Opportunity assessments: A tool for waste minimization and pollution prevention
Waste costs, liabilities, and regulations continue to be growing concerns for government and industry. Pollution prevention opportunity assessments (PPOAs) are a tool which proactively manages these concerns. The Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized the benefits of PPOAs in the DOE Waste Minimization Pollution Prevention Crosscut Plan which states that the completion of opportunity assessments is of critical importance to DOE because they are an essential management decision-making tool that tell DOE: (1) how much waste and environmental releases can be avoided; (2) through what activity/process changes waste reduction can be achieved; (3) what it will cost to implement a pollution prevention opportunity; and (4) what will be the long-term savings in avoided waste management costs. Before exploring what a PPOA is, a brief discussion of pollution prevention is necessary. Pollution prevention (P2) may also be referred to as waste minimization, source reduction, and/or recycling. The definition used in the DOE-sponsored PPOA training class is: {open_quotes}Pollution prevention reduces or eliminates material releases to air, water, and/or land.{close_quotes} The benefits of pollution prevention include a proactive approach to waste management, compliance issues, and liability concerns; economic incentives; improved employee and public health; and environmental stewardship. Basically it all boils down to the phrase, {open_quotes}It`s the right thing to do.{close_quotes}
- Research Organization:
- Allied-Signal Aerospace Co., Kansas City, MO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00613
- OSTI ID:
- 42499
- Report Number(s):
- KCP-613-5532; CONF-950216-93; CONF-9503119-1; ON: DE95008949; TRN: 95:003491
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste management `95, Tucson, AZ (United States); Las Cruces, NM (United States), 26 Feb - 2 Mar 1995; 12-15 Mar 1995; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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