This Program works with business and industry
across the state of North Dakota to minimize waste generation and
provide innovative waste management practices.
Pollution Prevention spans the entire Department of Environmental Quality.
Contact:
Division of
Waste Management
4201 Normandy Street
Bismarck ND
58503-1324
Telephone: 701-328-5166
Facsimile: 701-328-5200
Pollution prevention is reducing waste at its source. Simply put,
pollution prevention tries to eliminate the production of wastes in the
first place. Traditionally, businesses have focused on complying with
"end of pipe" regulations by managing wastes as they are generated.
Pollution prevention can be applied to many aspects of your business,
including solid and hazardous waste management, wastewater and storm
water management, air emission controls, water conservation and energy
conservation.
Goals for Pollution Prevention
Since all businesses are unique, the "perfect" pollution prevention
solution to that business is also unique. However, there are common
goals which all businesses should consider when implementing a pollution
prevention plan or process. For pollution prevention to be successful,
the plan should strive to meet the goals listed below:
Reduce or eliminate pollutants at their source; Minimize or eliminate
use of hazardous materials; Substitute less hazardous materials if
possible; Assure that reducing pollution or waste from one source does
not increase or transfer pollution to another source; and Maximize the
efficient use of natural resources.
Benefits for businesses include:
Reduced operating costs. Reduced disposal and/or treatment costs.
Reduced potential liabilities. Less regulation. Increased productivity.
Appealing to the consumer market. Improved worker safety. Improved
employee morale.
Project Showcase:
Landfill Methane Outreach Program The North Dakota Division of
Waste Management joined the Landfill
Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) as a State partner. Through
partnering with the LMOP Organization, the Department plans to
disseminate information to solid waste facilities, citizens, businesses,
and other organizations within our state about the uses of landfill
generated methane. Although there are limited applications within
the state at this time, we hope to be able to answer questions and offer
information to those groups which are interested. LMOP will be
used as a clearing house for data and other useful information. We
will ensure that solid waste facilities within the state are aware that
the State allows active landfill gas collection as long as those
activities are consistent with the Solid Waste Management Rules.
The Division of Waste Management is open to exploring those options.
State Electronics Challenge Is your organization
interested in
reducing the environmental impact of the electronic equipment it
purchases, uses, and disposes? If the answer is "yes" please
consider joining the State Electronics Challenge (SEC). The SEC is
a voluntary program, open free of charge to any state, regional, and
local government agency, including public schools, colleges, and
universities. The SEC promotes environmental stewardship of computers -
from purchasing "green" computers through power management and
responsible end of life management - resulting in measurable reductions
in energy, greenhouse gases, solid and hazardous waste, and associated
costs. In December 2009, the North Dakota
Division of Waste Management, was welcomed as the first EPA Region 8
Partner in the SEC. Joining the SEC will help you learn how your
organization can benefit from the program's proven action plan,
implementation tools, and free technical assistance to reduce the
environmental footprint of electronic equipment. The SEC was developed
by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc., and successfully piloted in
the Northeast over the past two years. It's modeled after the Federal
Electronics Challenge.
The following links are gateways to useful information regarding
pollution prevention:
Abogo - Transportation Costs Made Transparent
National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
North Dakota - Renewable
Energy Programs
Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Information Center
US EPA Pollution Prevention
Contact:
Division of Waste Management
4201 Normandy Street
Bismarck ND 58503-1324
Telephone: 701 328 5166.
