By Practicing Pollution Prevention

 

What is “Pollution Prevention?”

    Also known as P2, pollution prevention is a practice aimed at source. It is a practice to reduce, eliminate or prevent pollution before it reaches the waterways and causes a problem.  It is far simpler to catch the problem before, rather then after, it gets into the waterway.  If pollution is never created, then there is no need for cleaning it up.  The practice can be applied to about any industrial process or activity.  It can also be applied to things we do around our home.

For more applications of pollution prevention and ways that you can practice pollution prevention, please use the links at the bottom of this page.

 

The Practice of Pollution Prevention

    The practice of pollution prevention can be accomplished by a careful look at the industrial process or activity to identify areas where pollution can be reduced, eliminated or prevented. Nearly every type of industry has been looked at by some group or another, and a search on the Internet will uncover a substantial amount of good ideas and practices employed by others.  Basically the actions taken include:

    • Procedural redesign
    • Substitution of raw materials
    • Process or equipment modification
    • Activity modification
    • Improved manufacturing procedure
    • Training of employees
    • Housekeeping improvement

    If we look at an environmental management strategy, the steps would be as follows:

    • Prevention - reduce pollution at the source
    • Reuse - reuse/recycle when you cannot reduce
    • Treatment - treat pollution when you cannot reduce, reuse or recycle
    • Disposal - safely dispose of pollutants as a last resort

 

What is the Process?

    The process includes an in depth look at your industrial process or activity to identify areas where pollution can be reduced, eliminated, or prevented.  Although the focus of the Phase II Stormwater NPDES permit is water based pollution, certainly activities to address air pollution, solid waste or land pollution are equally as important.

    The process should start with a web based search of your industry or activity for pollution prevention methods and techniques.  A walk over of your site looking at places where water is used or comes in contact with the process, stock piles and the ground.  This includes process water as well as rainfall. Then look at ways to prevent or eliminate that contact or to reduce the exposure or lengths of contact. Follow up with a program required to change the process.

    Many industries or activities are referred by the NPDES regulation and their discharge permit to prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).  The typical SWPPP has set specific components, but the Best Management Practices (BMP’s) are often generic and used for a wide variety of solutions.  A typical required SWPPP includes:

    • Site Map showing outfalls, industrial activities, and drainage areas
    • Description of facility industrial activities
    • Description of exposed industrial activities and previous spills
    • Identification of Non-Stormwater Discharges
    • Identification of Illicit Connections
    • Procedures for eliminating non-authorized discharges
    • Risk Assessment and Feasibility Study
    • Description of existing stormwater management and water quality controls
    • Description of proposed stormwater management and water quality controls
    • Outfall Monitoring Procedures
    • Training Guidelines
    • Schedule of Implementation
    • Required corporate signatures

 

More ways that you can help in Pollution Prevention for: