ALASKA IDAHO OREGON WASHINGTON

REMEMBER THE PAST

PROTECT THE FUTURE

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region 10, The Pacific Northwest & Alaska

EPA-910-R-00-007

1970 30 YEARS O F E NVIRONMENTAL P ROGRESS 2000
Carol M. Browner

EPA Administrator

EPA was born 30 years ago at a time when rivers caught fire and cities were

hidden under dense clouds of smoke. We’ve made remarkable progress since

then. But we can’t rest on our success.

Our mission to protect the environment, and to protect public health, is a mission

without end. New challenges loom over the horizon as surely as the new day.

We must continue our work to ensure that with each new dawn, the sun shines

through clear skies, and upon clean waters – and all our families enjoy the

blessings of good health.

Carol M. Browner
• U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY • PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND ALASKA •

CONTENTS

The United States Environmental Protection Agency was established thirty years ago as the country was becoming more aware of

our dependence on the natural world. By placing most environmental laws under one agency, the government became more

accountable and responsive to the needs of present and future Americans. In the past three decades rivers have become cleaner,

skies clearer and our approach to addressing problems more holistic.

From the Regional Office in Seattle, the EPA employees are working to build partnerships with the state and local governments of

Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington and hundreds of Tribes to continue this progress.

Clean Water –

Improvements to sewer

systems, industrial facilities

and agriculture are making a

difference in your streams

and lakes.

Clean Air – Tough action

on polluters has brought

major improvements; the 3 next step is up to you.

7

11 Clean Land – Everyday we

create waste. Cleaning up

the mistakes of past disposal

and preventing future

contamination is leading to

safer industrial and

residential neighborhoods.

15 Healthy Communities –

The stresses of population

growth can erode your

quality of life, health and

the natural beauty of the

world around you. Several

communities are making

smart decisions for the

future.

Healthy Ecosystems –

Myopic approaches to water

and air pollution are now

replaced by an

understanding of the

interconnectedness of our

world.

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23

27

Healthy Planet – Borders

on maps don’t stop the

effects of poor

environmental policies.

EPA’s work with other

countries is leading to

benefits at home.

Challenges for the Next

Century – Sustainable

practices at work and at

home will provide a healthy

future for our children and

the generations to follow.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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1947 - Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 1948 - Federal Water Pollution Control Act 1955 - Clean Air Act 1962
The Breath of Life - For A Healthy America CLEAN AIR

3

Clean air. It’s easy to think that our air is pure and clean

in the Northwest. Unless we see or smell the clues of air

pollution, we don’t often think of any problems with air

quality.

It’s true that we no longer see black smoke billowing

from nearby smokestacks, yet there are times in the

summer when haze makes it difficult to see the

mountains in the distance. The familiar smell of wood

smoke brings fond memories of cozy winter nights, but

car and truck exhaust can be

an unpleasant aroma on many

urban streets.

Over the last thirty years, the

main sources of air pollution

have changed, but the

challenge to keep the air free

of pollution is as great as ever.

EPA’s goal is to ensure that

every person in the Northwest

can breathe air free of

pollutants that cause

significant risks of cancer, respiratory distress and other

health problems. We want to clear the air of pollutants

that damage our forests and crops, acidify our wilderness

lakes, and obscure our view of the natural wonders we

have in such abundance here.

Of the thousands of substances that are released to or

subsequently form in the air every day, EPA has chosen

to set national outdoor standards for just seven of them:

carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur

dioxide and particulate matter.

EPA works with state and

local governments to improve

air quality, and the results to

date are impressive. Since the

federal Clean Air Act was

passed in 1970, the nation has

significantly cleaned up the

air: 98 percent of lead, 79

percent of the particles, 41

percent of gaseous sulfur

dioxide, 28 percent of the

carbon monoxide, and 25

- Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring published; documents environmental harm resulting from toxic pesticides and herbicides.

Pollution at Sea

Along the Alaska coast line, citizen complaints alerted EPA

investigators to a different source fouling the air: Cruise

ships. While investigating the complaints, EPA staff observed

smoke coming from the ships which exceeded state and

federal limits for visible emissions. Consequently, six cruise

lines were issued Notices of Violation (NOVs) in early 2000

for emissions in Juneau, Seward and Glacier Bay.

Citizen tips are a valuable tool for finding polluters. By

working closely with local residents, the EPA and state

environmental agencies can better protect the air for those

communities and their tourists.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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1965 - Shoreline Erosion Protection Act 1965 - Solid Waste Disposal Act 1969 - National Environmental Policy Act 1970 - The

Asthma and Children’s Health

Asthma remains a persistent problem

in the U.S. the number of children

afflicted has doubled in the past 10

years, currently affecting almost five

million nationwide. Nationally, the

asthma rate among children ages 5-14

rose 74% between 1980-94. Asthma

can be triggered by irritants and

allergens such as smoke, dust, molds,

mites and pet dander.

The trends related to asthma are not

encouraging. For instance, the

hospitalization rate for asthma in

Washington state is rising much faster

than the rest of the U.S. That rate is

seven times higher among minority

children from the inner city than

children from other communities.

Low-income and minority children are

afflicted at much higher rates. To

minimize asthma triggers, EPA

promotes the use of common-sense,

low-cost solutions for clearing the air

in homes and schools.

In response to this problem, the EPA

has funded several special projects

including:

• Community-based, inner-city

asthma medical intervention clinic

and home visit programs.

• An inner-city asthma outreach and

education program.

• Development and distribution of

brochures targeting residential air

pollution improvements in minority

and low-income communities.

percent of the smog soup now called

ozone have been eliminated from

the air we breathe. Such

improvements are very meaningful,

due to the growth that occurred

during the same period. The

nation’s economy grew by 90

percent, the total U.S. population

grew by 27 percent, and the number

of motor vehicle miles driven

increased by 111 percent!

Economic growth and

environmental protection can go

hand in hand. Industry was the first

target of the Clean Air Act rules,

and by installing sophisticated

pollution control equipment on

facilities both large and small, much

of the industrial air pollution of the

past has been eliminated. Today,

less than one-fifth of the total air

pollution in the Northwest is caused

by industry.
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than ever before. A well-tuned

vehicle creates less pollution, so

vehicle emission check programs in

major urban areas of the Northwest

help citizens keep their cars and

trucks tuned-up and operating

efficiently year-round. Oxygenated

gasoline in winter helps engines

burn fuel efficiently even in the cold

winter temperatures.

Wood-burning stoves and outdoor

burning together account for

approximately one quarter of the

particulate pollution in the air we

breathe. Road dust, windblown

dust, as well as forest-burning and

field burns also contribute to

problems in some areas. During

winter weather inversions, stagnant

air traps pollution close to the

ground, increasing the levels of

pollutants where people breathe.

