Special issue on pollution prevention

First was dilution.

    Beginning about 100 years ago and continuing well into the twentieth century, wastewater discharges were moved to water bodies that could assimilate the organic loadings.

Second was enhancement.

    From the 1950s into the 1980s, primary and - later - secondary treatment became the standard to reduce loadings on receiving waters by 85%.

Third was minimization.

   This includes such things as CSO reduction and treatment and nutrient removal in water bodies like Long Island Sound. Much regulatory and research effort has been focused here in the last decade or so and could signal the limit of treatment solutions to environmental problems.

As we embark on the new millennium, we need to look to the next frontier to conquer. A strong case can be made that the next stage in protecting our waters is elimination of threats before they can cause harm. A good example is pollution prevention or P2. This can take two general forms. First is waste minimization where a potentially harmful byproduct is transformed from a toxic waste into a raw material of economic benefit. Much of the effort to date has been in this area and shows great promise. The second area is prevention where a nontoxic raw material is substituted for a toxic one. This has the added benefit of eradicating threats of spills of toxic materials.

USEPA and NYSDEC have programs addressing P2 to protect the waters of New York State. I urge all of you to take an active part in this opportunity to partner with the environmental regulatory community in a program that can only benefit us all and leave a better world for our children. I have charged the Industrial Wastewater Committee, the Pretreatment Committee, and the Hazardous Waste Task force to focus on pollution prevention in the coming year with the goal of assisting industry in New York State to maintain a competitive economic position while - at the same time - protecting our environment. You have a rare chance to become active in a new and exciting area and to work with industry, USEPA, NYSDEC, and local municipalities at the same time.

Be active! Join one of these committees today on either a long-term basis or only for this project. Either way you will find it rewarding. P2 is vital.
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Adam Zabinski, president of NYWEA, is with the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities.

Special note: This, the web version of CLEARWATERS, is an expanded version of our print magazine. Text that has not appeared in hard copy is displayed in red.