United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of the Administrator (1102)
Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics (7401)
EPA-100-R-94-002
Spring 1994
&EPA
EPA Pollution Prevention
Accomplishments: 1993
Policy Leads to Action
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with Soy/Canda Ink on paper that
contains at least 50% recycled fiber
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"The Pollution Prevention Act established a new
national policy for environmental protection: 'that
pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source
whenever feasible... / This deceptively simple statement
heralds a profound change in how EPA meets its obliga-
tions to protect human health and the environment. In the
past, we emphasized 'end of pipe' treatment of waste
after it was produced. Today, we must move upstream in
the manufacturing process to prevent the waste from
being generated in the first place."
-Administrator Carol M. Browner
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Table of Contents
I. Introduction 11 1
n. Summary of 1993 Pollution Prevention Accomplishments II 2
ffl. Integrating Pollution Prevention into Mainstream Activities 3
Q Office of Enforcement Reorganization
Q Source Reduction Review Project
Q Green Sector Project
IV. State and Local Partnerships 7
Q Pollution Prevention Integration into Media State Grants
V Private Sector Partnerships 11 10
a 33/50 Program
Q Design for the Environment (DfE)
Q Green Lights Program
Q Other Partnership Programs
VI. Federal Partnerships II 17
Q Presidential Executive Orders
VH. Public Information/The Right to Know II 19
Q Toxic Release Inventory
. Appendix: Pollution Prevention Policy Statement
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<>EPA I- Introduction
On June 15,1993, EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner signed the Pollution Preven-
tion Policy Statement (see Appendix), which provides a framework for integrating
pollution prevention into all EPA programs and activities. The Policy Statement
outlined how the Agency expects to achieve the broad national goal established by the
Pollution Prevention Act of 1990: reducing or eliminating waste at its source, rather
than trying to control it after it has been produced. This report identifies major actions
that EPA took in 1993 to achieve this goal through:
Q Regulations and Compliance
Q State and Local Partnerships
Q Private Partnerships
Q Federal Partnerships
Q Public Information/The Right to Know
Extensive information on EPA's efforts related to environmental technology is available
from the Office of Research and Development (ORD). An overview of this research,
which underlies much of the Agency's pollution prevention work, is available in the
following reports: "Environmental Technology Initiative: FY 1994 Program Plan," EPA
543-K-93-003, January 1994; and "Technology Innovation Strategy," EPA 543-K-93-002,
January 1994. Please call Paul Shapiro of ORD at (202) 260-4969 for further information.
If you have questions about this report, please call the specific contacts listed at the end
of each section, or Mike Schiavo of the Pollution Prevention Policy Staff at (202) 260-
2824. For additional copies of the report or for further information about other impor-
tant activities not covered in this document, please call the Pollution Prevention Infor-
mation Clearinghouse at (202) 260-1023.
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II. Summary of 1993 Pollution
Prevention Accomplishments
-X
71
Rfl
Frf
Office of Enforcement Reorganization: On October 12,1993, Administrator Carol
M. Browner announced a major reorganization of EPA's enforcement program.
The reorganization established a new Office of Compliance, organized primarily
around economic sectors, to support integrated approaches to compliance that
promote pollution prevention as a means of meeting environmental requirements.
Source Reduction Review Project: EPA proposed a rule for the pulp and paper
industry and issued a degreasing MACT standard, both of which are based on
source reduction technology.
Green Sector Project In November of 1993, the Administrator announced plans
to develop comprehensive environmental protection strategies for specific indus-
tries, in order to provide cleaner, cheaper environmental protection and to serve as
models for future interactions with all industries.
Pollution Prevention Integration into Media State Grants: States and EPA
regions continued to demonstrate progress integrating pollution prevention into
ongoing program activities in addition to EPA's special state prevention grants.
33/50 Program: Emissions of 33/50 program chemicals for the 1991 reporting year
had declined 34 percent since 1988, surpassing the program's interim goal of a 33
percent national reduction a full year ahead of schedule.
Design for the Environment: The DfE program continued its successful work in
many areas, including printing, dry cleaning, accounting, and capital budgeting.
Green Lights: By installing energy-efficient lighting, Green Lights participants
reduced air pollution by 450 million pounds of CO2,3.3 million pounds of SO2,
and 1.6 million pounds of NOX - over four times the amount of CO2 and NOX and
over three times the amount of SO2 emissions prevented by the program in 1992.
Other Partnership Programs: EPA continued to build pollution prevention
partnerships with the computer industry (Energy Star Computers) and the lodg-
ing industry (WAVE), and also launched a program to encourage companies to
voluntarily reduce solid waste (Waste Wi$e).
Presidential Executive Orders: In the latter part of 1993, EPA and other federal
agencies began developing plans to implement five Executive Orders designed to
make the federal government an environmental leader.
Toxic Release Inventory: 1993 marked the first year that data collected under the
Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 were released with the Toxic Release Inventory.
The Agency also announced plans to expand TRI to include over 300 additional
chemicals.
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vv EPA "I- Integrating Pollution Prevention
' into Mainstream Activities
"The mainstream activities at EPA, such as regulatory develop-
ment, permitting, inspections, and enforcement must reflect our com-
mitment to reduce pollution at the source and minimize the cross-
media transfer of waste."
-except from the Pollution Prevention Policy Statement
Pollution prevention provides the critical link between environmental protection and
economic productivity. It is therefore essential that EPA work across traditional pro-
gram boundaries to integrate pollution prevention into its everyday activities. The
reorganization of the Office of Enforcement, the Source Reduction Review Project, and
the Green Sector project are three of the steps EPA has taken to shift its focus from
single-media pollution control to multi-media pollution prevention within economic
sectors.
