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Pollution Prevention, Waste Minimization and PBT Chemical Reduction Pollution Prevention (P2) Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) Chemicals Waste Minimization Regional PBT Initiatives Recycling and Product Stewardship (aka Extended Product Responsibility) Regional PBT Reports The Office of Waste and Chemicals Management supports the philosophy that the best way to prevent pollution is to move up the waste management hierarchy towards source reduction. Source reduction means reducing or eliminating the creation of wastes at the source. This can be accomplished through changes in materials, practices, processes, or design. EPA Headquarters funds several initiatives that provide pollution prevention technical assistance to businesses and the general public. For more information about these initiatives click HERE. When wastes cannot be prevented, through source reduction, typically the next best option is recycling. "Waste Minimization", which combines the top two steps of the hierarchy, is defined as reducing waste at its source -- before it is even generated (called source reduction) and environmentally sound recycling. EPA worked with representatives from numerous stakeholder organizations to develop the Waste Minimization National Plan (WMNP), which focuses on reducing the generation and subsequent release to the environment of the most persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals in hazardous wastes. The EPA Office of Solid Waste is putting special emphasis on source reduction of PBT chemicals since they readily cross media boundaries and are often difficult to treat and dispose. Regional PBT Initiatives EPA has helped develop and implement new initiatives and programs that aid businesses, states, local governments, and tribes in implementing effective pollution prevention and source reduction programs. Each year, EPA Headquarters provides grant funding to a limited number of proposals based on an open, competitive process. Listed below are some of the Region 10 area grant proposals that have successfully received funding for PBT chemical reduction or study: Alaska Traditional Knowledge and Native Foods Project - 1999 Reducing Emissions from Cereal Grain Burning - 2000 (.pdf document) Community Exposure to B(a)P and other PBTs from Agricultural Burning - 2000 (.pdf document) Regional PBT Reports Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), EPA is required to set environmental goals and continually measure progress towards achieving these goals. As stipulated by GPRA Subobjective 4a, EPA must: "By 2005, reduce the most persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals in our nation’s hazardous waste streams by 50% as compared with a baseline year of 1991" The reports listed below show ongoing Region 10 progress in meeting this goal. 5/01 - Region 10: Inventory of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Chemicals Reported to the Toxic Release Inventory 1991-1998 (.pdf document) 8/00 - Region 10: Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Chemicals at High Priority Corrective Action and Permitting Universe Facilities - Draft (.pdf document) 10/99 - US EPA Region 10 PBT Chemical Summary Report - Toxic Release Inventory Trends 1991-1997 (.pdf document) Some of the documents above are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. You can get a FREE copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking here: Unit: Solid Waste & Toxics Unit Domenic Calabro E-Mail: calabro.domenic@epa.gov (206) 553-6640 Phone Number: (206) 553-6640 Last Updated (mm/dd/yy): 04/06/2007 Prevention http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/owcm.nsf/prevent/prvntrec