5300
001S77100
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BEYOND
ENVIRONMENTAL
REGULATION:
INDUSTRY
TAKES THE
INITIATIVE
....:., :•-. .oia CGSOH
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POLLUTION PREVENTION PAYS
POLLUTION CONTROL AT A PROFIT
^ Not the sales pitch of a Federal Regulatory Agency or a manufacturer of pollu-
tion control equipment. Rather, the slogans of two leading industrial firms, 3M
v Company and Dow Chemical. Both firms have, within 18 months, realized over
$ 10 million in savings through pollution control programs.
(^
45 These firms are but two of a growing number of companies that are looking at
,t, new approaches to controlling pollution—approaches emphasizing better research,
^ better engineering and design, and better manufacturing practices that eliminate
*s, tack-on pollution control devices and at the same time cut production costs and
r- save resources.
CS
Impressed by the initiative of these and other Midwest firms, the U.S. Depart-
ment of Commerce and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency co-spon-
sored a unique government-industry conference January 17 & 18, 1977 at the
Hyatt-Regency O'Hare in Chicago. The conference had three objectives:
1. to recognize those firms which have taken the lead in establishing pollution
prevention programs;
2. to share this approach with others;
3. to make government officials, business leaders and lawmakers advocates for
profitable pollution prevention.
Over 350 Midwestern companies attended the two-day meeting. As one of the
participants observed, "This conference should have been held 10 years ago, but
it couldn't have. I think a new Chapter in the quest for environmental quality
has been unfolding here as industrialist and government officials confer for the
first time on ways in which pollution control can be made to yield profits and
conserve resources."
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conference proceedings
DAY I of the two-day conference was geared toward corporate decision-makers.
Principals included:
government
Federal— Elliot L. Richardson
U.S. Secretary of Commerce
State-
industry
congress
media
Russell E. Train, Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Anthony Earl, Secretary
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Lewis W. Lehr, President
U.S. Operations, 3M Company
Dr. Earle Barnes, Exec. Vice President
Dow Chemical Company
John Lowey, Exec. Vice President
Republic Steel Company
C. V. St. John, Senior Plant Manager
Eli Lilly & Company
Honorable James J. Florio
Rep, D-New Jersey, member House Subcommittee on
Health and the Environment
Steve Connolly, Staff Counsel
House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment
James Bishop, Newsweek, Michael Sheldrich, BusinessWeek and
Gladwin Hill, N. Y. Times—panel moderators.
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DAY II covered specific technical approaches, featuring the most advanced infor-
mation available and was aimed at environmental directors.
To obtain comments and counsel of participants as fully as possible, the day's
agenda included three workshops:
SELECTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
POLLUTION ABATEMENT PROGRAMS
Chairman: George A. Travers,
Assistant to the Executive Vice President,
Commonwealth Edison
MANAGING AND MONITORING FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Chairman: Tom Zosel,
Environmental Engineer,
3M Company
INDUSTRIAL-MUNICIPAL WASTE
TREATMENT INTERFACE
Chairman: Dr. James W. Patterson,
Pritzker Department of Environmental Engineering,
Armour College of Engineering,
Illinois Institute of Technology
conference materials available
— Prepared remarks of the key note speakers.
— Tapes of the two-day proceedings.
— List of participants with addresses.
— Personnel to advise individual firms on pollution prevention programs.
— Technical data on toxic guidelines.
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conclusions
1. Pollution is largely a wasted resource.
2. Process change often is a more economical approach to pollution prevention
than add-on devices.
3. Increased regulatory efficiency and flexibility are required to accommodate
new approaches to pollution prevention.
4. Pollution prevention programs require top corporate support and involvement.
5. The potential for pollution prevention and concomitant resource conservation
is enormous since the U.S. with only 5.6% of mankind consumes 40% of the
world's primary resources.
recommendations
\. Use economic incentives to control pollution.
2. Review current subsidies such as investment tax credits, accelerated deprecia-
tion and industrial revenue bonds in order to provide increased resources
toward pollution control. (Congress)
3. Interpret the tax statutes so that process changes are not discriminated against.
(IRS)
4. Increase the quality and standardization of testing procedures.
5. Develop a conservation-oriented society, a conservation-oriented economy and
a conservation-oriented value system through education.
contact:
Office of the Secretary Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
55 East Jackson Boulevard 230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604 Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312)353-0340 (312)353-2072 CPO
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A special project of....
Environmental Research Information Center
26 West St. Clair
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
(513) 684-7394
Robert Crowe, Director
U.S. Department of Commerce
; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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