Pollution prevention benefits

USEPA. Pollution Prevention Benefits Manual, Phase II. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC, 1989. 

Pollution Prevention Benefits Manual Volume 1 (Draft)... 

PMN submitters have the option of submitting information on the pollution prevention benefits of the PMN substance with the PMN form. This is an opportunity to tell the EPA about the environmental benefits expected from the new chemical. These could be more efficient use of natural resources, reductions in the amount of waste generated by use of the substance, whether it can be used instead of a more toxic substance, and any other environmental advantages from use of the PMN substance. 

Chemistiy Manual, Chapter 3,98 (1997). This chapter of the Manual also provides guidance for describing the pollution prevention benefits on the PMN Form. 

Fourth and last, the PMN substance must not be a polymer or complex reaction mixture. Polymers were excluded because their synthetic reactions tend to incorporate virtually all of their feedstocks into product. Complex reaction mixtures were excluded because many do not lend themselves to rapid assessment in the future, the Agency may decide to include them if the pollution prevention benefits are likely to warrant the greater expenditure of resources. 

Pollution prevention benefits could derive fiom the use of such systems in agroindustrial activities and in wood-processing industry. 

There are profound opportunities for both industiy and the individual to prevent the generation of waste indeed, pollution prevention is today primarily stimulated by economics, legislation, liabihty concerns, and the enhanced environmental benefit of managing waste at the source. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 has estabhshed pollution prevention as a national policy, declaring that waste should be prevented or reduced at the source wherever feasible, while pollu-... 

Smaller companies can benefit by the assistance offered by these larger corporations. It is clear that access to information is of major importance when implementing efficient pollution-preventiou programs. By adopting such programs, industiy is affirming pollution prevention s application as a good business practice and not simply a noble effort. 

As discussed previously, industiy is beginning to realize that there are profound benefits associated with pollution prevention including cost effectiveness, reduced hability, enhanced public image, and regula-toiy compliance. Nevertheless, there are barriers or disincentives identifiea with pollution prevention. This section will briefly outline both barriers and incentives that may need to be confronted or considered during the evaluation of a pollution prevention program. 

Management apathy. Many managers capable of making decisions to begin pollution-prevention activities, do not realize the potential benefits of pollution prevention. 

Lack of awareness of pollution prevention advantages. As mentioned in reason no. 5, decision makers may merely be uninformed of the benefits associated with pollution reduction. 

Pollution-Prevention Incentives ( A Baker s Dozen ) Various means exist to encourage pollution prevention through regiilatoiy measures, economic incentives, and technical assistance programs. Since the benefits of pollution prevention can surpass prevention barriers, a baker s dozen incentives is presented below ... 

Competitive advantages. By taking advantage of the many benefits associated with pollution prevention, businesses can gain a competitive edge. 

Implementation of cleaner production processes and pollution prevention measures can yield both economic and environmental benefits. The primary treatment technologies afforded to this manufacturing include the following ... 

Implementation of cleaner production processes and pollution prevention measures can yield both economic and environmental benefits. The following production-related targets can be achieved by measures such as those described above. The numbers relate to the production processes before the addition of pollution control measures. In sulfuric acid plants that use the double-contact, double absorption process, emissions levels of 2 to 4 kilograms of sulfur dioxide... 

A pesticide manufacturing plant should prepare a hazard assessment and operability study and also prepare and implement an emergency preparedness and response plan that takes into account neighboring land use and the potential consequences of an emergency. Measures to avoid the release of harmful substances should be incorporated in the design, operation, maintenance, and management of the plant. Implementation of cleaner production processes and pollution prevention measures can yield both economic and environmental benefits. 

To understand the possible benefits, we must first develop a working definition of pollution prevention. Although the term seems obvious, there are often wrong interpretations given to P2 practices. 

Nakanishi, J. Oka, T. (1998) The Importance of Risk-Benefit Analysis in Risk Management Decision Makings A Cast Study of a Mercury Pollution Prevention Measure in Japan. Paper presented to OECD Workshop, London. 

Making companies prepare plans which focus on safer chemical use has proved particularly successful in the USA. The benefits of mandatory pollution prevention planning have been demonstrated in the state of Massachusetts. Here, over 550 companies had to assess toxic use reduction options with technical help supplied by university and government experts. Toxic use reduction strategies included material substitution and product reformulation. Within ten years, industry has reduced the use of toxic chemicals by 40%, by-product waste by 58% and toxic emissions by 80%. A cost benefit analysis reveals that the same companies saved a total of Saved a total of USD 14 million (Euro 18.76 million) overthis period through the adoption of more efficient and safer processes. The programme is ongoing and has been expanded to community outreach and assessment of substitutes forsome hazardous material flows and products within the state. 

The relationship between man s welfare and stable natural ecosystems and agroecosystems can be established in terms of the economic and aesthetic values derived from them. In some situations, where ecosystems are stressed by oxidant pollutants, the benefits realized by present and future generations may soon diminish. Considerable research is required to find alternatives that prevent stress or that may salvage some of these benefits. New management strategies should be instituted only when their consequences are predictable within reasonable limits. 

Four case studies are presented below which exemplify the role of the structured pollution prevention program methodology, the value of quickly defining the incentive for pollution prevention using the cost of end-of-pipe treatment, and the benefits of using the waste stream and process analyses to parse the problem at hand. Five case studies are also presented illustrating pollution prevention results at each of the stages described in Fig. 11. 

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