Pollution Prevention - Urban Watersheds: Geology, Contamination, and Sustainable Development - page 437

13
Pollution Prevention
13.1 Introduction
It is difficult and costly to remediate a contaminant after it has been released into the envi-
ronment. The contaminant may spread into soil, water, and air and often causes harm to
the environment before cleanup can occur. These reasons underscore why preventing the
release of contaminants is a prerequisite for creating a sustainable environment.
Preventing contaminants from entering the environment is called pollution prevention .
To be successful, this process includes reducing or eliminating waste at the source by
modifying production processes, promoting the use of nontoxic or less toxic substances,
implementing conservation techniques, and reusing materials instead of putting them
into the waste stream (USEPA 2010a).
The legal framework for this pollution prevention effort is embodied in the Pollution
Prevention Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. §13101 et seq.), which focused the industry on these mea-
sures (USEPA 1990):
• Pollution should be prevented or stopped at the source whenever feasible.
• Pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled.
• Pollution that cannot be prevented or recycled should be treated in an environ-
mentally safe manner.
• Releases of pollution into the environment should be conducted only as a last
resort and should be conducted safely.
Sources of pollution can be designated as point sources or nonpoint sources (USEPA 2003).
Point source pollution originates from identifiable sources, such as smokestacks or sew-
age outfall pipes. Nonpoint source pollution emanates from diffuse or unknown sources
and is the leading cause of water pollution in the United States (USEPA 2002). Examples of
nonpoint source pollution include
• Contaminated groundwater from an unknown source
• Contaminated stormwater runoff originating from parking lots, roads, and lawns
• Air deposition of contaminants and particulates
• Erosion
• Runoff from agricultural areas
The road to sustainability must incorporate effective pollution prevention that yields
observable results. In the United States, the observation of major pollution events has been
a catalyst for significant levels of response (Kaufman and Marsh 1995). As a corollary to
this, observable progress in preventing pollution, we postulate, will provide additional
incentives to continue those efforts. At the onset and throughout, science must guide the