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Publication: January 2007. For information about changes, please see the Revision History.

Chapter 22: Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention

Overview (1)

SLAC is required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), the US Department of Energy (DOE), and local agencies, where technically and economically practicable, to

• Reduce the generation of hazardous, non-hazardous, and radioactive wastes
• Prevent pollution to environmental media, air, water and land, and conserve natural resources

SLAC implements a waste minimization and pollution prevention (WM/P2) program to achieve these requirements. The program strives to reduce the environmental impact of SLAC research and operational activities, as well as reduce the burden of compliance with environmental regulations. SLAC is committed to integrating environmental stewardship into all facets of its mission. This stewardship includes integrating pollution prevention, waste minimization, resource conservation, and environmental compliance into all of planning and decision-making. Cost-effective practices are used to eliminate, minimize, or mitigate environmental impacts.

Promoting the WM/P2 program is a part of the overall SLAC Environment, Safety, and Health Policy and pollution prevention is integrated into the SLAC Integrated Safety and Environmental Management System (ISEMS), which is designed to achieve continual improvement.

SLAC strives to reduce the environmental impact of its activities in a balanced way so as to not compromise its mission. Requirements for the WM/P2 program are designed so that an organization can show good faith efforts by setting goals, planning strategies and measures, tracking progress, and communicating accomplishments reducing the generation waste and preventing pollution.

This chapter outlines the program and describes how SLAC - from single operations run by a few or daily activities performed by many - can achieve the goals of the program.

Hazards/Impacts (1.1)

Failure to minimize waste and prevent pollution can

• Increase exposures to hazards in the workplace
• Increase liabilities under federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations
• Increase environmental impact from use of toxic materials
• Increase costs associated with air pollution control, sewage treatment, water cleanup, waste generation, and waste disposal
• Decrease resources from inefficient use of materials, water and energy
• Reduce available funding from costs of environmental cleanups and remediation

The hazards associated with hazardous wastes include the pollution of soil, water, and air, environmental concerns that can seriously impact our health and safety. Concerns about these hazards also impact the SLAC mission. SLAC and DOE have spent millions of dollars to clean up soil and groundwater that have been impacted by chemicals such as lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, and volatile organic compounds.

Even when dealing with wastes that would appear to have little impact on our health, for example, common office paper, which is considered non-hazardous, there are still hazards/health impacts throughout the paper life cycle - its production, use, and disposal. Recycled paper exemplifies the benefit of pollution prevention. Producing paper from one ton of recycled paper instead of paper made from virgin wood pulp saves 17 trees, uses 60 percent less energy and generation of greenhouse gases, uses 50 percent less water, and saves more than three cubic yards of landfill space.

Scope (2)

The requirements of this program apply to all personnel at SLAC, engaged in any activity that may generate waste or pollution, from research and administration to design, fabrication, operations, and maintenance.

This chapter describes overall WM/P2 measures. Additional detailed measures and restrictions for specific materials, media, and activities are described in chapters describing those programs, for example, Chapter 17, "Hazardous Waste". (See Resources/References, for a list of related chapters.)

Low-level radioactive wastes and mixed wastes generated at SLAC are managed by the Radiation Protection Department, which has requirements in place to minimize the generation of such waste. (See the SLAC Radioactive Waste Manual [pdf].)

Exemptions

There are no exemptions to the requirements of this program.

Implementation (8)

The requirements of this chapter will be implemented according to WM/P2: Implementation Plan [pdf].

continue to Standards (3)