Office of Enforcement Reorganization
Introduction Since 1991, EPA has sought to modify its inspection and enforcement programs to
encourage pollution prevention as the primary means of complying with federal
environmental requirements. For example, EPA's Supplemental Environmental
Projects (SEP) policy authorizes a reduction in civil penalties in exchange for pollution
prevention projects that help correct underlying violations, as long as the net effect is to
recover any economic benefits gained from noncompliance. In addition, EPA's grant
flexibility encourages state innovations like the Massachusetts FIRST project, which
uses pollution prevention technical assistance to correct problems identified during a
multi-media inspection process.
Despite this progress, the division of responsibility among the Office of Enforcement
and EPA's media programs has made it difficult to develop the kind of multi-media,
whole-facility perspective that provides incentives for the use of pollution prevention
to meet requirements. In addition, EPA has been criticized for inadequate attention to
compliance strategies designed to prevent pollution at the source, thereby reducing the
need for expensive and time-consuming enforcement actions.
The reorganization of the Office of Enforcement will address this problem by consoli-
dating responsibility for these activities into a new Office of Enforcement and Compli-
ance Assurance (OECA). A new Office of Compliance within OECA will be responsible
for activities such as inspection, monitoring and measurement, and compliance assis-
tance, and will be organized principally by economic sector. This organization breaks
the single-media mold by requiring that basic compliance activities be organized
around regulated activities in the chemical, commercial, energy, transportation and
agricultural sectors.
a
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GO3lS r^ie S03^5 °f *he reorganization include:
Q maintaining a strong enforcement presence to deter noncompliance;
Q improving compliance rates and environmental quality;
Q offering compliance assistance activities to complement traditional enforcement
efforts; and
Q pursuing multi-media, whole-facility approaches to compliance whenever
appropriate.
Q On October 12,1993, the Administrator announced a major reorganization of
1993 Highlights EPA's enforcement program, which is expected to take effect in the early spring
of 1994. The new office will report to the Assistant Administrator for Enforce-
ment and Compliance Assurance.
Q The reorganization establishes a new Office of Compliance, organized princi-
pally around economic sectors, to support integrated approaches to compliance
that promote pollution prevention as a means of meeting environmental require-
ments.
Q This sector orientation was strongly supported during the public comment
process by groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund, Amoco, Ciba-
Geigy, and the States of Massachusetts and New York. The new office will
support a renewed emphasis on multi-media strategies that make pollution
prevention the cornerstone of compliance.
Q The reorganization also establishes a new Multi-Media Division within the Office
of Regulatory Enforcement responsible for multi-media enforcement actions and
for encouraging the use of pollution prevention in settlements. This will greatly
reduce the transaction costs associated with multi-media cases, which may
present the best opportunity for incorporating pollution prevention into settle-
ments.
Flltlire PISIIS EPA expects to complete the reorganization of the new enforcement program in the
early Spring of 1994. As part of establishing its new agenda, the OEC A expects to host
public meetings to solicit suggestions as to how the Agency can promote pollution
prevention through multi-media inspections, compliance assistance, and auditing, as
well as through enforcement actions.
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Source Reduction Review Project
Introduction
The Source Reduction Review Project (SRRP) was initiated in 1992 by EPA to evaluate
pollution prevention alternatives during the regulatory development process. The
project was established in response to Section 4(b) of the Pollution Prevention Act of
1990 (P.L. 101-508), which requires EPA to "review regulations of the Agency prior and
subsequent to their proposal to determine their effect on source reduction." While the
Pollution Prevention Act requires EPA to review all regulations, the SRRP allows EPA
to focus its review on key regulations mandated by the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water
Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Goals
The goal of the project is to foster the use of source reduction measures as the preferred
approach for achieving environmental protection, followed in descending order by
recycling, treatment, and, as a last resort, disposal.
1993 Highlights
EPA proposed regulations in November to dramatically reduce and prevent air
and water discharges of dioxin and other toxic pollutants by the U.S. pulp and
paper industry. This represents the first time the Agency has ever proposed a
rule that takes an ecosystem-wide approach to improving and protecting public
health and the environment by combining air and water requirements in the
same regulation.
EPA issued the Degreasing MACT Standard, which includes pollution preven-
tion language in the preamble. The rule is based on maximizing the efficiency of
cleaning processes through equipment modifications, work practices, and good
housekeeping, and explicitly discourages the use of treatment technologies, such
as carbon absorption systems. The Agency's solvents work group is also analyz-
ing potential substitutes to halogenated solvents, such as aqueous and semi-
aqueous systems.
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) convened a workshop in
September for SRRP participants from across the Agency to discuss SRRP suc-
cesses to date, obstacles to source reduction in rule making, and ways to over-
come those obstacles. The results of this workshop are being developed into an
assessment paper tentatively titled: "Pollution Prevention Through Regulation:
The Source Reduction Review Project."
Future Plans
Q Document effective approaches to incorporating pollution prevention into rules
to assist future Agency rule drafters.
G Work on expanding pollution prevention into all rules, and into all stages of rule
makings (e.g., permitting and compliance activities).
Contact
Q Jocelyn Woodman, Pollution Prevention Division, (202) 260-4418
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Green Sector Project
Introduction
On November 19,1993, the Administrator announced that EPA will develop compre-
hensive environmental protection strategies for specific industrial sectors. The effort will
be led by the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation and the Assis-
tant Administrator of the Office of Water. For each industry, EPA sector teams will:
Q coordinate the development of regulations;
Q review reporting requirements and institute more efficient reporting through
electronic transmission of data;
Q investigate opportunities for permit streamlining as proposed in the National
Performance Review;
Q review the effectiveness of the Agency's existing compliance strategy and enforce-
ment activities;
Q identify and apply the best innovative approaches to environmental protection,
including pollution prevention and source reduction strategies, and voluntary
programs such as Green Lights and WAVE; and
Q establish dose working relationships with industry sector representatives, states,
other federal agencies, and environmental groups.
Goals
The goal of the project is to create comprehensive environmental programs for several
pilot industrial sectors that will provide cheaper, cleaner environmental protection and
serve as models for future interactions with all industries.