These problems have been solved in

many areas of the Northwest: new

woodstoves are now certified to

meet emission standards, and public

education programs teach people

how to burn wood efficiently,

without excessive smoke. Special

first Earth Day Celebration 1970 - Environmental Protection Agency is created by President Nixon 1971 - United Nations

Controlling Air Quality in Indian

Country

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

authorizes Native American tribes to

enact their own Clean Air programs,

and clarifies EPA’s responsibility to

directly implement Clean Air programs

throughout Indian Country until a

tribal nation chooses to conduct its

own air pollution control plan. EPA

Region 10’s work with Northwest

Native American tribes is focused in

two ways: 1) fostering tribal capacity

to manage air quality by providing

grant money and technical training;

and 2) fulfilling the array of required

regulatory responsibilities in Indian

Country (for example, issuing clean

air operating permits to industrial

sources located in Indian Country).

The quality of the air in the

Northwest today is dependent upon

the day-to-day choices we make.

How do we get from place to place?

How do we heat our homes? What

do we do with garbage and yard

debris?

Cars, trucks and other means of

transportation account for more than

fifty percent of the total air pollution

in the United States, and even more

in the Northwest. Vehicle exhaust is

a main ingredient of smog during

the warm summer months, and it

produces carbon monoxide in the

wintertime.

Yet despite the improvements in

automobile exhaust systems over the

last 30 years, pollution caused by

cars is still a problem because there

are simply more people driving

more cars over greater distances

precautions, such as local burning

bans when pollution from

particulate matter is measured at

unsafe levels, helps keep pollution

to a minimum.

Population growth is by far the

biggest challenge to keeping the air

clean. A growing population means

more cars on the road, more

construction of new homes and

businesses, and greater demand on

the surrounding environment.

EPA is determined to do more than

simply maintain the progress that’s

been made; by working together –

federal, state and local governments,

business, industry and citizens -- we

can do what is necessary to improve

the quality of the air we breathe.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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Recognizes Earth Day 1971 - Lead Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act 1972 - Clean Water Act, protects wetlands and gives EPA
CLEAN WATER Safe Drinking Water for Everyone

7

The Pacific Northwest and Alaska are known for clear,

clean, fresh tasting water. Our major rivers and lakes are

found in the high desert, coastal rainforest, arctic glaciers

and valleys separating mountains. Such varied

landscapes offer a challenge when balancing economic

and population growth with protecting the quality of

these water resources. Since 1970, the EPA has worked

with many partners to improve sewage treatment, reduce

industrial waste discharges, and preserve habitat in our

Northwest ecosystems.

Improved Sewage Treatment

In the past, raw or inadequately treated sewage was

routinely released into our region’s waters. As sewage

decomposed, these wastes consumed large amounts of

oxygen from the water. Over

time, the continuous supply of

sewage consumed so much

oxygen that many lakes, rivers

and streams could no longer

sustain aquatic life.

To reverse this trend, the EPA

developed a major sewage

treatment program to

eliminate the harmful effects

of human wastes on aquatic

ecosystems. Millions of

dollars were provided to local

governments to support the

construction of new

wastewater treatment plants.

Additionally, the EPA

required wastewater plants to

treat and remove oxygen

consuming wastes. In

Oregon, these clean-up efforts

doubled the oxygen levels in

the Willamette River,

revitalizing an important

waterway.

Seventy-three million more people, in thousands of

communities across the nation, have upgraded sewage

treatment, compared to 25 years ago. The water quality

improvements associated with these efforts are

impressive. Releases of oxygen consuming wastes have

declined by 36 percent (from 6,700 metric tons a day in

1970 to 4,300 metric tons a day in 1992) even though the

amount of sewage being treated has increased by 28

percent. Even more significant, levels of life-giving

dissolved oxygen have increased in regularly monitored

waters across the country.

Safe Drinking Water

Most people in the United States simply turn on the

kitchen tap to fill a glass with clean, safe drinking water.

It’s probably even fair to say

that most Americans assume

that the 34 billion gallons of

tap water we use each day will

always be pure and close at

hand. To ensure that this

would always be true,

Congress enacted the Safe

Drinking Water Act in 1974.

Since that time, preserving the

safety of our nation’s public

drinking water supply has

been, and continues to be, one

of the EPA’s top priorities.

Over the last 25 years the EPA

has issued numerous drinking

water standards protecting the

public from the effects of

harmful chemicals and

microbial pollutants. In

addition, the EPA and each

state monitor the quality of

drinking water supplies and

develop strategies to prevent

contamination. Together these

Sewer Clean up

Between 1972-1990, the Clean Water Act provided $1.9

billion to build wastewater treatment facilities and

improvements in the states of Alaska ($234 million), Idaho

($246 million), Oregon ($578 million), and Washington

($843 million).

Water quality improvements in the Pacific Northwest have

lead to great public health benefits. For example, EPA funds

enabled the City of Yelm, Washington, to upgrade its

collection and wastewater treatment facility and deal with

failing or inadequate septic tank systems. Now the nitrate

levels in the groundwater supply, which once were rising

above the allowable drinking water standards, are under

control.

For the City of Boise, Idaho, improvements to its Lander

Street wastewater treatment facilities reduced the amount of

nutrients and bacteria taking oxygen from the Boise River.

Wastewater flows increased by seventy percent from 1995 to

1999. Consequently, the oxygen depleting nutrients and

bacteria entering the plant increased by sixty percent. The

changes to the facility reduced the detrimental nutrients and

bacteria leaving the plant by eighteen percent over the same

four years. The result was more oxygen available for the

river’s fish and plants.

authority to set water quality standards 1972 - Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Amendment 1972 - Coastal
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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efforts constitute a comprehensive

program providing the American

public with safe and reliable water.

Special protection programs are

being implemented in about 4,000

communities across the Northwest

region. The success of these efforts

is shown by the fact that in 1999

more than 90 percent of the

population in community water

systems received water meeting all

health-based standards.

Reduced Industrial Pollution

Prior to 1970, wastewater

discharges from industry went

largely unchecked. The Clean

Water Act, however, made it illegal

for any industry to discharge

pollutants directly to national waters

without a permit specifying

appropriate pollution limits. Those

limits are based on balancing our

economy’s need for production and

the ecosystem’s natural ability to

compensate for some amount of

pollution.

The EPA developed standards for

more than 50 different industries

and currently oversees more than

57,000 industrial water pollution

permits. Currently, these permits

prevent more than one billion

pounds of toxic pollution from

entering our nation’s waters each

year.

A related water pollution control

program focuses on companies

dumping liquid wastes down their

drains into the public sewer system.

The Clean Water Act contains

special provisions that require these

dischargers to “pretreat” their waste

before it enters the sewer. More

than 30,000 major industrial

dischargers are now covered by

pretreatment standards. As one of

the EPA’s most successful programs,

pretreatment standards have reduced

toxic discharges to public sewers by

an estimated 75 percent.

