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1995 SESSION

LD4978320
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 453
Offered January 17, 1995
Requesting the agencies of the Commonwealth to engage in pollution prevention planning.
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Patrons--Keating, Connally, Guest, Parrish, Plum, Puller and Van Yahres
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, Virginia Code § 10.1-1425.11 declares it to be the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage pollution prevention activities; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Subcommittee Studying Pollution Prevention (SJR 207, 1993) documented that the economic benefits of pollution prevention include the avoidance of the need for costly pollution control technologies, avoidance of the risk of pollution control technology failure, avoidance of the transfer of pollutants across media that may occur with media-specific control technologies, the protection of natural resources by the avoidance of excessive levels of wastes and residues, minimization of the depletion of resources, assurance that the environment’s capacity to absorb pollutants is not exceeded, and reduced waste disposal costs; and

WHEREAS, many Virginia industries that have employed pollution prevention practices have successfully reduced their use and production of toxic chemicals and realized significant savings; and

WHEREAS, the Subcommittee determined that by adopting pollution prevention approaches, state agencies can set an example for private industry, while generating economic savings and affording greater environmental protection; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Motor Vehicles saved over $280,000 during the first five months of a pollution prevention effort known as the “Paperwork and Printing Reduction Initiative;” and

WHEREAS, several other agencies, including the Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Correctional Enterprises, and the Department of Transportation, have recognized the value of and are beginning to implement pollution prevention practices; and

WHEREAS, there are significant opportunities for state agencies to reduce or prevent pollution at the source through cost-effective operation and raw materials use; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That each agency of the Commonwealth which uses or generates more than a minimal amount of a toxic or hazardous substance be requested to:

1. Review the programs, processes, and activities of the agency and ascertain how reductions in the use, generation, and release of toxic or hazardous substances can be promoted and achieved;

2. Amend those programs, processes, and activities so as to reduce the use, generation and release of toxic or hazardous substances in furtherance of statewide goals for reducing or eliminating toxic or hazardous substances;

3. Submit to the Department of Environmental Quality an agency pollution prevention plan in accordance with a schedule for the filing of such plans to be established by the Department; and

4. Amend any specifications established for goods and products procured by the agency to eliminate or reduce the amount of toxic or hazardous substances used directly or included in goods or products used by the agency if goods or products are available for procurement which (i) are functionally equivalent to goods or products currently being used or specified by the agency, (ii) are comparable in cost to goods or products currently being used or specified by the agency, and (iii) contain, emit, produce, or generate a lesser amount of toxic or hazardous substances or a less toxic or less hazardous substance, or both, than goods or products currently used or specified by the agency; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That by January 1, 1996, the Department of Environmental Quality be requested to establish criteria for determining whether a minimal amount of a toxic or hazardous substance is used or generated, to be used by agencies in creating pollution prevention plans. In developing the criteria, the Department shall consider, among other factors, (i) risks to public health and safety posed by the use or release of such substances and (ii) the cost and availability of less toxic substitute materials.