1993 Highlights
The Agency's Green Sector team worked to identify the initial project time line, a
preliminary list of candidate industries, potential industry selection criteria, and
an outreach/public relations plan.
Future Plans
Q A cross-Agency team is currently working to identify four to six potential sectors
to participate in the program and to develop an implementation plan. The team
will look to industry, states, and environmental groups for recommendations.
: Contacts
Q Steve Harper, Office of Air and Radiation, (202) 260-8953
Q Lea Swanson, Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, (202) 260-5276
Q Vivian Daub Office of Water, (202) 260-6790
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IV. State and Local Partnerships
"Increasingly, state and local agencies are the 'face ofgovemmenf
for the general public. We will strengthen the national network of
state and local pollution prevention programs, and seek to integrate
prevention into state and local regulatory, permitting, and inspec-
tion programs supported with federal funds."
-except from the Pollution Prevention Policy Statement
Close cooperation between federal, state, and local government is critical in defining
and achieving national environmental policy goals. State and local governments are
often in better touch with industry and public needs and how to meet, and can serve as
national laboratories for new experiments in pollution prevention. EPA is committed to
working in partnership with state and local governments to encourage pollution pre-
vention.
EPA continued to demonstrate this commitment in 1993 by offering Pollution Preven-
tion Incentives for States (PPIS) grants for the first time through EPA's regional offices
and by integrating pollution prevention into media state grants. The PPIS grant pro-
gram, which has provided $20 million to more than 70 state and regional organizations
since 1991, offers matching funds to states to support pollution prevention activities and
develop state programs. Many PPIS grant recipients focus resources on technical
assistance, outreach and education, regulatory integration, awards and recognition, or
demonstration projects. EPA's efforts to integrate pollution prevention into media state
grants are described in more detail below.
Pollution Prevention Integration into Media State Grants
Introduction
In the November 12,1992 Memorandum from the Deputy Administrator, "State Grants
Guidance: Integration of Pollution Prevention," EPA established objectives for
Agency-wide pollution prevention integration into media state grants. This media
grant guidance is consistent with the new Executive Order 12875, Enhancing the Inter-
governmental Partnership, signed by President Clinton on October 26,1993, which
requires federal agencies to "consider any application by a state, local or tribal govern-
ment for a waiver of statutory or regulatory requirements...with a general view toward
utilizing flexible policy approaches at the state, local and tribal level..."
Goals ^ Support state pollution prevention activities by ensuring flexibility in grant
VaUclla requirements.
Q Promote pollution prevention in federally funded state programs.
Q Share information on successful programs and identify statutory or other barri-
ers to pollution prevention.
Q Build self-sustaining pollution prevention programs.
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FY94 EPA Operations Grant Program Funding*
Water
43.0%
RCRA
18.2%
Total = $561.6 million
Excludes CWA Title VI and Superfund
* Based on President's FY94 request
Pesticides &
Toxics
6.6%
Figures as of April 5,1993
1993 Highlights
In FY1993, states and EPA regions demonstrated progress in the integration of pollu-
tion prevention into ongoing program activities using media grants:
Q EPA Region 1 granted Massachusetts' Waste Prevention Project the flexibility to
identify alternate inspection goals.
Q The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and EPA Region 10
agreed to direct 3% of eligible federal and state grant match dollars to support
pollution prevention activities.
Q The New York Department of Environmental Conservation's pollution preven-
tion proposal to EPA Region 2 will incorporate Multi-Media Pollution Preven-
tion (M2P2) program priorities as an integral part of Clean Air Act §105, Clean
Water Act §106, and RCRA Subtitle C grant programs.
Q From FY 1992 through FY 1994, Ohio and EPA Region 5, using the Great Lakes
Basin Activities program element of the RCRA grant, have promoted a wide
variety of pollution prevention activities.
Q Maine's Department of Environmental Protection, working with EPA Region 1,
has used Clean Water Act grants to focus pollution prevention activities on a
single geographic area (Androscoggin River Watershed) using a multi-media
approach that addresses both RCRA and Clean Air Act concerns.
BT
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Future Plans
EPA is committed to continued integration of pollution prevention into program
activities using media grants. Administrator Browner has issued a memorandum to
Associate Administrators and Regional Administrators requesting their full support for
this Agency goal. In upcoming grant cycles, EPA will continue to document and
publish media grant success stories that demonstrate progress in the integration of
pollution prevention in media grants.
Contacts
Q Tom McCully, Pollution Prevention Policy Staff, (202) 260-8617
Q Lena Hann, Pollution Prevention Division, (202) 260-2237
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V. Private Sector Partnerships
"We will identify and pioneer new cooperative efforts that em-
phasize multi-media prevention strategies, reinforce the mutual
goals of economic and environmental well-being, and represent new
models for government/private sector interaction."
-except from the Pollution Prevention Policy Statement
EPA's voluntary programs, including 33/50, Design for the Environment (DfE), and
Green Lights, enjoyed many successes in 1993. These programs are designed to pro-
duce tangible environmental results quicker than regulation alone, and to encourage
pollution prevention and energy efficiency by influencing corporate design, manufac-
turing, packaging, distribution, and marketing decisions. The programs offer encour-
agement, assistance, and public recognition to companies and organizations willing to
commit the resources needed to get the job done.
33/50 Program: Reducing Risks Through Voluntary Action
Introduction
The 33/50 Program is aimed at determining whether voluntary reduction programs
can achieve targeted reductions more quickly than the Agency's traditional command
and control approach to environmental protection regulations. The Program encour-
ages pollution prevention as the best means of achieving reductions in toxic chemical
emissions, and seeks to instill a pollution prevention ethic at the highest echelons of
American business by directing program communications to the chief executive offic-
ers (CEOs) of corporations that own manufacturing installations throughout the United
States.
Goals
The 33/50 Program derives its name from its goals:
Q a 33% reduction by 1992 of releases and offsite transfers of 17 high-priority toxic
chemicals (see box below), using 1988 TRI reporting as a baseline; and
Q a 50% reduction of these emissions by 1995.