Zone Management Act 1972 - Ocean Dumping Ban Act 1972 - DDT is Banned 1973 - Endangered Species Act 1974 - Safe

Yaquina Bay Bridge, Newport Oregon

Public Water System Violations

Since the Safe Drinking Water Act Ammendments of 1996, States have submitted annual reports. The

percentage of water systems in violation of federal rules has declined steadily since that time.

For a complete report on the nation’s public water systems, view it on the web:

www.epa.gov/safewater/annual/acr98.pdf

Oregon’s 1996 report double counted some systems
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Drinking Water Act 1974 - Basic theory of how CFC’s destroy ozone is published 1975 - Energy Policy and Conservation Act 1975

The Non Point Source Pollution

Story

In the 1990’s the EPA began looking

at water quality problems on a

watershed basis (the area from

which water drains into a river

system). Nearly every human

activity within a watershed has

some impact on its water quality.

As pollution from stationary sources

such as factories and sewage

treatment plants declined, the water

quality was still impaired from the

effects of many non point sources of

pollution. Agricultural and logging

activities, urban runoff and

homeowner actions were still

affecting water quality. Reductions

in these non point source impacts

are succeeding because of

cooperation between other agencies,

organizations and individuals.

Perhaps the most significant impact

has been when all of these interested

parties joined together to form

Watershed Councils. The councils

take an active role in protecting their

own community’s watershed.

Enforcement of environmental

regulations alone will get us only

The Pulp Industry

Many industries affect Pacific

Northwest water quality either by

using or discharging water. Under the

authority of the Clean Water Act, some

of the most dramatic environmental

progress has occurred in cleaning up

Region 10’s pulp & paper industry.

The manufacturing process uses far

less water today than 30 years ago.

Consequently, water pollution from

these facilities has declined. For

example, the water discharged

consumes much less oxygen in the

water. The suspended solids that

cloud the water and hurt aquatic water

life have also been reduced. The net

improvement in water discharged by

mills has been remarkable.

To achieve this pollution reduction, the

industry made increased efficiency and

waste reduction a top priority. There

is an amazing downward trend in

discharge and water use since 1967.

And yet this streamlined industry has

seen a steady net increase in

production. That translates into a

stronger economic base while

releasing much less pollution - a real

success story.

Pulp & Paper Wastewater Discharge Improvements in the Pacific Northwest

& Alaska

How much has the water quality

improved? Monitoring data tell of a

98 percent reduction in oxygen

consumption, 89 percent reduction in

Total Suspended Solids and 63 percent

reduction in water use.

The graph above shows this

compelling story of an efficient

industry working to meet EPA water

quality limits.

part way toward our goal of cleaner

water. The citizens in each

community must band together to

preserve these precious water

resources.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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- Hazardous Materials Transportation Act 1975 - EPA requires new cars to have catalytic converters and use unleaded gas. Lead
CLEAN LAND From Superfund to Super Parks

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levels in urban air drop 99% over next 20 years. 1976 - Toxic Substances Control Act 1976 - Resource Conservation and Recovery

Thirty years ago, thousands of contaminated junkyards,

dump sites, and industrial facilities littered the land.

Industry and the government addressed chemical usage

and disposal totally separately. To bring this toxic

dilemma under control, Congress began establishing laws

to prevent polluting yet more

areas, and then to clean up the

many toxic sites around the

country.

Congress enacted the

Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act (RCRA) in

1976 to address chemical

usage and disposal from a

more comprehensive

approach. The act regulates

hazardous waste through the

entire ‘life cycle’ - from

cradle to grave.

To address the existing, highly

contaminated sites, Congress

passed the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability

Act (CERCLA) in 1980, which established the Superfund

program. More than 36,000 sites were identified and

entered into EPA’s inventory of hazardous waste sites.

These two laws changed the way the country looked at

industrial pollution. Generators of hazardous waste

became responsible for the use and disposal of their

waste. Polluters became responsible for cleaning up the

mess they created. The EPA then faced the challenge of

monitoring chemical use, disposal and clean-up.

“From Cradle to Grave”

Hazardous wastes under RCRA are now managed within

a system having a beginning and an end. Many industrial

Business Incentives

The EPA’s Region 10 is finding new ways to better manage

our chemicals and waste, from using fewer toxic chemicals in

industrial processes to voluntary cleanups of past releases.

One such voluntary initiative provides incentives to

companies for going beyond simple compliance with

environmental requirements. Targeting 17 high-priority toxic

chemicals, participating companies here have reduced

releases and disposals by an astonishing 58%. Corporate

consciousness and initiative account for much of the

program’s success with over a quarter of the eligible

companies participating, the highest rate in the U.S.

Economic opportunity and environmental protection are not

mutually exclusive propositions. In stimulating the

development of businesses that use recyclable or reusable

materials, new jobs and tax revenues have been created while

performing an important environmental service to society.

Our support led to a national electronic marketplace for

recyclables on the Chicago Board of Trade Recyclables

Exchange.

and commercial facilities are required to have permits

controlling both waste treatment and disposal. Although

household hazardous wastes are primarily controlled at

the local level, EPA set national standards for municipal

waste disposal to ensure that problems don’t arise in the

future.

Congress intended for the

States to have direct

responsibility for running the

RCRA program. The EPA

assumed an assistance and

oversight role, providing

compliance and enforcement

functions, where appropriate.

Oregon, Washington, and

Idaho have pursued and been

authorized to to regulate their

share of the 6,818 hazardous

waste handlers located

throughout the region. Alaska

has not. In 1997, Washington

ranked 24th, Oregon 36th, Idaho

9th, and Alaska 47th in

hazardous waste generation

among the 50 states.

Garbage and Recycling

Most of us have heard reports about the unfortunate

problems created by municipal landfills. We are

addressing these problems by promoting better waste

management practices. Lining landfills with high-tech

seepage preventing barriers or returning sites to valuable

park and recreational space make these sites better

neighbors.

It takes an entire forest - over 500,000 trees- to supply

Americans with their Sunday newspapers every week?

Recycling is a vital part of any sensible waste

management program. It not only reduces the volume of
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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Act (RCRA) 1977 - Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 1978 - Love Canal Crisis in N.Y. Heightens 1978 - CFC’s

garbage otherwise sent to landfills,

but also reduces demands on our

natural resources. Although the

trend in recycling here has been

steadily moving upward, so has the

per capita amount of waste

generated. Your continuing support

is the key.

Toxic Substances

Some materials are so toxic, and the

threat of their release to the

environment so widespread, that

special toxic substances laws were

enacted to regulate them. EPA has

broad authority to ensure that these

substances are managed safely. Our

focus in this region is on PCB’s

(polychlorinated byphenyls),

chemicals in commerce (import/

export), and lead.

