Other Approaches to Air Quality Management - Pollution Prevention

With the passage of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, pollution prevention became a national objective. The act focused attention on the generation of pollution, rather than on the release of pollutants from point sources. Under the Act, the primary goal is to prevent or reduce pollution at the source. Where it cannot be reduced or prevented, it should be recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. In the absence of feasible prevention or recycling, pollution should be treated. Disposal of pollutants should be the last resort.

Preventing pollution (P2) offers important economic benefits, as pollution never created avoids the need for expensive investments in waste management or cleanup. Pollution prevention is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream. EPA has a number of programs designed to educate manufacturers on industrial processes that prevent pollution by saving energy, encourage environmentally preferable purchasing, and provide technical assistance to state agencies and businesses.

P2 is also a vehicle for "reinventing" traditional Agency programs and devising innovative alternative strategies to protect public health and the environment. It is a key element of new EPA initiatives to focus attention on reducing risks from persistent, bioaccumulative toxic pollutants in the air, in water, and on land; to promote environmental justice and urban environmental quality; to empower state and tribal programs; to lower the incidence of climate change; and to demonstrate the results and benefits of our labors.

More infomation available at http://www.epa.gov/p2/