Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
ardous materials” or “reducing the hazards of the materials of commerce”, each
program has developed educational materials. Technical assistance and tools,
methods, and expertise are also provided, and research efforts are initiated
through ORD and OPPT. Second, they align environmental protection with eco-
nomic development. A strong incentive for participation in the programs derives
from the potential for economic advantages that result from alternative ap-
proaches. Using less material or less toxic materials can reduce costs. Innovative
solutions driven by environmental concerns can open new markets. Third, they
promote strong partnerships between agencies, industry, nongovernment organi-
zations, and academic institutions. The programs recognize participants from
outside the agency, including all the stakeholders in the chemical enterprise, as
partners that are needed to implement the changes that the programs promote.
The partners bring content expertise, research and development resources, and
commercialization pipelines that are essential for implementing change and
bringing improved products or processes into the marketplace. Fourth, they pro-
vide a mechanism for nimbleness. In emphasizing the search for innovative so-
lutions to specific problems, the programs are nimble. In each case, small sup-
porting efforts within the agency support a framework that harnesses and
leverages the efforts of innovators in industry, academe, and nongovernment
organizations. And fifth, they are a form of voluntary action. Each program
promotes participation through incentives as opposed to regulatory approaches.
Self-interest of the participants rewards and reinforces participation. These pro-
grams are described in greater detail below.
Pollution Prevention
Launched in 1990 through the Pollution Prevention Act (EPA 2011c),
EPA's pollution-prevention program was a paradigm shift for the agency in its
focus on preventing the generation of waste (source reduction) as opposed to the
previous command-and-control, “end-of-pipe” solutions (Browner 1993). The
agency recognized that the new approach could be more cost-effective and pro-
vide competitive advantages for companies that adopted it. EPA's pollution-
prevention efforts have focused on partnerships for prevention in various sec-
tors, such as the automobile, electronics, and health-care sectors; technical sup-
port through a network of federal and state technical-assistance providers; tech-
nology-development projects; demonstration projects to evaluate technologies;
sustainable procurement; and the development of tools for evaluating pollution-
prevention options. EPA has established a 2011-2014 strategic plan for pollu-
tion prevention that outlines directions for the program (EPA 2010). It has a
responsibility to ensure that the market is moving in the right direction, and this
can be accomplished through some of the mechanisms described above. Box 3-2
shows an example of how the private sector has influenced the market without
the use of regulatory mandates.
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