Environmental management E363 lecture 6 pollution prevention

E363 – ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT LECTURE – POLLUTION PREVENTION Dr Nguyen Thi Hoang Lien nguyenthihoanglien@hus.edu.vn POLLUTION PREVENTION AND COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE • Pollution knows no boundaries • Pollution prevention can be applied across various environmental media (i.e., air, water, and land) to address both point source and nonpoint sources of pollution • Pollution prevention, also known as source reduction, is any practice that eliminates or reduces pollution at its source • Pollution prevention is achieved through material substitutions, process changes, and the more efficient use of natural resources (e.g., raw materials, energy, water, and other resources) • Through pollution prevention, the use and production of hazardous substances can be minimized, thereby protecting human health, strengthening economic well-being, and preserving the environment THE PHASES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BASED ON POSSIBLE INACTIVE HAZADOUS WASTE CONTAMINATION OF PROPERTY • Assessment for possible contamination • Monitoring for extent of contamination • Remediation of contamination POLLUTION PREVENTION ACT Proactive “source reduction” Not limited to one medium POLLUTION PREVENTION • When feasible, pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source; • When prevention is not feasible, pollution should be recycled in an environmentally safe manner; • When prevention or recycling is not feasible, pollution should be treated in environmentally safe ways; • Only when prevention, recycling, or treatment are not feasible should disposal or releases be used POINT SOURCE POLLUTION The term "point source" means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged This term does not include agricultural storm water discharges and return flows from irrigated agriculture (USEPA) • Point source pollution is related to emissions that can be easily identified with a single discharge source: - Smokestacks, vents, sewers, small fires, and exhausts from equipment; Fossil-fuel (coal, oil, natural gas) or biomass (wood, waste, including yard waste and metropolitan solid waste and pelletized sewage or animal waste sludge, waste-generated methane) fired electric generating plants; - Portland cement and lime kilns and plants; - Heavy industrial and petrochemical plants such as refineries, steel mills, smelters, ore reduction plants, plastics plants and chemical plants NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION • NPS pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification The term "nonpoint source" is defined to mean any source of water pollution that does not meet the legal definition of "point source" in section 502(14) of the Clean Water Act • NPS pollution is also called “people pollution” because much of it is the result of activities that people everyday • NPS pollution can include: - Excess fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas; - Oil, grease and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production; - Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding streambanks; - Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines; - Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes and faulty septic systems; - THE LOGIC OF POLLUTION PREVENTION • Pollution is a manifestation of inefficient process and thus, except for Ag-chems (as intentionally applied) is largely made up of “by-products” • If sources of “by-products” can be more efficient they will reduce waste, save money and reduce regulatory reaction • How can environmental manages stimulate pollution prevention? (education, regulation or both?) WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT NPS POLLUTION Mining Become involved in local mining issues by voicing your concerns about acid mine drainage and reclamation projects in your area Forestry • Use proper logging and erosion control practices on your forest lands by ensuring proper construction, maintenance, and closure of logging roads and skid trails • Report questionable logging practices to state and federal forestry and state water quality agencies Agriculture • Manage animal waste to minimize contamination of surface water and ground water • Protect water by using less pesticides and fertilizers • Reduce soil erosion by using conservation practices and other applicable best management practices • Use planned grazing systems on pasture and rangeland • Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank rinsate in an approved manner Urban Stormwater Runof • Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves and debris out of street gutters and storm drains—these outlets drain directly to lake, streams, rivers and wetlands • Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions • Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints and other household chemicals properly—not in storm sewers or drains If your community does not already have a program for collecting household hazardous wastes, ask your local government to establish one • Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease and antifreeze Do not hose them into the street where they can eventually reach local streams and lakes • Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion-prone areas • Encourage local government officials to develop construction erosion and sediment control ordinances in your community • Have your septic system inspected and pumped, at a minimum every three to five years, so that it operates properly • Purchase household detergents and cleaners that are low in phosphorous to reduce the amount of nutrients discharged into our lakes, streams and coastal waters GREEN PURCHASING PRACTICES AND POLLUTION PREVENTION • Green purchasing practices (e.g purchasing energy efficient equipment, low toxicity cleaning materials, recycled content products) are important components of effective pollution prevention programs and can also lead to cost savings, manifested