Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Pollution Prevention?
According to the EPA, “pollution prevention is reducing or eliminating
waste at the source of production processes through changes in materials
and processes, use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing
conservation techniques, and reusing materials rather than putting
them into the waste stream.” Pollution prevention is an operational
tool that aims to eliminate or reduce and conserve or reuse materials
which are the source of pollution.
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2. What is “source reduction”?
According to the Federal Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, source reduction
includes practices that reduce or eliminate the generation of pollutants
through increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy,
water or other resources.
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3. What happens during a P2 Green
Opportunity Survey?
The cornerstone of the P2 Program’s technical assistance is the
Green Opportunity Survey, performed on-site by
an assessment team consisting of P2 engineers and P2 Program staff
to identify specific sources of pollution.
- Opening meeting to discuss issues identified by the facility
operators requiring assistance.
- Walk through of the facility where engineers observe processes
and procedures.
- Closing meeting to make preliminary recommendations, request
additional information from the facility and establish a timeline
for issuing a written report.
- P2 Assessment Report prepared containing recommendations
provided to the facility.
- Continuing availability of assistance as requested by the
facility
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4. How much does it cost to conduct a P2 Green
Opportunity Survey?
Assessments are conducted by a team of professionals with intensive
industrial experience and are supplemented by research in the national
and regional P2 databases. These assessments are offered at
no charge.
Compare that to the cost of $10,000 to $15,000 for a team of private
consultants and their report.
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5. What types of companies/organizations
can the P2 program assist?
Manufacturers, commercial businesses, government, military facilities,
trade organizations or any organization in Florida requesting assistance
identifying pollution prevention projects or pollution prevention
strategies.
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6. During P2 Green Opportunity Survey will fines
be levied if compliance issues are found?
No, the survey is completely voluntary – it is not an inspection;
findings are confidential and shared only with the facility.
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7. Can the P2 Program help to avoid regulatory
penalties and fines?
Yes, the adoption of one or more P2 strategies resulting in waste
reduction or elimination may exclude a facility from being subject
to certain regulations. P2 strategies and practices often put a
facility ahead of the regulatory curve exceeding current regulations
and preparing for future regulatory standards.
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8. Can the P2 program help lower DEP regulatory
fines?
In some cases with a Pollution Prevention Project in Enforcement
(PiE) portions of a fine can be offset with successful implementation
of a P2 project. This option may be offered to a facility at the
discretion of its DEP District Office when the facility is under
consent order where fines have been levied. The PiE program is a
limited program not offered to every facility that has incurred
DEP regulatory fines.
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9. Why request a P2 Green Opportunity Survey?
It’s FREE and will result in lower production and operation costs.
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10. Why implement pollution prevention?
Streamline production processes, lower employee health risks,
lower cost of production and operation and help protect the environment.
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2012 State of Florida