Between 1930 and 1979, PCBs were

used as an insulator in a variety of

electrical equipment. PCB’s are a

very effective insulator - and a very

potent environmental hazard. Some

137 million pounds of PCBs were

safely disposed of in permitted

facilities in 1994.

It is truly disturbing that one in

every 25 children in the U.S. has

dangerously high blood lead levels.

This comes about in a variety of

ways, including contact with leaded

paints, contaminated soil, and dust.

We’re working to assist tribes and

states to reduce lead exposure.

Cleaning up the Contamination

Superfund is designed to protect

human health and the environment

through fast, effective cleanup of

priority hazardous waste sites and

releases. Those who created the

problems are required to clean them

up. If they either can’t be identified

or can’t afford the cleanup costs, the

government moves forward with

cleanup using federal money.

We work with others - state, tribal

and local agencies, and the general

public - in actively searching for

sites that may require cleanup under

contamination levels are still of

concern, the site may either be listed

on the NPL or referred to another

agency for further cleanup.

Northwest Superfund Sites

Of the over 1,400 Superfund sites

located across the country, 91 can be

found in the Pacific Northwest.

Over a million people here live

within two miles of one or more

Superfund sites. These sites run the

gamut from active industrial

facilities to small businesses. From

less than an acre to more than 21

square miles in size.

Of the region’s 91 Superfund sites,

43 have been cleaned up and 22 of

them have been formally deleted

from the NPL. Final cleanups at

another 41 sites are currently

underway nationally. More than

675 of the most serious uncontrolled

or abandoned hazardous waste sites

have been cleaned up and 85 more

will be done by the end of 2000.

Responsible parties have paid 70

percent of the cleanup costs, saving

taxpayers billions of dollars.

Superfund. Once identified, these

sites fall into two basic categories.

There are those sites which are

considered such a significant hazard

to human health or the environment

that they require an immediate

cleanup, known as a removal. And

there are other seriously

contaminated sites that require more

long-term cleanup. These sites can

be added to the National Priorities

List (NPL) and thus become eligible

for federal funded cleanup money if

necessary. Some sites are also

cleaned up under the supervision of

a qualified state cleanup program.

The Removal Program

Removals typically take less than a

year and involve waste treatment

onsite or transferring drums,

excavated contaminated soils, and

other wastes to regulated disposal

facilities. Some removals are

outright emergencies stemming

from fires or spills. In nonemergencies, we locate the party

responsible for the contamination

and direct them to perform the

cleanup. If post-removal testing of

soils and groundwater reveals that

Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Generated in the Pacific Northwest &

Alaska
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(chloroflourocarbons) banned in most aerosol cans 1979 - Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Accident 1979 - EPA bans sale

Oil Spills & Public Awareness

EPA and the Coast Guard are jointly

responsible for cleaning up oil

spills, and for enforcing laws meant

to prevent spills. If a facility that

stores oil reports two or more small

spills, or one large one, it must

submit a spill prevention and

cleanup plan to EPA for review.

EPA also performs inspections of

such facilities to help keep spills

from happening.

High-Tech Cleanup Winding

Down

The Western Processing Company, a

chemical waste processing and

recycling facility, operated from 1961

to 1983 on a 13-acre site in Kent, 20

miles south of Seattle. Some of the

Pacific Northwest’s largest industries

contracted with Western Processing to

handle a wide variety of chemicals and

waste materials.

In 1983, the EPA ordered the company

to stop operations and placed Western

Processing on the NPL. The

Superfund program required the

cleanup of contaminants from soil and

water found during the site

investigation.

Cleanup activities began in 1984 with

the removal of 4,700 tons of wastes

from ponds, drums, and tanks on the

site’s surface. The EPA worked with

the Washington Department of

Ecology in 1987 on the second

cleanup phase, removing more than

35,000 cubic yards of contaminated

soils and sludges.

In the ensuing years we built a 40-foot

deep vertical barrier wall,

groundwater treatment system, and a

multi-layered cap over the entire 13-

acre southern portion of the site.

Today, the site is 95% complete, and

no taxpayer money was used to clean

up the site. The work was managed

and paid for entirely by the Western

Processing Trust. The Trust was

formed by the responsible parties

(companies such as Boeing, Franz, )

who had used Western Processing to

dispose of their waste. The work

accomplished demonstrates the

successful partnership of government

and private industry in helping to

protect the environment and improve

the quality of life for the people of the

Pacific Northwest.

Prince William Sound, Alaska. Eleven million gallons of crude oil from the Exxon Valdez

contaminated shorelines 1989. Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act in 1990.

Superfund’s Emergency Planning

and Community Right to Know Act

requires businesses using hazardous

chemicals to report the chemicals

and their quantities to state and local

emergency response and planning

groups. We support these groups

with grants, technical assistance and

training. Our hazardous materials

response program has conducted

health and safety training at eleven

villages in Alaska in an effort to

prepare residents for cleanup jobs at

local sites.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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of Agent Orange herbicide. 1980 - Mount St. Helen’s Erupts 1980 - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
HEALTHY

COMMUNITIES

Safe and Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play

15

Liability Act (Superfund Law) 1981 - Nuclear Waste Policy Act 1984 - Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to RCRA

There is nothing unique about Americans wanting a safe

and healthy place to live, recreate, raise children, have

careers, build a future. In 1949, Congress mandated “a

decent home and suitable living environment for every

American family”and reaffirmed it again in 1968.

President John F. Kennedy warned in 1963 that if we

neglect our cities, we will neglect the nation.

And yet our cities have been neglected. Trends have

found families moving to the suburbs as they seek the

dream of home ownership, open space, parks and ball

fields. New roads and freeways provided easy

automobile access to abundant and affordable land,

encouraging yet new development and urban sprawl.

The Northwest, and particularly the coastal and sound

communities, has grown because of the opportunities

created by its residents. Our commitments to economic

restructuring, transportation and the environment, give us

the opportunity to improve our region’s livability and

prosperity for years to come.

How do we sustain our region’s livability and prosperity?

By making economic and environmental decisions that

meet our needs and without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet theirs; in other words, by

avoiding dead ends.

Sprawl

In communities across the nation, there is a growing

concern that current development patterns, dominated by

what some call “sprawl”, are no longer in the long-term

interests of our cities, existing suburbs, small towns, rural

communities, open space or wilderness areas. Though

supportive of growth, communities are questioning the

economic costs of abandoning infrastructure in the city,

only to build it further out. They are questioning the

social costs of the mismatch between new employment in

locations in the suburbs and the available workforce in

the city. They are questioning the wisdom of abandoning

“brownfields” in older communities, eating up the open

space and prime agricultural lands at the suburban fringe,

and polluting the air of an entire region by driving further

to get places. Spurring the smart growth movement are

demographic shifts, a strong environmental ethic,

increased fiscal concerns and more open views of

growth. The result is both a new demand and a new

opportunity for smart growth.