17 PRIORITY CHEMICALS TARGETED BY
THE 33/50 PROGRAM
Benzene
Cadmium & Compounds
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chloroform
Chromium & Compounds
Cyanides
Dichloromethane
Lead & Compounds
Mercury & Compounds
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Methylene Chloride
Nickel & Compounds
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
Trichloroethane
Trichlorethylene
Xylenes
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1.993 Highlights
Q TRI data released in May 1993 covering the 1991 reporting year revealed that
emissions of 33/50 Program chemicals declined by 34% between 1988 and 1991,
surpassing the program's 1992 interim 33% national reduction goal a full year
ahead of schedule (see graph).
Q Facilities' projected emissions through 1993 offer strong encouragement that the
33/50 Program's ultimate goal of a 50% reduction by 1995 will indeed be
achieved, perhaps as much as two years ahead of schedule.
Q Nearly 1,200 companies had elected to participate in the 33/50 Program by the
end of 1993. The participation rate for the nation's top 600 firms exceeds 60%.
TRI Releases and Transfers of 33/50 Program Chemicals, 1988-1991.
Millions of Pounds
1,600
. 1992 Goal:
f f< 987.7 million Ibs.
11995 Goal:
737.1 million Ibs.
Future Plans
The 33/50 Program will follow an ambitious agenda in coming years:
Q Efforts to expand company participation will continue with initial invitations to
be offered to more than 1,000 new companies.
Q Industry trade associations are being asked to assist EPA in convincing smaller
companies to participate.
Q The 33/50 Program is co-sponsor of a national conference in the Spring of 1994
to publicize the accomplishments of voluntary pollution prevention programs
and their company and community partners.
Q A formal 33/50 Program evaluation has been initiated to assess the program's
success. To ensure its integrity, the 33/55 Program evaluation is being con-
ducted under a cooperative agreement by INFORM, an independent environ-
mental advocacy organization.
THl
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: Contact =
Call EPA's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Hotline at
(202) 554-1404, or fax your request to the TSCA Assistance Service at
(202) 554-5603.
Design for the Environment Program
Introduction
The Design for the Environment (DfE) program in EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics harnesses EPA's expertise and leadership to facilitate information exchange
and research on pollution prevention efforts. Its wide-ranging projects include helping
to change general business practices to provide incentives for pollution prevention
efforts, working with businesses and trade associations in specific industries to evaluate
the risks, performance, and costs of alternative chemicals, processes, and technologies,
and helping individual businesses undertake environmental design efforts through the
application of specific tools and methods.
Goals
Q Create voluntary and cooperative partnerships between EPA, industry, commu-
nities, and other government entities.
Q Create standard methodologies for using risk information and provide access to
that information.
Q Develop customer-focused information products to convey risk reduction and
pollution prevention options.
Q Provide incentives for industries to engage independently in risk reduction
activities.
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1993 Highlights
EPA has formed strong partnerships with the printing and dry cleaning indus-
try to evaluate alternative solutions to some of the environmental concerns
these industries would like to address.
The DfE Printing Project is currently conducting product demonstrations on a
wide range of chemical solvents used in the printing industry. The information
gathered will be included in a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment
(CTSA), a document that will systematically evaluate a number of alternatives
to current printing products and practices mat may be polluting the environ-
ment.
In October 1993, EPA announced the results of a joint DfE-dry-deaning indus-
try study that demonstrates the viability of an alternative, non-solvent, "wet"
cleaning process that relies on biodegradable soaps, heat, steam, and pressing to
clean clothes that are usually dry cleaned.
DfE has begun a Chemical Design Project through which EPA aims to change
the way organic chemists approach the design of synthetic pathways for chemi-
cal production. Many methods of synthesizing organic chemicals generate
toxic by-products or use high-risk substances as feedstocks, solvents, and
catalysts. EPA is encouraging consideration of alternative synthetic pathways
through: 1) grant awards to academic institutions; 2) discussion at national
symposia; and 3) use of computer programs to assist in the design of chemical
pathways.
Through the DfE Program, EPA is working with the General Services Adminis-
tration (GSA) to develop standards for environmentally preferable cleaning
agents that federal agencies can apply when making purchasing decisions.
In December, EPA and its partners in the business, accounting, and engineering
community held the first national workshop on integrating environmental costs
into management accounting and capital budgeting practices. The
"Stakeholder's Action Agenda," which is the culmination of the agenda-setting
phase of the project, will be widely distributed in the Spring of 1994.
Future Plans
DfE is in the beginning stages of projects in the computer, metal plating, and
aerospace industries.
Libby Parker, Design for the Environment Staff, (202) 260-0686
TiH
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Green Lights Program
Introduction Launched in January of 1991, Green Lights is a voluntary, non-regulatory program
designed to prevent pollution through the initiative of organizations around the
country. Green Lights seeks to engage the free market in an effort to promote profit-
able investments in energy-efficient technologies.
Any organization can join Green Lights. The over 1,200 current Green Lights partici-
pants represent a wide array of organizations: large and small corporations; state, city,
and county governments; environmental organizations; electric utilities; and most of
the lighting industry. By joining the program, participants can:
Q save money on their annual electric bills;
Q enhance their image by publicizing their participation in the program; and
Q receive an array of continually evolving tools and services to help make a
smooth transition to energy-efficient lighting.
By treating lighting as an investment opportunity rather than a fixed overhead cost,
Green Lights participants realize average returns on their lighting investments of over
25 percent. These organizations are reducing their light electricity bills by 42 percent or
more, while maintaining or improving lighting quality.
All Green Lights participants sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
EPA, agreeing to: (1) survey 100 percent of their domestic facilities; (2) upgrade their
lighting where profitable and wherever it maintains or improves the quality of light;
and (3) complete their lighting upgrades within five years. Participants also agree to
appoint an implementation director responsible for ensuring timely implementation of
lighting upgrades, and to work with EPA in publicizing the benefits of the program.
