RD419 - Office of Pollution Prevention 2015 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Federal Pollution Prevention Act, which focused efforts on reducing the amount of environmental waste produced. DEQ’s Office of Pollution Prevention (OPP) hosts a number of programs and ini­tiatives that support the Pollution Prevention Act. The programs serve as a con­duit for non-regulatory assistance to businesses, institutions, and communities. These efforts are aimed at motivating Virginians to minimize their environmental footprint through actions that exceed minimum regulatory requirements while enhancing their bottom line. A few of the highlights from 2015 are:

• Leading by example, DEQ continued to improve our own environmental management system (EMS) including conducting an internal audit, coordinating many Earth Day events, and applying to the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP) as an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise (E3);

• Presenting eight Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards at the Environment Virginia Symposium in March; and,

• Assisting the City of Richmond to make the 2015 UCI Road World Cycling Championships a sustainable event and supporting the event’s efforts through Virginia Green.

DEQ continues to enjoy a national reputation as a leader in promoting collaborative partnerships and engaging audiences through non-regulatory environmental programs.