Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
. the Pollution PReVention aCt (PPa)
The. Pollution. Prevention. Act. of. 1990. (PPA). was. enacted. in. November. 1990. and.
amended. through. Public. Law. 107-377. in. December. 2002.. Congress. declared. it. a.
national.policy.to.address.pollution.based.on.“source.reduction.”.The.policy.estab-
lished.a.hierarchy.of.measures.to.protect.human.health.and.the.environment,.where.
multimedia.approaches.would.be.anticipated:
.
1.. Pollution.should.be.prevented.or.reduced.at.the.source.
.
2.. Pollution. that. cannot. be. prevented. should. be. recycled. in. an. environmen-
tally.safe.manner.
.
3.. Pollution.that.cannot.be.prevented.or.recycled.should.be.treated.in.an.envi-
ronmentally.safe.manner.
.
4.. Disposal.or.other.release.into.the.environment.should.be.employed.only.as.
a.last.resort.and.should.be.conducted.in.an.environmentally.safe.manner.
The. irst. tier. of. the. hierarchy. is. source. reduction. —. the. preferred. strategy. for.
addressing.potential.environmental.issues..Source.reduction.is.deined.in.the.PPA.as:
“Any. practice. which:. (1). reduces. the. amount. of. any. hazardous. substance,. pollutant,.
or.contaminant.entering.any.waste.stream.or.otherwise.released.into.the.environment.
(including.fugitive.emissions).prior.to.recycling,.treatment,.or.disposal;.and.(2).reduces.
the.hazards.to.public.health.and.the.environment.associated.with.the.release.of.such.
substances,.pollutants,.or.contaminants.”
The.PPA.required.the.EPA.to.establish.an.ofice.to.carry.out.the.functions.of.the.
statute..In.1990,.the.EPA.formally.established.the.OPPT..Within.this.ofice.were.initi-
ated.two.programs,.with.two.different.approaches,.to.meet.the.spirit.of.the.new.national.
policy:.(1).the.Design.for.the.Environment.(DfE).Program.and.(2).the.Green.Chem-
istry.Program.
.Under.the.DfE.Program,.the.EPA.works.in.partnership.with.industry.
sectors.to.improve.the.performance.of.commercial.processes.while.reducing.risks.to.
human.health.and.the.environment..The.Green.Chemistry.Program.promotes.research.
to.design.chemical.products.and.processes.that.reduce.or.eliminate.the.use.and.gen-
eration.of.toxic.chemical.substances..In.1998,.the.EPA.complimented.these.two.pro-
grams.with.the.Green.Engineering.Program,.which.applies.approaches.and.tools.for.
evaluating.and.reducing.the.environmental.impacts.of.processes.and.products.
The.
EPA.is.well.aware.of.the.pollution.prevention.opportunity.that.nanotechnology.offers..
As.noted,.nanoscale.materials.may.result.in.the.reduction.and/or.elimination.of.con-
ventional.pesticides.is.being.applied..Nanoscale.chemicals.may.diminish.the.amount.
and/or.toxicity.of.conventionally.sized.industrial.chemicals..The.EPA.is.excited.about.
the.many.pollution.prevention.opportunities.occasioned.by.nanotechnology.
.The.OPPT,.as.discussed.previously,.also.implements.the.EPA's.responsibilities.under.TSCA.
See.http://www.epa.gov/oppt/greenengineering.
.For.more.information.on.green.nanotechnology,.see.K..F..Schmidt,.Green.Nanotechnology:.It's.Easier.
Than.You.Think,.Woodrow.Wilson.International.Center.for.Scholars,.Project.on.Emerging.Nanotech-
nologies.(April.2007).
