What Is The Pollution
Prevention Program?
The Pollution Prevention (P2) Program (formerly the
SQG Program) is an award winning program that under
Florida Statute 403 is required to
conduct Small Quantity Generator (SQG)
Assessments and Verification/Notification visits at each SQG site a minimum of
once every five years. The program
educates Lee County businesses in the management
and/or reduction of their hazardous wastes. The goal of the program is to assist
businesses with reducing, reusing, and recycling their hazardous waste
economically, utilizing proven pollution prevention technology. The P2 Program
strives to accomplish this through many avenues, such as:
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Conducting onsite assessments.
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Distributing newsletters and
industry specific Best Management Practices (BMP) fact sheets.
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Performing informational
presentations at meetings of a variety of industrial organizations
and educational out reach opportunities.
A Brief History Of How the
Pollution Prevention Program Came To Be.
In 1976 congress enacted
The
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The act detailed federal
laws a procedures for management and disposal of hazardous waste. In order
to enforce the laws in RCRA the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established. The EPA then
delegated enforcement authority to the individual states. Florida's adoption
of RCRA established the organization we now know of
The Florida Department Of Environmental Protection (DEP). The state then
mandated through Florida Statue
403.7225 and
403.7234 that
Local/County
governments would Notify, Verify, and Assess generators of hazardous waste a
minimum of once every 5 years. This established what was known as the Small
Quantity Generators (SQG) Program. As the SQG program preformed its
duties they found that many generators of hazardous waste were unaware of
alternative ways to manage their waste. To fill this additional notification
need the Pollution Prevention (P2) Program was formed. The P2 program
provides the community with various methods for managing and disposing of
their hazardous waste, which help to reduce disposal costs and reduce
regulatory status.
Environmental Enforcement in Lee County
In 2007 Lee County Board
Of County Commissioners approved a
Hazardous Waste Ordinance (07-03). Allowing for local enforcement of
hazardous waste regulations.
Have
you witnessed an environmental crime? Call the anonymous tip line at
239-652-6128