This opportunity should not be confused with “no

growth” or even “slow growth.” People want the jobs,

tax revenues, and amenities that come with development.

But they want these benefits without degrading the

environment, raising local taxes, increasing traffic

congestion, or busting budgets. More and more local

governments are finding that current development

patterns frequently fail to provide this balance.

Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, are two

examples of communities searching for this balance.

They have both struggled with the classic pattern of

disinvestment in urban/suburban areas while investing in

as-yet-unbuilt communities on the fringe. In the last two

decades, flight from the core to the suburbs created a
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

16

1984 - Over 2000 people killed in Bhopal, India following toxic gas release 1985 - Union Carbide plant at Institute, West Virginia

golden ring of the priciest homes

encircling the cities and moves

further outward in both cases.

Million dollar homes now sit on

ridges along the eastside of Seattle,

that were only twenty years ago

homes to rabbits and deer. The rural

character of these areas has been hit

with traffic congestion, high taxes,

decline in public services, and loss

of farmland.

Portland, Oregon, however, has

managed, with its long-standing

urban growth boundary, downtown

building boom, and well-developed

transit system, to be known as one

of the best known and frequently

cited examples of smart growth.

Smart Growth

Smart Growth recognizes

connections between development

and quality of life. It leverages new

growth to improve the community.

The features that distinguish smart

growth in a community vary from

place to place. In general, smart

growth invests time, attention and

resources in restoring community

and vitality to city centers and older

suburbs. New smart growth is more

town-centered, is transit and

pedestrian oriented, and has a

greater mix of housing, commercial

and retail uses. It also preserves

open space and many other

environmental amenities. But there

is no “one-size-fits-all solution.

Successful communities do tend to

have one thing in common - a vision

of where they want to go and of

what things they value in their

community - and their plans for

development reflect these values.

Current development patterns are all

too familiar. There has continued to

be a disinvestment in older

communities and the flight of much

of the middle class to newer, diffuse,

single-use developments. Older

suburbs now experience the

downward economic cycle once

thought to be uniquely urban.

Indeed, many suburbs now have

more in common with urban

counterparts than with new suburbs.

This has created an opportunity to

forge regional problem solving

between the city and the

surrounding suburbs. This has thus

led to investing in existing

communities rather than subsidizing

flight to as-yet-unbuilt

developments. There has been a

shift that new growth, especially

growth subsidized by state’s and the

federal government, should add

value to existing communities.

The call to reexamine our growth

patterns and practices has support.

The President’s Council on

Sustainable Development, a group

of business CEO’s

environmentalists, and government

agencies, recommended new

patterns of growth to maintain

community vitality. While land-use

and growth-management activities

are the responsibility of state, tribal

and local authorities, EPA is

uniquely positioned to encourage

growth-management measures that

take environmental impacts into

consideration.

EPA Region 10 uses existing

authorities under statues such as the

Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act

and the National Environmental

Policy Act to help minimize the

impacts of development activities.

Region 10 also focuses on

supporting state, tribal and local

efforts. Specific activities include

improving communications and

providing technical expertise and

resources to manage growth issues

such as wastewater disposal,

drinking water, water quantity,

waste disposal, transportation and

air quality, storm water runoff, and

wetlands and habitat loss. EPA also

provides funding and support for

specific projects through programs

such as Sustainable Development

Challenge Grants and Better

American Bonds

“We will help you build what we hear you are asking for and what is no less than

you and your families deserve; livable communities, comfortable suburbs, vibrant

cities, and for you grandchildren’s well-being and for their grandchildren’s too,

green spaces.”

 Vice President Al Gore

 January 11, 1999
17

releases methyl isocanate. Congress debates possibility of Bhopal-like accident in U.S. 1986 - Emergency Planning and Community

Brownfields

Brownfields are abandoned or

underused properties where real or

perceived environmental

contamination has slowed

redevelopment. There are hundreds

of these sites in the Region, from

abandoned factories and shuttered

gas stations, to aging rail yards.

Cleaning up and reusing these areas

often helps to preserve greenspace

which would otherwise be used for

development.

Since 1995, Region 10 has provided

up to $200,000 in seed funding to

more than 20 state, local and tribal

governments to expedite local site

cleanup or assessment. Examples of

recent brownfields initiatives

include: funding of the Portland

Brownfields Cleanup Revolving

Loan Fund, which provides local

cleanup loans; the Seattle/King

County Job Training Pilot, which is

successfully training individuals in

need to work on hazardous waste

site assessment and cleanup; and

supplemental awards to the Oregon

Economic and Community

Development Department and King

County, Washington to perform

assessments which promote

economic redevelopment and

greenspace preservation.

Lead in Children

Cities have faced a myriad of

environmental problems: polluted

air; lead based paint hazards;

asbestos, radon, vehicle gridlock,

hazardous waste sites, polluted

beaches. All of these threaten the

health of the children growing up in

our cities. As urban sprawl

expanded, many of these same

problems moved to the suburbs.

Before 1978, lead-based paint was

commonly used in homes and

apartment buildings. Exposure can

also be traced to contaminated soil

and water from mine wastes.

Although cases of childhood lead

poisoning are on the decline

nationally, lead contamination

remains a localized concern in parts

of Region 10. Lead is a naturally

Home sellers and landlords must

now disclose known lead-based

paint and its hazards to both buyers

and renters. Since June 1, 1999, in

support of the Clinton-Gore

Administration’s right to know

efforts, any contractor involved in

remodeling or renovation is now

required to give home owners a

copy of a new booklet, Protect Your

Family From Lead in Your Home.

EPA provides grant money to states

and tribes for public education and

testing activities. The agency also

certifies training providers and

programs to perform inspections,

risk assessment and abatement

work. EPA is also beginning to

focus on outdoor sources of lead

exposure -- such as paints used on

playgrounds and fences. For

example, EPA awarded the

Washington State Department of

Health more than $2.5 million in

grant funds for determining the

extent of threats to children caused

by lead paint and lead dust across

the state.

Community Tools for Transportation

When city and county governments ask for public participation in local planning,

you can bring new ideas and concepts to the table:

Explore alternatives and involve the community. Look for creative solutions

integrating land use, transportation, environment and livability.

Diversify the transportation system by providing more transportation choices.

More choices enhances personal freedom, economic equity, and environmental

protection.

Emphasize Transportation Demand Management (TDM). Explore this method of

trip reduction through an array of travel alternatives, roadway incentives, financial

incentives, work hours and location management.

Maximize the use of existing infrastructure. Habitat degradation, fragmentation,

and loss can be prevented by making better use of the existing infrastructure.

Consider redevelopment. Redevelopment prevents sprawl and protects farms,

forests, and natural lands. It also improves the existing built environment for people.

