Enlightened self-interest key to pollution prevention

A decade ago, pollution prevention was introduced by environmental policy-makers as an alternative to traditional end-of-pipe waste treatment. Even then, the concept was not new. Among corporate efforts, 3M`s well-publicized Pollution Prevention Pays program already had set the stage for viewing pollution prevention as an environmental and financial tool. What was new, though, was the integration of pollution prevention into the fabric of national law. The most blatant example of pollution prevention`s evolution from good idea to enforceable requirement is found in the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. But some less-visible efforts may have an even more profound effect on the business community. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking for ways to incorporate pollution prevention into Title V permits under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). And, more than 29 states have enacted environmental protection legislation that imposes specific planning requirements on the regulated community.