Pollution Prevention Program

Background: The Pollution Prevention Act
Pollution prevention (P2) has been identified as a guiding principle in the EPA's efforts to protect and preserve human health and ecological vitality. Essentially, preventing pollution before it is created is preferable to trying to manage, treat or dispose of it after it is created. In detail, P2 includes any practice that reduces the quantity and/or toxicity of pollutants entering a waste stream prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. Examples of pollution prevention include equipment or technology modifications, reformulation or redesign of products, substitution of less toxic raw materials, improvements in work practices, maintenance, worker training, and better inventory control.

Region 6 is committed to fully integrating P2 into the culture, processes, operations and decisions of the regional office, its State and local partners, the regulated communities and citizens of the Region.

Prevention Tools: Reducing Regulatory Exposure

This page was designed to be a one-stop shop that can provide benefits to both the environment and your bottom line. Key prevention programs include Pollution Prevention (P2), Environmental Management Systems, Energy Star, and WasteWi$e. These programs are a collaborative effort between EPA, our state environmental agencies, and our partners in industry, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and trade associations who have made these efforts a success. Below are brief program descriptions, current contact information and Internet links which will assist you to go beyond compliance, reduce your regulatory exposure, be innovative, reach environmental management system goals AND be cost effective.

P2 Coordination for Region 6

P2 Coordination for Region 6 provides support for innovative P2 projects under Pollution Prevention Grants (PPG) and Set Aside Pollution Prevention funding. Prevention at the source is key in any project being considered for funding. For Regional Guidance under these grant opportunities or for any questions, please refer to the following contacts:

David Bond at bond.david@epa.gov, P2 Coordinator at (214) 665-6431 or Annette Smith at smith.annette@epa.gov, P2 Coordinator and contact for the PPG grants for states and tribes at (214) 665-2127.

Region 6 P2 Coordination Information
Brownfields, Remediation, and Superfund: The environmental cleanup and economic redevelopment of contaminated sites across the country

Educators and Tribes: Partners with EPA. Energy Efficiency and Energy Star

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Compliance Assistance: Using prevention tools to achieve ISO14000 goals, reduce regulatory exposure, and save money.

The US/Mexico Border programs P2Rx: A national and regional resource exchange where you can find information, join listserves, and communicate with others in your field about prevention and compliance. Persistent Bio accumulative Toxins (PBTs) Recycling and WasteWi$e Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable.

Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable
-Provides the ultimate in compliance assistance networking.

Pollution Prevention Information Network
-Southwest Network for Zero Waste
Link: http://www.zerowastenetwork.net
Info: Thomas Vinson (512) 904-2287 or tvinson@utexas.edu

Regional Energy Efficiency and Energy Star Program
ENERGY STAR is a government-backed national program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
Info: Patrick Kelly, EPA Region 6 Coordinator (214) 665-7316
Robert Lawrence, EPA Region 6 Energy Expert, (214) 665-6580

Water Pretreatment Facilities
The National Strategic Goals Program (SGP) is a voluntary program that encourages metal-finishing companies to go beyond environmental compliance - to do business cleaner, cheaper, and smarter. SGP member companies are offered incentives, resources and a means for removing regulatory and policy barriers as they work to achieve specific environmental goals.
Link: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=13

Region 6 contact: Rudy Molina (214) 665-6731

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBTs) pollutants
Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBTs) pollutants are highly toxic, long-lasting substances that can build up in the food chain to levels that are harmful to human and ecosystem health. EPA has a long history of successful programs in controlling PBT pollutants. There are currently 12 priority PBTs that are being addresses through a binational strategy with Canada.

Region 6 contact: Ruben Casso (214) 665-6763

Recycling and WasteWi$e
WasteWise is a voluntary EPA program which encourages companies and institutions to reduce solid waste. WasteWise partners set goals in 3 areas: Waste Prevention, Recyclables Collection, and Buying Recycled.

Region 6 contacts: Deanna Dubose (214) 665-6461 and
Glenn Atley (214) 665-7142

Waste Minimization Program
Waste Minimization Program works with industrial organizations, government agencies, and communities to find ways to help individual companies reduce the amount of waste they generate, particularly if the wastes contain one or more Waste Minimization Priority Chemicals (WMPCs) link to http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm

Region 6 contact: Lisa Price (214) 665-6744

Learn the differences between waste minimization and pollution prevention Link:.http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/wastemin/index.htm

Federal Facilities
Federal Facilities program assists other Federal agencies with strategies to get stay in and go beyond compliance. Region 6 Federal Facilities Coordinator: Joyce Johnson (214) 665-8548

Environmental Management System (EMS)
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency. An EMS is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the processes and actions that an organization undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals.

Region 6 Contacts: Israel Anderson (214) 665-3138, Craig Weeks (214) 665-7505, David Bond (214) 665-6431

Brownfields Program
The Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, cities, tribes, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.

Region 6 contact: Monica Chapa Smith (214) 665-6780

Environmental Education
Our educators are key partners in helping EPA achieve its mission - to protect human health and the environment. Region 6 helps students and teachers learn more about environmental basics and opportunities in your neighborhood.

Link (Region 6): http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6xa/tribal.htm
Link (national): http://www.epa.gov/teachers/
Link (national): http://www.epa.gov/students/

Region 6 contact: Patty Senna (214) 665-7178

Regional Native American Program & Environmnetal Justice
The Regional Native American Office is committed to an intra-agency and inter-agency tribal advocacy approach to environmental issues facing tribal lands in Region 6.

Link (National): http://www.epa.gov/indian/programs.htm

Debra Ponder, Acting Region 6 Coordinator (214) 665-8534

U.S./Mexico, Border 2012 Program
The U.S./Mexico Pollution Prevention program has achieved reductions reported by industry; gained the partnerships not only of industry, but of educational institutions on both sides of the border, local, state and federal governments. The latest agreement is the Border 2012 Program, which proposes key changes from the previous Border XXI program is fully explained from the link on the US/Mexico Border title above.

Gina Weber, Region 6 Border Coordinator (214) 665-6787.