Maintain historic, cultural, natural features, and community character. Emphasizing local history, culture, and natural history and avoiding impacts to these

elements helps to establish or maintain community identity and cohesion.

occurring substance that is toxic

when ingested or inhaled. Lead is

most hazardous to children under

six years of age. Health effects

include reduced intelligence and

attention span, reading/learning

disabilities and behavioral problems.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

18

Right to Know Act, requires chemical facilities to report annual toxic releases. 1986 - Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Accident
HEALTHY

ECOSYSTEMS

Looking at the World Differently

19

Traditionally, we have looked at environmental problems

based on where they occur, such as in the water, air or

soil. Or we focused on the nature of the problem, such as

hazardous waste, pesticides or asbestos. As a result we

often missed the deeper perspective of how all these

element interrelated in the real world. We were not

looking at the whole picture at one time. EPA now looks

at the challenges facing our fragile environment from an

ecosystem approach. We are now finding big picture

solutions to ecosystem level problems.

Our goal is to protect and restore the remarkable

ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska by

addressing problems in specific geographic areas using

an integrated approach. It is a complex way of doing

business, requiring coordination with many different

people. It is also time consuming. However, since we

began focusing on environmental interrelationships over

four years ago, significant progress has been made in

addressing environmental problems from a holistic

ecosystem perspective.

Working Together in Agriculture:

Agricultural practices have been linked to a number of

environmental problems: nitrate and pesticide

contamination of ground and surface water, air quality

impairment caused by “agricultural dust”, loss of natural

shrub-steppe habitat and loss of salmon habitat. The

agriculture industry is concerned about these

environmental challenges and others such as loss of

pesticides needed to protect crops, declining market

prices for traditional crops and increasing costs of doing

business.

The Columbia Plateau Agricultural Initiative is a

comprehensive effort promoting environmental

protection with wise agricultural practices, resulting in a

sustainable environment and a sustainable industry.

In early 1997 EPA, various state, federal and local

agencies, local Conservation Districts, Washington State

University Cooperative Extension, industry organizations

and individual farmers began working together. The

intent was to support community-based and individual

efforts in five eastern Washington counties that promote

farming and ranching practices which protect both the

environment and the pocketbook.

EPA provided $400,000 in funding for projects that

promote nitrate monitoring in groundwater, develop new

farming practices and provide education and training. In

addition, the Columbia Plateau Agriculture Initiative

tapped into funds from other programs such as

environmental education grants, safe drinking water

grants and air quality protection and food safety funding

sources.

The “Wilke Farm Project” is a national model of how to

develop and demonstrate to farmers, that environmentally

friendly crops and cropping methods can result in a

sustainable agriculture industry. The Wilke project and

the other efforts of the Columbia Plateau project look at

agriculture and the natural ecosystems holistically, not in

1986 - Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) 1987 - Montreal Protocol Signed by 24 nations, Banning CFC’s
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

20

1987 - Long Island Garbage Barge Wanders East Coast, rejected from landfills in 5 states. 1988 - Lead Contamination Control Act

the context of independent

environmental elements. They

develop economically sustainable

crops and cropping methods, while

minimizing pesticide and fertilizer

use. They also aim to prevent

sediment run-off to surface water

and wind erosion that causes

agriculture dust.

Innovation and Industry

When several species of Pacific

salmon were listed as endangered in

1999, private land owners faced a

new challenge to maintain

productive crops while protecting

aquatic habitat. The EPA, National

Marine Fisheries Service and the

State of Washington worked with

Simpson Timber Company to

develop an integrated plan for

managing their timber lands. The

plan addresses the conservation

needs of fish and wildlife, maintains

water quality, basin hydrology and

channel integrity. Simpson was able

to integrate healthy environmental

management into a profitable

commercial forest operation. By

making strong commitments to

protect the ecological integrity of

their lands and waters Simpson

sought flexibility in how the

Endangered Species Act and Clean

Water Act would be enforced in the

watershed.

Simpson Timber Company’s

voluntary effort to manage these

lands from an ecosystem approach

is an example of how industry and

government are working together to

view the environment differently.

This area of the Chehalis River

Basin, about 220,000 contiguous

acres, is being managed beyond the

measures that Simpson would

otherwise be subject to. Simpson

Timber Company, the EPA and

National Marine Fisheries Service

developed a mutually acceptable

plan, ensuring the protection of the

aquatic dependent resources of the

area and the ability to maintain a

commercial forestry operation.

Forest and Fish

Salmon are often referred to as an

“icon” in the Pacific Northwest and

Alaska. They represent thriving

streams, healthy forests and a

connection to our historical roots of

living off the land. Unfortunately,

many Pacific salmon runs are listed

as threatened or endangered under

the Endangered Species Act. The

reasons for the critical state of many

salmon runs generally fall under the

category of habitat destruction or

modification, whether it be from

hydropower dams, agricultural

practices, urbanization, or forest

practices.

One large scale attempt at habitat

improvement is the Forest and Fish

agreement that covers nearly eight

million acres of private forest land

in the State of Washington. While

forest practices are regulated, the

continuing decline of salmon

triggered a second look at the

adequacy of those regulations. They

ultimately proved to be inadequate.

The EPA joined other federal and

state agencies, counties, tribes, and

forest landowners to re-evaluate the

regulations. The goal was to meet

both the Endangered Species Act

and the Clean Water Act, while

recovering harvestable levels of

salmon and timber. The parties met

the goals through a long and

difficult, but ultimately successful

negotiation. The new agreement

provides:

• 180 feet of stream side vegetative

buffers

• protection for small streams

• additional restrictions on logging

steep slopes
21

• inventories, prioritization and

repair of forest roads

• increased enforcement

• reclassification of some streams

• funding tribal involvement

• and, continuing evaluations on the

success of the new rules.

Forest practices in the State of

Washington are now among the

most stringent in the nation, and are

the result of stakeholders

negotiating in good faith to protect

the ecosystem.

There will always be challenges

when we attempt to balance

environmental protection with

economic activities and the needs of

communities. Effective solutions to

environmental problems require the

cooperation and involvement of

many groups who have a wide range

of interests. We must work together

to examine these challenges from an

ecosystem approach. Looking not

only at legal and scientific efforts to

protect the environment, but the

social and economic needs of people

as well.

