Local governments reduce costs through pollution prevention

The Pollution Prevention 1997: A National Progress Report identifies pollution prevention initiatives as potentially the most effective for reducing risks to human health and the environment, as well as the most cost-effective method of environmental protection. So it is no surprise that much of the implementation of pollution prevention by local governments has been driven due to the cost savings it provides. Pollution prevention initiatives have been proven to reduce costs, improve efficiency, reduce risk, reduce liability, and provide a safer work environment. However, as many local governments have experienced budget and resource reductions, their pollution prevention programs have been impacted. Local governments, working to continue pollution prevention initiatives in spite of declining budgets, have had to change their approaches, be creative, and innovate. Montgomery County, Maryland has implemented a number of pollution prevention strategies for its own County operations. The linkages established between cost savings they achieve and environmental benefits provided have been used to continue to expand the County's pollution prevention efforts. This paper provides an overview of the pollution prevention measures and approaches that have been implemented in Montgomery County for its internal operations.