in reduced energy costs and reduced hazardous material disposal costs TOP POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES • Adopt a purchasing policy that promotes the integration of environmental and health criteria in all product specifications; • Educate tribal staff about health effects associated with chemicals commonly contained in the products they use or are exposed to, and provide information on alternatives; • Choose one department/operation at a time to incorporate environmentally-preferable products; start with a group where you are most likely to succeed Review final product specifications with product users or operation supervisors to ensure that their needs are satisfied; • Encourage users to choose environmentallypreferable products; • Involve product end-users throughout the decision-making process Request that vendors perform product demonstrations for staff, and compare products; • Review all purchases and read all product Material Safety Data Sheets and product labels for potential environmental and health impacts prior to purchase and use; • Check products for durability; • Make sure products can be safely used and stored (e.g., adequate storage locations and ensure personal protective equipment is available); • Avoid purchasing products that are potentially harmful to the user, public, or environment (e.g., contain known or suspected carcinogens or other toxic ingredients), or purchase the least toxic products available to the job; • Prevent the generation of hazardous wastes in operations by eliminating products that contain hazardous ingredients; • Participate in cooperative purchasing ventures with other jurisdictions to increase availability of environmentally-preferable products, leverage purchasing power, and reduce internal costs associated with the formal bid process; • When researching environmental purchasing, utilize resources and expertise available from vendors, manufacturers, government agencies, non-profits, and other organizations; • Consider environmental and health impacts associated with a product's life cycle prior to drafting bid specifications ("product life cycle" includes raw material extraction or development, product manufacturing, transportation to market, product use, and disposal); • Begin an energy conservation program and invest in energy-efficient equipment and building design (e.g., EPA “ENERGY STAR” certified equipment and require equipment installers to activate efficiency features upon product installation); • Implement waste reduction activities (e.g., lease agreements that require vendors to take responsibility for products as they become obsolete; require prospective bidders to avoid excess paper and packaging in their bid and proposal submittals such as avoiding plastic covers and dividers, using both sides of paper, and using post-consumer recycled content paper; specify copiers and printers with double-sided printing capabilities) [...]... septic systems; - THE LOGIC OF POLLUTION PREVENTION • Pollution is a manifestation of inefficient process and thus, except for Ag-chems (as intentionally applied) is largely made up of “by-products” • If sources of “by-products” can be more efficient they will reduce waste, save money and reduce regulatory reaction • How can environmental manages stimulate pollution prevention? (education, regulation... PURCHASING PRACTICES AND POLLUTION PREVENTION • Green purchasing practices (e.g purchasing energy efficient equipment, low toxicity cleaning materials, recycled content products) are important components of effective pollution prevention programs and can also lead to cost savings, manifested in reduced energy costs and reduced hazardous material disposal costs TOP POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES... jurisdictions to increase availability of environmentally-preferable products, leverage purchasing power, and reduce internal costs associated with the formal bid process; • When researching environmental purchasing, utilize resources and expertise available from vendors, manufacturers, government agencies, non-profits, and other organizations; • Consider environmental and health impacts associated... their needs are satisfied; • Encourage users to choose environmentallypreferable products; • Involve product end-users throughout the decision-making process Request that vendors perform product demonstrations for staff, and compare products; • Review all purchases and read all product Material Safety Data Sheets and product labels for potential environmental and health impacts prior to purchase and... purchasing policy that promotes the integration of environmental and health criteria in all product specifications; • Educate tribal staff about health effects associated with chemicals commonly contained in the products they use or are exposed to, and provide information on alternatives; • Choose one department/operation at a time to incorporate environmentally-preferable products; start with a group... efficient they will reduce waste, save money and reduce regulatory reaction • How can environmental manages stimulate pollution prevention? (education, regulation or both?) WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT NPS POLLUTION Mining Become involved in local mining issues by voicing your concerns about acid mine drainage and reclamation projects in your area Forestry • Use proper logging and erosion control practices... waste to minimize contamination of surface water and ground water • Protect water by using less pesticides and fertilizers • Reduce soil erosion by using conservation practices and other applicable best management practices • Use planned grazing systems on pasture and rangeland • Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank rinsate in an approved manner Urban Stormwater Runof • Keep litter, pet wastes,...• NPS pollution can include: - Excess fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas; - Oil, grease and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production; - Sediment