EPA908

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REGION
Common sense suggests that preventing pollution is preferable to worrying
about the treatment and disposal of unwanted waste. In fact, industry testing
has demonstrated that the use of pollution prevention measures saves dollars,
while decreasing environmental impact. The way in which pollution preven-
tion (P2) can be used'as an approach for planning and review, however, is not
as readily apparent. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regional
office in Denver has identified and tested a partial solution to this dilemma.
Though the concept of
pollution prevention is
simple, collaborating with
others to make it happen is
not. Here are seven steps
for successful partnering.
Successful Partnering
The design, construction, operation, ¦
and maintenance of the nation's
newest airport, Denver International
Airport (DIA), have provided EPA
Region 8 with numerous opportunities
to implement and test pollution pre-
vention measures.
Instead of using
EPA's traditional
"command-and-
control" approach,'
the Region worked
: cooperatively in
partnership with
the City and
County of Denver
to prevent pollution from DIA.
By substituting "horse sense" for
"horsepower," this type of partnership
provided a win-win solution for all
participants. The steps for establishing
and maintaining such a partnership
are detailed here.
m
iron
1.	Identify your Project
Before deciding to pursue a pollution
prevention strategy for a particular
project, carefully evaluate factors
such as schedule, type of operations,
political acceptance, and opportunities
and feasibility for change. What are
the chances for effective cooperation?
At what stage is the project?.
Likelihood for ¦success increases if the
partnership is formed during a project's
planning phase. When evaluating
DIA as a possible P2 project, EPA
Region 8 gave special consideration
to the airport's potential for
significant environmental and public
health impact to the Denver
metropolitan area.
2.	Lay the Groundwork
Identify the key decision makers
within your organization, and gain
their support for the project..
Before initiation of the DIA project-,

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Pollution prevention through collaboration can achieve numerous benefits: energy efficient building design, better air quality, and reduced solid waste.
unanimous support from EPA Region
8 senior management was assured. A
Regional. "Project Champion" man-
aged this process,.soliciting project
support, resolving outstanding issues
related to the project, and coordinat-
ing activities among EPA programs.
Direct communicationbetween
EPA's Regional Administrator and
the Mayor of Denver helped keep
the project running smoothly.
3.	Form a Partnership
Next comes building the necessary
bridges with partners, a task that
requires sensitivity and understand-
ing toward each partner's objectives
and needs. By appointing a full-time,
on-site coordinator at DIA, EPA
Region 8 invested considerable
resources to make the P2 project-
successful. A Memorandum of
Understanding formalized EPA's
commitment and set forth details of
the partnership, such as objectives
and responsibilities.
4.	Formulate a Multi-Media
P2 Team
After establishing an agreement,
yOu will need to create a structure
within your organization to provide
assistance to your partner/s. When
assembling such a project support
team, consider (1) selecting a
team leader adept at facilitating
internal communications and
coordination, (2) assembling team
members who represent multi-media
interests, and (3) assigning an
on-site coordinator.
5.	Select and Implement Activities
Before initiating project activities,
come to consensus within your
organization's team and among
partners regarding project goals and
expectations. Constant communica-
tion about project activities is crucial
for the team to recognize P2 oppor-
tunities. In the case of DIA, project
activities were jointly agreed upon by
the P2 team, EPA on-site coordinator,
and DIA officials.
6.	Measure Success
The follow-up stage is critical in
order to quantify results. At the close
of the DIA project, EPA's on-site
coordinator interviewed people
from both the airport and EPA.
The responses given during these
interviews' were extremely positive:
everyone involved in the project
called the partnership a success and
indicated a willingness to endorse
and commit to partnership activities
in the future.
7.	Avoid Pitfalls
Building a bridge of trust requires
rrjore than an offer of funding or assis-
tance; it takes considerable time and
persistence. Because the EPA P2 team
participated in an advisory capacity
rather than in a traditional enforce-
ment role, it needed to take all of its
partner's concerns into account.
DIA operators had many players to
consider, and environmental issues
do not always take first priority in
such projects. Private sector motiva-
tions such as profit, labor concerns,
and manufacturing needs often have .
a great effect on decision-making. .
Applying Partnering to
Other Arenas
The concept of "partnering" as used
at DIA has broad application poten-
tial. Other possibilities for pollution
prevention partnerships include pub-
lic works projects such as highways
and mass transit systems, federal sector
operations, and private industry
initiatives. The partnering success
story at DIA proves that, through
collaborative effort, protecting the
environment can be beneficial to
everyone involved.
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PREVENTION
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact:
U.S. EPA Region 8
Office of Policy & Management
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2466
1-800-227-8917

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