Goals Q Increase energy efficiency.
Q Prevent pollution associated with electricity generation.
Q Save money on energy bills.
Q Increase economic competitiveness.
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1993 Highlights
Q The number of Green Lights participants increased from 725 to 1,238—an
increase of over 70 percent.
Q Participants have committed themselves to upgrade a total of four billion square
feet of facility space—up from three billion square feet in 1992. The total facility
space currently committed is more than three times the total office space of New
York, Los Angeles, and Chicago combined.
Q Over 430 participants have reported progress on lighting upgrades, with close to
18 percent of their total square footage currently being upgraded.
Q As of December 1993, investment in these new lighting technologies reduced air
pollution by 450 million pounds of CO2,3.3 million pounds of SO2, and 1.6
million pounds of NOx—four times the amount of CO2 and NOx and over three
times the amount of SO2 emissions prevented by the Green Lights program in
December 1992.
Q Green Lights participants are already saving over 371 million kilowatt-hours
(kWh) annually—an energy saving that equals $29.6 million in avoided annual
electricity costs. This is a significant increase over the corresponding numbers for
1992,95 million kWh and $9.4 million respectively, and most participants are still
in the earliest phases of program implementation.
Contact
Q Green Lights Hotline, (202) 775-6650
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Other Partnership Programs
Energy Star
Computers
Computers are the fastest-growing electricity load in the business world. They are
believed to account for five percent of commercial energy consumption, and ironically,
much of this electricity is wasted: research shows that the vast majority of time per-
sonal computers are on, they are not actively in use. EPA's Energy Star Computers
program represents an expansion of the concept implemented with such success by
Green Lights: that using more energy-efficient equipment in homes, offices, and facto-
ries can help reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
In 1993, EPA signed partnership agreements with industry-leading manufacturers who
sell 60 percent of all desktop computers and 90 percent of all laser printers sold in the
United States. These companies will introduce desktop computers, monitors, or
printers that can automatically "power down" to save energy when they are not being
used. This "sleep" feature can cut a product's electricity use by over half.
Brian Johnson, Office of Air and Radiation, (202) 233-9320
Waste Wi$e
In late 1993, Administrator Browner sent letters to the CEOs of Fortune 500 and For-
tune Service 500 companies inviting them to join a new, voluntary partnership with
EPA called Waste Wi$e. The partnership is designed to "encourage and assist compa-
nies to minimize solid waste and thus protect the environment, cut costs, and improve
competitiveness." Participants will design their own programs and set their own goals
in each of three areas: waste prevention, recycling collection, and buying or manufac-
turing recycled products.
Contact
Q Waste Wi$e Hotline, 1-800-EPA-WISE, (1-800-372-9473)
WAVE
(Water
Alliances for
Voluntary
Efficiency)
WAVE is a voluntary partnership program designed to focus national attention on the
value of water and the need for efficient use of this important natural resource. The
program encourages hotels and motels, through voluntary partnership agreements
with EPA, to install water-efficient equipment wherever it is profitable and practical.
With WAVE, both the environment and the lodging industry benefit. Water and
energy consumption can be reduced, hotels and motels can become more efficient and
more profitable, and hotel guests and employees can become better informed about the
benefits of water efficiency.
Contact
John Flowers, Office of Wastewater Enforcement and Compliance,
(202) 260-7288
(HT
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VI. Federal Partnerships
"We must work closely with our counterparts in other agencies to
ensure that pollution prevention guides our management and pro-
curement decisions, and to pursue opportunities for reducing waste
at the source in the non-industrial sector."
-except from the Pollution Prevention Policy Statement
President Clinton said on Earth Day 1993 that the federal government must "lead by
example, not by bureaucratic fiat." The President signed five Executive Orders in 1993
to honor that commitment. EPA's efforts to implement these orders are described in
more detail below.
EPA is already working with other agencies to spread the pollution prevention ethic
throughout the government. Agriculture in Concert with the Environment (ACE)
grants are administered by EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help farm-
ers reduce the risk of pollution from pesticides and soluble fertilizers. EPA and the
Department of Energy are also working together on the National Industrial Competi-
tiveness through Efficiency: Energy, Environment, Economics (NICE3) program, which
provides grants to support new processes and equipment that reduce high-volume
wastes, conserve energy, and improve cost competitiveness.
Presidential Executive Orders
Introduction Federal agencies can play a major role in preventing pollution through more effective
management of facilities, and through procurement and acquisition standards that
consider the environmental impact of goods and services purchased by the govern-
ment. The signing of five environmental Executive Orders (EOs) in 1993 represents a
major accomplishment for EPA and the entire federal government. The orders repre-
sent an opportunity for the federal government to integrate pollution prevention into
all phases of its everyday operations, thereby reducing its impact on the environment
and saving taxpayer dollars.
Goals ^ °^ mese orders strongly emphasize federal government purchasing practices. They
were written to strengthen the role of the federal government by:
Q setting an example as an environmental leader;
Q substantially reducing the release of pollutants and toxic chemicals;
Q minimizing operating costs to make better use of tax dollars;
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Q realizing significant economic and environmental benefits from pollution
prevention and energy efficiency;
Q strengthening the role of the federal government as an enlightened, environ-
mentally conscious consumer; and
Q building strong markets for green products..
1993 Highlights ^ EPA worked closely with the White House and other federal agencies to de-
velop EO12856, which for the first time will subject federal agencies to the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). That
means federal agencies must publicly report toxic wastes and emissions effective
in the 1994 calendar year, even though they are not technically required to do so
under current law.
Q EO 12856 also requires federal agencies to cut toxic emissions 50% by 1999, and
to establish goals for reducing the use of extremely hazardous materials in
procurement. EPA has completed draft guidance for federal agencies to use in
meeting the requirements of this order, and has begun providing training to
assist in meeting the reporting requirements.
