User:TSTUMMVOLL/Pollution prevention

Background
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines two terms in its policy of pollution prevention. These terms are pollution prevention and source reduction.

Pollution prevention refers to the increase in practices which reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants. Measures include increasing efficiency and the conservation of natural resources.

Source reduction aims to reduce the amount of pollutants being released in the environment which create hazards for the public health.

Pollution Prevention Act of 1990
The act, passed by congress, lays out policies enforced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, These policies intend to create strategies which promote source reduction. According to the EPA, source reduction differs from waste management and pollution control due to it decreasing the creation of pollutants which enter the environment. The disposal or release of any pollutants which cannot be recycled or prevented must be done in an environmentally safe manner and only as a last resort. The enforcement of these policies is achieved through public and private cooperation.

Strategies
After several decades of P2 regulations being in place knowledge of how to implement them has evolved and problems related to enforcement have occurred. Due to the public private relationship of industry implementation relies on the EPA's ability to motivate firms to adopt the regulations. Motivation is typically in the form of grants which the EPA deals out to those firms which have complied to the regulations. These grants are given through awards granted to firms which have done the best in source reduction.

An issue, which the EPA has noticed, are the internal obstacles in companies which perceive adhering to the guidelines as risky for business. Due to this many businesses lag behind others in the efforts to reduce pollution at the source.

Implementation
The implementation of P2 programs varies state by state.

Kansas
According to the Pollution Prevention Institute of Kansas State University the P2 programs have worked with 39 companies in implementing the P2 guidelines. Through this Kansas State University has determined that due to P2 program efforts it has saved around $10.6 million for the companies and prevented waste of resources to a notable degree.

Kentucky
According to the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center, which was state-mandated to exist in 1994, its implementation of P2 programs has been a success due to its positive cooperation with Kentucky based companies. Strategies implemented involve incentives where if a company reduces its emissions significantly it does not need to pay into Kentucky's Hazardous Waste Management Fund.

Virginia
According to the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program, an office of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, their P2 programs have been implemented in 400 plus facilities. These programs have led to an increase in recycled water by 97,741,468 gallons and a reduction in water use by 566,083,852 gallons. The department has also stated that through its programs have saved over $41 million dollars for these companies and facilities.

New York
The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute states its implementation of P2 practices have supported 64 projects with over $850,000 in grants. These grants offers incentives to companies which adhere to the pollution prevention programs laid out by the state.