1989 - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on Alaskan Coast 1989 - Toxic Release Inventory Available to Public 1989 - Love Canal Declared

River and Stream Quality Assessment - Support of Aquatic Life

From the 1998 305b Report to Congress

For more details visit - http://www.epa.gov/305b/98report/

Impairment for multiple uses

may include Supporting

Aquatic Life and Swimming
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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Habitable, Home Sales Begin 1990 - Pollution Prevention Act 1990 - Oil Pollution Act 1990 - Clean Air Act Amendments address
HEALTHY

PLANET

Many Countries — One World

23

World events have changed our view of the potential for

disaster awaiting an unprepared nation. Bhopal, India -

1984: 43 tons of toxic gases escape from a factory killing

two thousand people. Chernobyl - 1986: Uncontrolled

nuclear reaction spreads radiation across Northern

Europe. Kuwait - 1991: Oil fields set aflame by

retreating Iraqi troops, blacken middle eastern skies. For

weeks, even months, they brought us to an awareness of

what a small, vulnerable place the world really is. But

for all their special notoriety, they might also have

diverted our attention from more common, everyday

releases of pollutants into the global environment.

Two important lessons we have learned from these global

tragedies: Lack of safeguards on human activities can

result in environmental and human disaster; and large

scale environmental contamination and its associated

impacts do not stop at international borders.

Sewage in the Red Sea

The City of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sought

the expertise of EPA scientists and engineers in the design of

a wastewater treatment plant on the shores of the Red Sea.

The Saudi government’s Meteorological and Environmental

Protection Administration faced the task of determining the

effects of releasing the treated waste water into the adjacent

coral seas.

Recognizing the expertise of the United States Environmental

Protection Agency in evaluating sewage treatment plants, the

Saudi government requested a team of specialists to review

the proposed outfall design. Three EPA employees were

dispatched to Jeddah at the expense of the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia.

After studying maps, oceanographic reports, discharge

estimates, and design plans, the three EPA team members

used a computer simulation to estimate how the treated

wastewater would dilute in the coastal sea, and where it

would travel. The simulation results proved very useful to

the Saudis in their decision making processes, supporting the

extension of the outfall pipe and additional lengthy diffuser.

In addition to providing a simulation of the anticipated

effects, the EPA team also proposed effluent monitoring, an

impact study of the coastal coral reef, and a training

program which would further develop the technical expertise

in Saudi Arabia.

acid rain, air toxics and stratospheric ozone. 1990 - Environmental Education Act 1991 - Federal Recycling and Procurement

Regional EPA specialists advised Saudi Arabian leaders on an

environmentally sound relocation of this treated water outfall pipe.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

24

The world is interconnected.

Whether it’s put in environmental,

economic, or social terms, how we

manufacture, consume and dispose

of goods eventually affects other

people in other lands. It could be

the transport of airborne pollutants,

trade in endangered species, loss of

habitat to deforestation, or oceandumping of toxic wastes. Actions

affecting the environment in a

remote corner of the world can have

an adverse impact in the United

States.

A Win Win Situation

The EPA’s dedication to solving

complex environmental challenges

extends beyond U.S. borders. EPA

is actively involved with partners in

foreign countries that will yeild a

“win-win” for all countries.

For example, we know that the

Pacific Northwest contributes socalled greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2

)

that have led to global climate

change. We also know that others

outside this region contribute to this

global environmental problem,

affecting our weather and other

Policy 1991 - Saddam Hussein Orders 7 million barrels of oil dumped into Persian Gulf 1992 - Earth Summit held in Rio de

U.S. and Canada

Marine Ecosystem Partners

EPA Administrator, Carol Browner and Environment

Canada’s Minister, David Anderson, signed a Joint Statement

of Cooperation on the Georgia Basin and Puget Sound

Ecosystem, in January, 2000. This Statement of

Cooperation between the U.S. and Canada is the first

bilateral agreement to address the two marine basins as one

ecosystem.

The Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Straight of

Georgia, are three basins that together form a larger

ecosystem. As the largest marine estuary in North America,

the Georgia Basin-Puget Sound region is one of the most

ecologically diverse, containing a wide range of

internationally significant species and habitats.

As the current regional population of six million moves

toward an estimated nine to eleven million by 2020, planning

for sustainable growth will be essential to maintaining a

balance between development and environmental health.

The Statement of Cooperation has been developed to provide

for improved trans-border cooperation, priority-setting and

information exchange throughout the ecosystem.

In 1996, The Province of British Columbia and the State of

Washington committed to cooperative efforts on

environmental matters on the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin

ecosystem, resulting in the identification of priority issues

through assigned international task forces. The EPA and

Environment Canada will join in these protection strategies

for managing a shared marine ecosystem.

Areas of major concern include:

• Minimizing estuarine habitat loss;

• Establishing marine protected areas;

• Protecting marine plants and animals;

• Minimizing exotic species introduction:

• Joint monitoring and research;

• More effective controls on toxic wastes releases

The cooperative agreement also allows both Federal

governments to engage in projects to address air quality issues,

growth and transportation issues, and climate change.

The Georgia Basin to the North and the Puget Sound to the

South Are Now Cooperatively Managed by the United States and

Canada

natural systems. Similarly, domestic

and foreign activities contribute to

stratospheric ozone depletion, which

may lead to increased incidences of

skin cancers, cataracts, and other

health and welfare concerns. By

engaging our international

colleagues in discussions, we hope

to find solutions to reducing

greenhouse gas emissions and ozone

depleting chemicals that will be of

mutual benefit for all.

Closer to home, our record of

cooperation with our Canadian

neighbors in addressing trans-border

environmental issues continues to

grow. We regularly work
25

Janeiro, Brazil drawing 178 nations 1993 - EPA reports that secondhand smoke is a serious risk to non-smokers. 1994 - American

cooperatively on issues related to

salmon, water quality, air quality

and chemical management.

We also devote a small fraction of

our resources to helping others

around the world. Over the past

three years, we have sent our

experts to more than twenty

countries providing assistance to

deal with the often profound

environmental problems they face.

The expense to the U.S. is minimal.

The host country pays for all travel

and operation expenses, while the

EPA contributes technical experts.

As an alternative, we have met with

officials from more than 35

countries during their visits to the

United States, with whom we share

our environmental management

experiences.

Benefits for Region 10

For the many benefits that this

modest investment yields, it is

clearly worthwhile. Our efforts

often lead to direct improvements in

the health and welfare of people in

host countries. Building capacity in

foreign environmental programs

leads to more efficient use of these

countries’ precious natural

resources. Our involvement in

technical pollution control issues

often opens doors to the purchase of

American environmental products

and services, stimulating our

economy. And as host countries

begin to shoulder the real costs of

responsible environmental

stewardship, the increased price of

their products results in a more level

international marketplace.

Among all the benefits to the United

States, perhaps the most subtle are

the experiences our employees bring

back. In working with people

elsewhere under difficult,

sometimes desperate circumstances,

we get ideas for new, often low-tech

solutions that can be applied to

some of the problems we encounter

here.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

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Bald Eagle population increase leads to listing upgrade, from Endangered to Threatened 1994 - President Clinton orders
CHALLENGES

FOR THE

NEXT CENTURY

Encouraging Sustainable Business Practices

27

government agencies to make environmental justice part of their mission. 1996 - Food Quality Protection Act addresses impact of

“A sustainable United States will have a growing economy that provides equitable opportunities for satisfying

livelihoods and a safe, healthy, high quality of life for current and future generations. Our nation will protect its

environment, its natural resource base, and the functions and viability of natural systems on which all life depends.”