Q EPA also played a key role in developing EO 12873, which establishes new
procurement and acquisition standards. For example, the order includes a
requirement that copier, printer, and several other types of paper purchased by
the federal government include not less than 20% post-consumer content. It also
directs the General Service Administration (GSA) to eliminate non-performance-
related barriers to the purchase of chlorine-free paper.
Q To help agencies meet the requirements of EO 12873, EPA began preparing the
Comprehensive Procurement Guideline and Guidelines for Environmentally
Preferable Products. The Agency has also prepared a case to amend the Federal
Acquisition Regulations (FAR) to incorporate the requirements of the order.
Q The President signed three additional orders on April 21,1993: EO 12843,
Procurement Requirements and Policies for Federal Agencies for Ozone Deplet-
ing Substances; EO 12844, Federal Use of Alternative Fueled Vehicles; and EO
12845, Requiring Agencies to Purchase Energy Efficient Computers.
FutUTQ PUlllS Efforts to implement all of these orders will continue throughout 1994. Implementa-
tion efforts will include public meetings, training sessions, issuing procurement guide-
lines and general guidance documents, and amending the FAR, as appropriate.
Contact
James Edward, Office of Federal Facilities Enforcement,
Office of Enforcement, (202) 260-8859
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VII. Public Information/
The Right to Know
"We will collect and share useful information that helps identify
pollution prevention opportunities, measure progress, and recognize
success."
-except from the Pollution Prevention Policy Statement
The goal of pollution prevention is furthered by public information and outreach
activities. These activities help industry identify opportunities to reduce waste and
improve efficiency, and empower states and local communities to become stronger
advocates for pollution prevention. The foundation of EPA's efforts to provide useful
public information, the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), is discussed in more detail
below.
EPA's improved Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC) makes infor-
mation resources available to the public and industry to facilitate the adoption of
methods, processes, and technologies for pollution prevention. The clearinghouse also
maintains a collection of documents, including journals, course curricula, conference
proceedings, and federal and state government publications on source reduction and
recycling that is available nationwide through interlibrary loan. EPA is working with
states and other technical assistance providers to strengthen the national network of
prevention information.
Toxic Release Inventory
Introduction TRI is EPA's compilation of the type and quantities of toxic chemicals being released to
the environment from manufacturing facilities. Since the passage of EPCRA, TRI has
become a cornerstone of efforts to identify, target, measure, and reduce emissions of
toxic chemicals. Facilities must report their annual releases of TRI chemicals (320
chemicals are currently listed) to EPA and the states. EPA makes the data available to
the public, who can use the information to assess risks in their communities.
Q Expand the Right-to-Know program to provide the public with a more complete
Goals inventory of toxic chemicals and major sources of toxic pollutants.
Q Focus attention on pollution prevention and source reduction opportunities
through the new Pollution Prevention Act requirements.
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1993 Highlights
In 1993, EPA released the first year is data collected under the Pollution Preven-
tion Act. Beginning with the 1991 reporting year, companies reported quantities
of toxic chemicals in waste streams as well as amounts released directly to the
environment.
Executive Order 12856 requires federal facilities to begin reporting their toxic
chemical wastes and emissions under TRI for the first time. These requirements
take effect for the 1994 calendar year.
In early January of 1994, EPA proposed expanding TRI by adding 313 toxic
chemicals to the inventory based on their acute human health effects, cartinoge-
nicity, other chronic health effects, and their environmental effects. An extensive
hazard assessment was performed on each chemical proposed for addition to the
inventory. Of the 313 proposed additions, approximately 170 are active ingredi-
ents in the formulation of pesticides.
Future Plans
EPA plans to announce a second phase of the TRI expansion, which will broaden
the list of facilities that must report releases. Currently, only manufacturing
industries are required to report under TRI. EPA is in the process of identifying
non-manufacturing industries associated with significant releases to determine
their suitability for TRI reporting.
Contact
Q EPCRA Hotline, 1-800^24-9346
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s
Appendix: Pollution Prevention
Policy Statement
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&B3V
POLLUTION PREVENTION
POLICY STATEMENT
New Directions For Environmental Protection
1. Pollution Prevention: The New
Environmental Ethic
The Pollution Prevention Act establishes a bold
national objective for environmental protection: "[Tjhat
pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source
whenever feasible." This policy statement offers my
thoughts on how we can achieve that goal by making
pollution prevention the guiding principle for all our
programs at the Environmental Protection Agency.
We have already taken concrete actions that
reflect the Clinton-Gore Administration's commitment to
environmental solutions that reduce pollution at its
source. For example:
• The Administration's budget request for the 1994 fiscal
year includes a $33 million increase in spending for
pollution prevention programs at EPA;
* On Earth Day, the President announced his
commitment to an Executive Order establishing voluntary
source reduction goals for procurement, and requiring
federal agencies to comply with Right-to-Know public
reporting requirements for toxic chemical wastes;
* On May 25, I released new Pollution Prevention Act
data on the type and amount of toxic chemicals generated
as waste, and announced my intention to expand Right-
to-Know to include different chemicals and sources of
pollution.
We can take pride in each of these
accomplishments, but we must go further. We must
build pollution prevention into the very framework of
our mission to protect human health and the
environment.
The new focus on pollution prevention will
require a significant change in the way EPA carries out
its responsibilities and allocates resources. The discussion
below explains the multiple dimensions of EPA's
investment in pollution prevention, and establishes basic
principles to guide programs and regions toward our
goal of integrating prevention into the Agency's
"corporate culture."
This policy statement is only a starting point: if
we are to succeed, we must continually renew our
commitment by questioning established practices,
working cooperatively across program and agency
boundaries, and not hesitating to acknowledge
shortcomings as well as success stories. I know 1 can
count on your support as we work together to chart a
new course for environmental protection.
