One sign of the success and maturity of pollution prevention activity is that the focus
of attention has moved from a concern with program definitions and implementation
to program outcomes and results. Our questions now are: Will these approaches
provide benefits in line with the costs? Will there be a net improvement to the
environment? Chapter Seven provides an overview of both the need for measuring
progress in pollution prevention and the need for progress in measuring pollution pre-
vention. The chapter discusses two main ways to approach pollution prevention mea-
sures: assessing program effectiveness and determining pollution reductions.
New regulations and policies have contributed to a growing urgency in the need for
adequate measures of pollution prevention program effectiveness. As a result of the
Government Performance and Results Act, the federal government is under increasing
pressure to assess program effectiveness and eliminate federal programs that are not
successful. Therefore, a quantitative gauge of the success of pollution prevention
programs is critical to the long-term survival of these programs. In addition, the Na-
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tional Environmental Performance Partnership System, which allows EPA to grant
more regulatory flexibility to states, imparts an increased responsibility on the part
of states to demonstrate that they are still meeting environmental goals and objec-
tives. Due to the challenges associated with determining overall statewide pollution
prevention progress, many states have focused initially on measuring the success of
specific state pollution prevention program components.
States, as well as independent research organizations, are determining the extent to
which specific components of state pollution prevention programs are resulting in
actual implementation of pollution prevention measures at facilities. Typical mea-
surement methods, which can be used individually or in combination, include: analysis
of records, reports, and plans", surveys or in-depth interviews (either broadly cover-
ing the universe of relevant facilities, or narrowly focused on recipients of specific
services); focus groups; and case studies. This chapter describes studies conducted
by New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Iowa to evaluate the
effectiveness of facility planning and/or technical assistance. Studies showed mixed
results; some'companies implemented pollution prevention recommendations result-
ing from on-site technical assistance visits, but costs and quality concerns formed sig-
nificant impediments.
Three methods of measuring pollution reductions are widely discussed: actual quan-
tity change, adjusted quantity change, and materials accounting. These methods rely
on data that are readily available to facilities, states, and EPA. The data used to
calculate actual quantity change or adjusted quantity change can be obtained from
information reported to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory or under RCRA. Some states,
such as New Jersey, also require facilities to submit materials accounting data. Other
innovative techniques for measuring pollution prevention are also presented in the
chapter. For example, under a Pollution Prevention Incentives for States grant, the
Indiana Pollution Prevention and Safe Materials Institute devised a pollution pre-
vention measurement that incorporates hazard rankings for chemicals. The increased
emphasis on pollution prevention program performance should spur the develop-
ment of better measurement techniques in the years to come.
Guest authors Ken Geiser and Elizabeth Harriman, writing for the Toxics Use Reduc-
tion Institute, provide a cogent argument for the need to measure prevention. While
they acknowledge the difficulty of counting something that is prevented ("measuring
something that exists, such as pollution, is always easier than measuring that which
has been prevented"), Geiser and Harriman stress that "to promote pollution preven-
tion without metrics and without goals for measurement would promote activity in-
stead of movement and reward effort instead of achievement. Constructing valid and
appropriate systems for measuring pollution prevention progress is critical to the fur-
ther development of this young field."
Chapter Eight — The Future of Pollution Prevention
What does the future hold for pollution prevention? What are likely to be the great-
est challenges in the years ahead and are we prepared to meet them? Chapter Eight
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Lxetut i ve Summary
highlights some of the issues that will affect the future of pollution prevention. We
have invited a variety of views from long-time prevention practitioners.
• Joseph Ling, retired from 3M where he served as Vice President for Environ-
mental Engineering and Pollution Control, outlines his vision for the next step
beyond pollution prevention and design for the environment — designing for
sustainability. Ling describes where we have been in environmental protection
over the past four decades and argues that, while we may not have all the
answers, it's time to forge ahead. As he puts it "we need to take that step
today [toward sustainability], and not worry about stumbling tomorrow."
• Warren Muir, president of Hampshire Research Associates, Inc., acknowledges
the progress that has been made in recognizing the need for pollution preven-
tion and the increase in pollution prevention activities, but cautions us that
pollution prevention is far from a mainstream concept and is neither at the
center of environmental regulatory reform nor a top priority for industrial
decision makers. Muir finds that pollution prevention "has had no discernible
impact on aggregate toxic chemical waste generation" while the number of
source reduction activities reported to TRI has declined each year.
• David Thomas, director of the Waste Management and Research Center at the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, notes that there is work still to be
done, but affirms that much has been accomplished. He sees pollution
prevention as one aspect of a larger environmental revolution that is shaping a
new, more sustainable future. Challenges that lie ahead include properly
accounting for the true cost of waste and incorporating pollution prevention
into the global marketplace. Industry must take a leadership role, colleges
need to be training youth to integrate environmental thinking into their
disciplines, and new partnerships must be formed between industry and
consumers to evaluate environmental problems and design creative solutions.
• Harry Freeman, executive director of the Louisiana Environmental Leadership
Pollution Prevention Program at the University of New Orleans, argues that
"pollution prevention is a process rather than an end" and suggests that the
focus of pollution prevention may shift to clean products rather than industrial
processes and wastestreams, and to federal agencies that have not been as
involved in the past, such as USDA for non-point source runoff and the Depart-
ment of Transportation for mobile sources of air pollution.
• Joanna Underwood, president of INFORM, Inc.. argues that the concept of
pollution prevention has taken center stage in environmental thinking, but the
reality is not as bright: industry progress in source reduction "has only been
marginal." Underwood urges business to find innovative answers to source
reduction; better data available to the public through materials accounting data;
and placing the burden of proof on manufacturers to show that new proposed
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chemicals are safe for intended uses. "Exposure prevention" should be one of
our new guiding principles.
Gerald Kotas, co-director of the National Climate Wise Program and senior
environmental scientist with the Office of Energy Efficiency arid Renewable
Energy of the Department of Energy, traces the history of the federal response
to pollution and the context for the developing of pollution prevention efforts:
He calls for partnerships to be formed to develop creative solutions that will
lead to fundamental changes in our lifestyle that are necessary for a sustain-
able future. Kotas reminds us that at the core of what we are attempting is a
deeper understanding of the natural connections between economic productiv-
ity, sustainability, and enhancement of environmental quality.
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Executive Summary
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