RD396 - Office of Pollution Prevention 2008 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
Pollution Prevention is a key element in the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) strategy to protect Virginia’s environment and ensure the Commonwealth’s natural resources are adequately preserved for future generations. DEQ hosts a number of Pollution Prevention programs in the Office of Pollution Prevention (OPP). These serve as a conduit for non-regulatory assistance to businesses, institutions, and communities, and also motivate Virginians to minimize their environmental footprint—actions that often enhance their bottom line. A few of the highlights for 2008 were:

• Receiving the “Shining Example Award for Sustainable Tourism” with our partners the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Hospitality and Tourism Association for the Virginia Green tourism initiative from the Southeast Tourism Society;

• Expansion of the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Program to include categories for the public sector, partnerships and individuals in addition to industry, presented to 33 winners at the 19th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium in April;

• Reaching the milestone of 450 participating facilities in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program; and,

• Receiving $100,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct three solid waste reduction pilot projects to: (1) develop an inventory of all construction and demolition debris disposal facilities; (2) study the feasibility of commercial food waste composting; and, (3) evaluate the practicality of building “greener” highways through the use/reuse of industrial material products and byproducts.