2. Why Pollution Prevention?
When EPA was created in the early 1970's, our
work had to focus first on controlling and cleaning up the
most immediate problems. Those efforts have yielded
major reductions in pollution in which we should all take
pride. Over time, however, we have learned that
traditional "end-of-pipe" approaches not only can be
expensive and less than fully effective, but sometimes
transfer pollution from one medium to another.
Additional improvements to environmental quality will
require us to move "upstream" to prevent pollution from
occurring in the first place.
Preventing pollution also offers important
economic benefits, as pollution never created avoids the
need for expensive investments in waste management or
cleanup. Pollution prevention has the exciting potential
for both protecting the environment and strengthening
economic growth through more efficient manufacturing
and raw material use.
3. Summary Of Objectives
Pollution prevention is influenced by a number of
factors, including EPA regulations and state programs,
collaborative efforts that offer recognition and technical
assistance, public data, the availability of dean
technologies, and the practices and policies of large
public agencies. To be effective, cur pollution prevention
program must establish the following objectives for each
of these areas:
# Regulations and Compliance: The mainstream
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activities at EPA, such as regulatory development,
permitting, inspections, and enforcement, must reflect our
commitment to reduce pollution at the source, and
minimize the cross-media transfer of waste.
o State and Local Partnerships: Increasingly, state and
local agencies are the "face of government" for the general
public. We will strengthen the national network of state
and local prevention programs, and seek to integrate
prevention into state and local regulatory, permitting, and
inspection programs supported with federal funds.
o Private Partnerships: We will identify and pioneer
new cooperative efforts that emphasize multi-media
prevention strategies, reinforce the mutual goals of
economic and environmental well-being, and represent
new models for government/private sector interaction.
o Federal Partnerships: We must work closely with our
counterparts in other agencies to ensure that pollution
prevention guides our management and procurement
decisions, and to pursue opportunities for reducing waste
at the source in the non-industrial sector.
o Public Information/The Right-to-Know: We will
collect and share useful information that helps identify
pollution prevention opportunities, measure progress,
and recognize success.
o Technological Innovation: We will try to meet high
priority needs for new pollution prevention technologies
that increase competitiveness and enhance environmental
stewardship, through partnerships with other federal
agencies, universities, states, and the private sector.
o New Legislation: Where justified, we must not hesitate
to seek changes in federal environmental law that will
encourage investment in source reduction.
4, DefeaMom
EPA has defined pollution prevention as "source
reduction" as that term is explained under the Pollution
Prevention Act, as well as protecting natural resources
through conservation or increased efficiency in the use of
energy, water, or other materials. EPA staff should
continue to use this definition, as elaborated in the
Agency guidance issued in May of 1992.
The guidance makes clear that pollution
prevention is not the only strategy for reducing risk but
is the preferred one. Environmentally sound recycling
shares many of the advantages of prevention - it can
reduce the need for treatment or disposal, and conserve
energy and natural resources. Where prevention or
recycling are not feasible, treatment followed by safe
disposal as a last resort will play an important role in
achieving environmental goals. In all cases, we must be
guided by applicable statutory requirements.
SovRegiuilfflftioms And CompMaurace
Our first obligation at EPA is to fulfill the
statutory responsibilities we have been given by
Congress. That generally means developing
environmental standards through regulation, and
ensuring compliance through a system of permits,
inspections, and enforcement actions. I firmly believe
that strong environmental requirements, if designed to
encourage cost-effective compliance strategies from
industry, can promote pollution prevention and improve
the competitiveness of American industry.
We can take a number of actions to realize this
potential. First, we must work within the law to design
and implement our regulations to provide incentives for
source reduction. That will mean better coordination of
different regulations that affect the same industry to
reduce transaction costs, minimize cross-media transfers
of waste, and provide a dearer sense of our long-term
goals for the regulated community.
EPA's Source Reduction Review Project (SRRP),
which is exploring how best to encourage pollution
prevention in the design and implementation of rules
affecting 17 high priority industries, is a good start
toward this goal. I also will expect programs to evaluate
opportunities for preventing pollution in each major
proposed regulation, as the Pollution Prevention Act
requires.
Second, we must encourage pollution prevention
as a means of compliance through our permitting,
inspection, and enforcement programs, relying on the
first-hand experience of regions and states in this area.
We can learn valuable lessons from experiments like the
Massachusetts Waste Prevention F.I.R.S.T. project,
through which the state promotes source reduction as the
principal means of correcting violations detected through
multi-media inspections.
Finally, we need to collect better data on those
cost savings that occur when regulations encourage
investments in cleaner, more efficient manufacturing
processes. As part of this effort, we must develop
credible measures of the economic value of natural
resources protected through prevention. We must also
explore non-traditional alternatives, such as life-cycle
analysis, that help shed light on the advantages
prevention can offer in meeting our objectives.
(5. Sftafte amd Local PautoeirsMps
The Clinton Administration has called for a full
partnership between federal, state and local governments
in defining and carrying out national policy objectives.
We delegate so many responsibilities to states and
u
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localities under federal environmental law; we simply
cannot hope to offer effective incentives for pollution
prevention in permits or inspections without their dose
cooperation. Furthermore, some states have served as
national laboratories for the incubation of exciting new
multi-media experiments in reducing waste at the source,
and are often more in touch with industry and public
needs and how best to meet them. Several states also
have taken the lead in helping their citizens and
businesses use energy more efficiently.
We can explore different methods for offering
state and local governments more flexibility in the federal
grants used to support delegated activities like
permitting, inspections, and enforcement actions. EPA's
new guidance, beginning in the 1994 fiscal year,
encourages our regions to work with states to adjust
administrative procedures in grant workplans to make
room for pollution prevention investments. EPA regions
and states should make maximum use of this flexibility,
working within the statutory limits that govern grant
eligibility. The guidance requires programs to report on
legal barriers to funding worthwhile state pollution
prevention projects, so that we may consult with
Congress to seek appropriate remedies.
