Publication Summary

The 1990 Hazardous Waste Reduction Act was established to encourage voluntary reduction in the use of hazardous substances and reduction in the generation of hazardous waste. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), as directed by the Legislature, established the Pollution Prevention Program and adopted, as policy, the goal to reduce hazardous waste generation by 50 percent by 1995. Through technical assistance, Ecology assists facilities to achieve the greatest reduction in hazardous waste that is economically feasible and technically practicable. This 2000 annual report presents an overview of waste reduction efforts in Washington State, which for the first time has achieved the 50 percent reduction goal.

Facilities that generate greater than 2,640 pounds of recurrent hazardous waste per year and/or who are required to report under the Toxic Release Inventory for releases of certain toxic chemicals are required to prepare pollution prevention plans. While planning is mandated, the implementation is voluntary on the part of the facilities. Currently 685 facilities are Pollution Prevention Planners. These facilities design and implement Pollution Prevention Plans. The Pollution Prevention Planning Program has made progress. The 2000 data shows a 59 percent reduction (after normalization) in hazardous waste generation since the base year of 1992; the first year facilities were required to submit pollution prevention plans. The data have been normalized to account for growth economic factors and growth in businesses from one year to the next. Hazardous waste generation increased in 1999. However in 2000, 1,129 facilities statewide reported hazardous waste generation of 207 million pounds, a decrease of 44 million pounds since 1999. When normalization factors are applied, this decrease equates to 40 million pounds. In order to study and understand the fluctuations in waste generation, this year's report has divided facilities into seven sectors for review. The sectors are Metal Industries, Organic/Inorganic Chemicals, Aircraft & Transportation, Petroleum Industries, Pulp & Paper Industries, the Military, and All Other Industries which includes public utilities, medical facilities, and a variety of large and small businesses. Most waste generation was found in two industry sectors, Metals and Organic/Inorganic Chemicals. Metals, primarily aluminum smelters who generated spent potliner waste, accounted for 56.5 percent of the total 2000 recurrent hazardous wastes generated in the state and 30 million pounds of the state′s reduction from 1999 levels. Organic/ Inorganic Chemicals represented 17 percent of the total 2000 recurrent hazardous waste generated and 6 million pounds of the reduction since 1999. Most other industry categories showed a decrease in recurrent waste from 1999; however, waste generated by the military increased by 11 percent from 1999. Each year they submit an Annual Progress Report to Ecology. In 2000, planners reported 1,041 projects that resulted in 2,275 benefits to both the environment and to planning facilities in six areas including substance use reduction, waste reduction, recycling, treatment, reduced emissions, and cost savings. The report concludes with examples of pollution prevention success stories statewide.