The President’s Council on Sustainable Development

Energy Efficiency = $avings

A business can change its processes to save money and

protect the environment. It is also less vulnerable to

government regulations. These types of investments are

generally low-risk and high-yield. The U.S. EPA’s Energy

Star and ClimateWise programs have shown that switching

to energy efficient technologies can save millions of dollars.

Businesses in Region 10, saved over $21 million dollars

through these programs by using technologies such as

compact flourescent lamps, solar energy, and non-toxic

materials. These companies made themselves more

competitive, and more attractive to environmentally

conscious consumers.

The Unmistakable Problem

 Our industrial system

transforms natural resources

into nearly all of the products

and services that we use--our

food, our cars, our computers.

These products ultimately

return to the environment.

This flow of materials, usually

in an altered form, from nature

to the economy and back is

fundamental to our society.

According to the World

Resources Institute, the

weekly per person consumption of natural resources is

equal to 300 shopping bags filled with materials

weighing as much as a large

luxury car. In fact, a recent

study says that for developing

countries to duplicate the

“American” standard of living

will take in excess of three

planet Earth’s worth of

resources. Short of mounting

a massive space exploration

program, living within the

carrying capacity of this planet

is certainly a more cost

effective and sustainable

option.
EPA REGION 10 1999 ANNUAL REPORT

28

pesticides on children’s health 1997 - EPA establishes the Office of Children’s Health Protection 1998 - EPA announces Clean

The Road to Sustainable Business

Practices

EPA and businesses have a history

of interactions which span a range

from antagonistic through

synergistic. Before the 1970’s,

corporations were generally

unprepared for the “command and

control” approach to environmental

protection. There were no industry

goals for environmental

performance. During the 1970’s,

with the increasing attention to

environmental issues and the

creation of the EPA, the corporate

response was generally viewed as

“reactive,” in part to regulatory

standards being created and

enforced. During the 1980’s, the

industry goal was motivated mainly

by avoiding additional costs.

Companies stressed Total Quality

Environmental Management and

Stakeholder Participation.

Beginning in the 1990’s, the

industry goal was to adopt the “ecoefficient” profit-center approach.

Industries began using strategic

environmental management

systems, product stewardship,

design for the environment, and

environmental cost accounting. The

“Sustainable Development” era

ahead, will be characterized by

integrating sustainability principles.

The price of goods and services

usually do not include

environmental impact costs. There

are few, if any, “sustainable”

choices for the consumer, and often

they are more expensive. For this

reason, the Region 10 Evergreen

program honors companies which

integrate pollution prevention into

business planning. Fifteen

companies have been honored in the

past 4 years with Evergreen awards

after demonstrating a commitment

to the environment, achieving

environmental results through

pollution prevention and providing

greener purchasing options for the

public. If businesses can offer

consumers choices which support a

healthy environment, they ultimately

protect the source from which all

revenue flows-- the planet’s natural

resources.

In Region 10, our philosophy is that

the best way to prevent pollution is

to move up the waste management

hierarchy towards source reduction.

Source reduction means reducing or

eliminating the creation of wastes at

the source. Changes in materials,

practices, processes or design are

the key to source reduction.

However, a recent poll of 137

businesses in the Pacific Northwest

show that less than 1% of

businesses employ eco-efficiency.

Clearly, there is much to be done to

educate and encourage business to

adopt cost-saving measures which

also protect the environment.

Corporations, because they are the

dominant institution on the planet,

must squarely address the social and

environmental problems that affect

humankind.

Paul Hawken,

co-founder of Smith & Hawken, and

author, The Ecology of Commerce
29

Eco-Efficiency May Not Be

Enough

Pollution prevention, waste

minimization and source reduction

are extremely important practices

for the business sector and cost

savings, for the small number of

businesses which employ them,

have been substantial. A growing

number of observers, however,

suggest that these eco-efficiency

practices, while significant, may not

be enough. Robert M. Day of the

World Resources Institute states that

“Eco-efficiency excellence will be

necessary, but not sufficient, for

doing business in the next

millennium.” He points out that

eco-efficiency is a valuable concept

both for society and business

because it is in everyone’s interest to

drive waste out of our economic

systems. Global trends, however,

indicate that we are not even coming

close to achieving what is needed

for sustainable development. The

goal of sustainability is slipping

further from our grasp.

Individual Choices are the Key

Meaningful steps towards

sustainability for the business sector

can mean many different things.

From steps taken to improve

efficiency and eliminate waste all

the way to complete redesign of the

way a company does business. One

thing is clear, no business activity

can be truly sustainable without

being profitable. All major federal

environmental laws are based upon

the constitutional power of the

Commerce Clause. EPA’s

environmental regulatory authority

only extends within the parameters

allowed by the rules and statutes as

passed by Congress.

Most of the environmental problems

are not caused by a polluting factory

which can be simply permited to

pollute less. It will take a holstic

approach to environmental

protection, working in concert with

sustainability business leaders,

transforming the current system by

designing products in a whole new

way.

You, as a consumer, can drive this

change. Personal choices of

consumers (what we buy, how we

travel, where we live) actually

create more of an impact than all

industrial sources combined. In the

Pacific Northwest, most air

pollution is caused by wood smoke

and automobiles. The portion of air

pollution from large facilities is

small in comparison. For more

information about the power of

personal choices, please visit

Region 10’s Sustainability Website

at www.epa.gov/r10earth/

sustainability. The choices you

make will shape our environmental

future.

We are all responsible for this planet, but business must take the lead because only business has the global reach, the innovative

capability, the capital, and most important, the market motivation to develop the technologies that will allow the world to truly

achieve sustainable development.

Harry Pearce, Vice-Chairman of General Motors

Water Action Plan 1998 - Underground fuel tanks nation-wide must meet strict standards, protecting groundwater.

Consumers, businesses, and

organizations have a tremendous

opportunity to make smarter

equipment purchansing and

investment decisions. Thousands of

equipment purchases are made every

day. People tend to buy the

equipment that is the least efficient,

thereby committing themselves to

higher energy bills for the next 10 to

20 years, depending on the life of the

equipment. At the same time, buyers

overlook the investment opportunities

represented by the more efficient

equipment - investment opportunities

with more than double the return on

investment of other common options,

such as money markets or U.S.

Treasury bonds (see figure at left).

Energy Efficiency Is A Superior Investment

Richard, S., Hardy, B., Von Neida, B., and P. Mihlmester. 1998. The Investment Risk in Whole Building Energy-Efficiency Upgrade Projects. In the

Proceedings of the 1998 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.
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