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The Novato Sanitary District program is based on the federal Pollution
Prevention Act of 1990. Under Section 6602(b) of the Act, Congress
established a national policy that:
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pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever
feasible;
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pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled in an
environmentally safe manner whenever feasible;
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pollution that cannot be prevented or recycled should be treated
in an environmentally safe manner whenever feasible; and
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disposal or other release into the environment should be employed
only as a last resort and should be conducted in an environmentally
safe manner. (Source: Henry F. Habicht II, Memorandum: EPA Definition
of Pollution Prevention. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
May 28, 1992.)
This hierarchy of preferred options for dealing with environmental
pollution officially places prevention at the top of the list.
Pollution Prevention Hierarchy as established
by
Congress in the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990
According to the EPA's official definition, pollution prevention
means "source reduction" as defined in the Pollution Prevention
Act, but also includes "other practices that reduce or eliminate
the creation of pollutants through (1) increased efficiency in the
use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources, or (2)
protection of natural resources by conservation."
Source reduction is defined under the Act as any practice which:
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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
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reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated
with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
Source reduction includes equipment or technology modifications,
process or procedure modifications, reformulation o r redesign
of products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements
in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control.
Thus, pollution prevention can be thought of as roughly synonymous
with source reduction—reducing the generation of wastes or
contaminants at the source, and thereby reducing releases to the
environment that could pose hazards to the environment and public
health.
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