Policymakers have encouraged pollution prevention by facilities through mandatory reporting in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and voluntary participation in environmental programs like the 33/50 program. While previous studies have focused on participation incentives and the effectiveness of such programs in reducing pollution, this paper examines the choice of pollution control methods induced by participation in the 33/50 program and whether this choice helps reduce toxic releases. Using a rich facility-specific panel data and controlling for potential correlation between program participation and pollution prevention adoption, we find that program participants were more likely to adopt pollution prevention techniques and they achieved statistically significant and larger reductions in toxic releases than were nonparticipants or non-adopters. However, participants that did not adopt pollution prevention methods increased waste recycling and did not achieve a statistically significant reduction in their toxic releases.

This dissertation consists of three essays that empirically investigate the role of regulatory pressures, voluntary 33/50 program and information spillover on firms0́9 environmental performance. First, we examine the extent to which participating in the 33/50 program led to a reduction in 33/50 releases. Second, we examine the extent to which program participation motivated the adoption of Pollution Prevention (P2) technology, and whether learning from peers increased the adoption of P2 technology by a facility after controlling for the effects of program participation and regulatory pressures. Last, we examine the extent to which program participation caused an increase in recycling and whether the adoption of P2 technology was inversely related to changes in recycling and releases of 33/50 chemicals. To answer these questions, we use facility-level information on program participation, toxic emissions and P2 adoption for more than 7000 facilities that were eligible for the program over the period of 1988-1995. We find that program participants had 14.8% to 23.7% higher rate of reduction in 33/50 releases than non-participants, after controlling for industry effects, time trend and other regulatory pressures. We also find that program participants on average adopted 1-1.2 more P2 technologies than non-participants for 33/50 chemicals, but did not significantly increase the number of P2 technologies adopted for other TRI chemicals. Additionally, the adoption of P2 was positively affected by information spillovers from other facilities in the same industry. Although program participants adopted more P2 technologies for 33/50 chemicals, the effects of P2 on recycling and releases of 33/50 chemicals were not statistically significant.

As many industries are beginning to learn, pollution prevention technologies offer more than just a way to comply with regulations, or even to “do the right thing.” It also makes smart business sense. The authors of this book, both veterans of DuPont’s in-house waste reduction team, have put together a “how-to” guide for locating and implementing the best pollution prevention strategies for particular manufacturing processes. The book codifies elements of fundamental pollution prevention knowledge that are “easily understood and broadly applicable,” across a wide range of industries. At the heart of the book is what the authors call the “10-Step Method for Engineering Evaluations of Pollution Prevention Methods,” which breaks down the process to such simple steps as defining problems, setting goals, and identifying, defining, and evaluating alternative strategies.

With growing global competition, the process industries must spare no effort in insuring continuous process improvement in terms of Increasing profitability; Conservation of resources and Prevention of pollution. The question is how can engineers achieve these goals for a given process with numerous units and streams? Until recently conventional approaches to process design and operation put emphasis only on individual units and parts of the process. A more powerful integrated approach was lacking. The new field of Process Integration looks towards the processing plant as a whole in its attempt to find solutions and improvements. Research over the past two decades has resulted in many techniques that allow engineers to better understand complex facilities and significantly enhance their performance. This textbook presents a comprehensive and authoritative treatment of the concepts, tools and applications of Process Integration. Emphasis is given to systematic ways of analyzing process performance. Graphical, algebraic and mathematical procedures are presented in detail. In addition to covering the fundamentals of the subject, the book also includes numerous case studies and examples that illustrate how Process Integration is solving actual industrial problems. - Systematic methodology for analyzing the process as an integrated system, identifying global insights of the process, and generating optimum strategies and solutions - Proper mix of fundamental principles, insightful tools, and industrial applications - Generic techniques that are applicable to a wide variety of processing facilities - Packed with case studies, practical tools, charts, tables, and performance criteria - Extensive bibliography to provide ready access to process integration literature - Excellent review of state-of-the-art technology, development trends, and future research directions

Incineration has been used widely for waste disposal, including household, hazardous, and medical wasteâ€"but there is increasing public concern over the benefits of combusting the waste versus the health risk from pollutants emitted during combustion. Waste Incineration and Public Health informs the emerging debate with the most up-to-date information available on incineration, pollution, and human healthâ€"along with expert conclusions and recommendations for further research and improvement of such areas as risk communication. The committee provides details on: Processes involved in incineration and how contaminants are released. Environmental dynamics of contaminants and routes of human exposure. Tools and approaches for assessing possible human health effects. Scientific concerns pertinent to future regulatory actions. The book also examines some of the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect the communities where incineration takes place and addresses the problem of uncertainty and variation in predicting the health effects of incineration processes.