We also must trust our state partners with greater
responsibility for the Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse, which will facilitate prevention technology
transfer and technical assistance. Our Regional Offices
also have lead responsibilities in the allocation of State
grant monies under the Pollution Prevention Act and in
the use of Regional extramural resources (i.e. the 2%
funds) allocated to pollution prevention activities. We
must make effective use of these resources to support
strong state and local pollution prevention programs.
7. Private Partnerships
Collaborative efforts with industry or public
agencies in many cases can help us achieve results
through pollution prevention more quickly than could be
obtained through regulation alone. For example, EPA's
Green Programs to promote voluntary energy efficiency
will play a critical role in helping meet our obligations
under the U.S. Action Plan to stabilize greenhouse gas
emissions by the year 2000.
Furthermore, regulations often do not reach the
more complicated corporate decisions needed to evaluate
design, manufacturing, packaging, distribution and
marketing practices to reduce pollution and energy
consumption. We must encourage these efforts by
entering into partnerships with public and private
organizations where such cooperation can produce
tangible environmental results. EPA's collaborative
efforts — like the Green Programs, 33/50 and Design for
Environment ~ offer encouragement, assistance and
public recognition to those companies and groups willing
to commit the resources needed to get the job done.
Recently, these initiatives have expanded to
include WAVE, a program to encourage water
conservation with the hotel/motel industry. Earlier this
year, EPA proposed an "Environmental Leadership"
program to reward corporations willing to go beyond
compliance by making measurable commitments to
pollution prevention. EPA's FY 94 budget proposal
requests a substantial increase in funding for these
programs, reflecting our commitment to achieve
environmental gains by working cooperatively with
industry. These investments will supplement, but not
substitute for, regulatory approaches to pollution
prevention.
8. Federal Partnerships
President Clinton's Earth Day speech challenged
the federal government to, "lead by example - not by
bureaucratic fiat." Our government has a tremendous
impact on the environment as the nation's largest
landlord, and its biggest consumer of goods and services.
Later this summer, we expect to complete action on an
Executive Order that commits federal facilities to publicly
report wastes and emissions under TRI, establishes a
voluntary goal of cutting federal TRI releases 50% by
1999, and builds pollution prevention into the
specifications and standards that guide federal purchases.
EPA recognizes that other federal agencies can create
major opportunities for pollution prevention through
investments in new technologies, and through policies
that shape decisions in agriculture, energy, transportation,
and the management of natural resources. If we want
pollution prevention to expand in these sectors, we must
form partnerships that take advantage of the authority
and expertise at other federal agencies.
9. Public Information/The Right-To-Know
Since pollution prevention is motivated in part by
public information, one of EPA's most important tasks is
to collect and disseminate "user-friendly" data that
measures progress in reducing waste at its source. The
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) as amended by the
Pollution Prevention Act now requires 28,000 industrial
facilities to publicly report on the amounts of toxic
chemicals generated as waste or released to the
environment. These and other environmental data have
proved vital in helping industry to identify opportunities
to reduce waste and improve economic efficiency.
Through public disclosure, the TRI empowers local
communities, State agencies and other public interest
groups to become stronger advocates for pollution
prevention.
I am committed to strengthening the Toxics
Release Inventory, both by improving the quality of the
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information and by making more effective use of EPA's
existing authority to expand the scope of reporting to
additional chemicals and major sources of pollution. We
will also make the information more accessible and
understandable' to states and local communities that
depend on timely and accurate data.
EPA's public data bases are not limited to TRI.
Preventing chemical accidents also is important, and the
Agency collects information on chemicals that can present
a hazard if released during an accident. Data collected
under laws such as the Clean Air, Clean Water, and
Resource Conservation and Recovery Acts are important
indicators of environmental risk as well as prevention
opportunities, and EPA must take steps to integrate this
information and make it more readily accessible to the
public.
We cannot stop at collecting and interpreting
data. We should encourage public education, from the
university to the grade school level, that illustrates the
importance of environmental protection and the benefits
of prevention.
1(0). Tl(D)gacail IimmfaftficQJifli
Cooperative efforts with universities, industry,
and other Federal agencies help raise awareness of
prevention opportunities and attract leading scientists
and engineers to engage in demonstration, development,
and research focused on new prevention technologies.
Accordingly, we must expand work with groups like the
Department of Energy and its National Laboratories, the
National Science Foundation, the National Institute for
Standards and Technology (MIST), states, and the private
sector to advance both the development of new pollution
prevention technology and the effective delivery of
information about such technology to companies looking
for more efficient environmental solutions.
I want to make sure that some of the funding
available through the President's Environmental
Technology Initiative is targeted to help small businesses
meet compliance requirements through pollution
prevention while remaining competitive. As part of this
effort, I will expect our programs to work together to
identify small business needs so that we may target short
term technical assistance and long term cooperative
research in developing cleaner, more efficient
technologies.
11. New LegMaf&onm
I am convinced that we can achieve many
important pollution prevention goals working under
existing federal environmental laws. Where these statutes
present significant barriers to reducing waste at the
source, however, we should not hesitate to share this
information with Congress and, if needed, seek
appropriate statutory changes. I want to be sure that any
effort to seek new authority is informed by fact. That is
why it is particularly important to gather specific and
accurate information on legal barriers to source reduction
identified when developing regulations and negotiating
grants with states.
12. CoHacMsitoini
I expect pollution prevention to continue to
evolve at EPA. As we learn more, no doubt we will have
to make adjustments to our programs that reflect new
knowledge. In the final analysis, what is critical in our
efforts to advance pollution prevention is a willingness to
take chances, to question established practices and
experiment with new ideas, and above all to cooperate
with each other as we try to harmonize environmental
protection with economic growth. I hope you share my
excitement at the new possibilities for pollution
prevention in the Clinton-Gore Administration, and I look
forward to working with all of you to achieve the
ambitious goals of this policy.
Carol M. Browner
EPA Administrator
June 15,1993
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