Pollution Prevention at EPA

EPA promotes pollution prevention in its own facilities to demonstrate its mission to protect human health and the environment. Following are just a few of the pollution prevention strategies EPA implements in its laboratories:

• Incorporating integrated pest management (IPM), hardscape management,  landscape management and integrated vegetation management best practices where applicable in leases and maintenance contracts to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic and hazardous chemicals
• Reducing or eliminating hazardous chemicals used in research where feasible and developing chemical inventories and chemical reuse and recycling programs where appropriate
• Requiring reporting facilities to inventory equipment that contains ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), other refrigerants, mercury and other chemicals
• Developing ODS management plans, which includes phasing out applicable ODSs