PURPOSE AND METHODS OF A POLLUTION PREVENTION AWARENESS PROGRAM P. A. Flowers, E. F. Irwin, and S. E. Poligone

Transcription

1 PURPOSE AND METHODS OF A POLLUTION PREVENTION AWARENESS PROGRAM P. A. Flowers, E. F. Irwin, and S. E. Poligone Abstract: The purpose of the Pollution Prevention Awareness Program (PPAP), which is required by DOE Order , is to foster the philosophy that prevention is superior to remediation. The goal of the program is to incorporate pollution prevention into the decisionmaking process at every level throughout the organization. The objectives are to instill awareness, disseminate information, provide training and rewards for identifying the true source or cause of wastes, and encourage employee participation in solving environmental issues and 1 preventing pollution. PPAP at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant was created several years ago and continues to grow. We believe that we have implemented several unique methods of communicating environmental awareness to promote a more active work force in identifying ways of reducing pollution. A comprehensive Pollution Prevention (P2) Program includes a good awareness program. Employees must be informed to make decisions and to promote changes in their work habits and lifestyles. Awareness programs seek to involve all employees in P2 decision making, regardless of their specific job duties. Involvement is a two-way dialogue that involves communicating information to employees and seeking from them ideas, issues, and concerns. Some mechanisms concentrate on sharing information, and others promote participation. It is best to provide varied mechanisms to reach employees of various backgrounds and disciplines. The objectives of the Y-12 P2 Awareness Program (PPAP) are as follows: (1) heighten awareness of general environmental activities and hazards, (2) publicize specific environmental issues, (3) train employees on their P2 responsibilities, (4) recognize employees for efforts to improve environmental conditions through P2, (5) encourage employees to participate in P2, (6) publicize success stories, and (7) involve the community in 1Managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. for the U. S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-84OR

2 awareness activities. The various awareness activities conducted at Y-12 can be categorized as internal and external. Messages posted on the electronic bulletin board, announcements made on the public address system, awards programs, and training programs are all existing activities at Y-12 that can be used to communicate P2 principles with minimal effort. In fact, the use of existing programs becomes the foundation of an awareness program from which a more concentrated, focused program can be developed. Other internal activities include special celebrations and campaigns focused on specific environmental and P2 issues. The formation of a P2 Council consisting of representatives from waste-generating organizations provides a forum for internal communication. Newsletters, videotapes, and technical forums are additional mechanisms of internal communication. The types of activities vary. Significant effort is placed on developing new and different mechanisms to supplement established mechanisms. Because one mechanism may work better than another for a particular type of employee, using various means of communication ensures that everyone is reached. The second method of communication is external. Examples of external awareness activities include submitting articles to outside publications, attending conferences, benchmarking other companies, participating in teleconferences, and reaching out both to local schools and communities with environmental messages. Our community has demonstrated great interest in obtaining information on general environmental issues and pollution prevention principles. At Y-12, the awareness program is an ongoing, continual effort to educate employees. Several activities are conducted every year, whereas other activities, which require a larger, 2

3 more focused effort, are conducted less frequently. Annually, PPAP publishes a bimonthly newsletter, sponsors an Earth Day celebration, and participates in the EnvironMENTAL Fair. The value of the newsletter, Pollution Prevention Awareness News, is judged by its production. Much effort is placed on ensuring that the newsletter is visually attractive, full of graphics, objective, defendable, and written in simple, everyday language. The newsletter, now in its fourth year of publication, communicates to general plant employees specific issues regarding Y-12 environmental and P2 problems, along with recycling information, general household tips on how to prevent pollution, and recognition for P2 awards programs. The newsletter is also an effective method of sponsoring contests and promoting participation in P2 activities. We enter the newsletter into various editorial completions to receive input from other sources on how well we are meeting our objectives. To date, the newsletter has received two awards from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication in its annual publications competition. Annual Earth Day celebrations have grown over the past several years into a monthlong celebration during April to focus the attention of employees on P2 and environmental concerns. During previous celebrations, a music awareness video was produced and recycle training was provided. Much time and effort is placed on developing a theme for Earth Day that relates to current priorities in P2. For example, during the initiation of our recycling program, we selected the theme "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," devoting much attention to the message that valuable landfill space can be saved through the recycling of materials. This issue was of real significance for Y-12 and could easily apply to community landfills as well. This past Earth Day, our theme was "Complete the Cycle: Buy Recycled," and our message 3

4 focused on affirmative procurement. We presented technical forums during our celebration, bringing experts from various agencies and industries on site to emphasize the need for recycling and to provide an explanation of what happens to recycled materials. Examples of forums included "What Happens to Our Recycled Aluminum Beverage Cans?" presented by ALCOA and "What Happens to Our Recycled Paper Waste?" presented by the Knoxville Recycle Coalition. Earth Day celebrations also include games, activities, and contests to explain in an interactive, enjoyable way how to recycle and the benefits of recycling. Last, we provided incentives to encourage participation and reinforce messages through incentive awards that employees earn by participating in the Earth Day activities. During past Earth Day celebrations, these awards have included reusable tote bags, reusable lunch containers, frisbees made from recycled plastic, and T-shirts. Each one of these awards carries a P2 message. For example, reusing a lunch container eliminates the waste, such as paper bags, plastic bags, and other disposal containers, that would otherwise be discarded. Throughout the years, Y-12 employees have become increasingly involved in Earth Day activities, a fact that we contribute to the sincerity of employees who are interested in doing the right thing. The EnvironMENTAL Fair is one major effort conducted each year by PPAP in the area of community outreach. The fair is sponsored by the Energy Systems Waste Management Organization and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). We chose to communicate with the students local sixth graders by means of carnival games designed to teach them how to recycle. Last year over 3000 students out of 5000 attending the fair visited our booth, and they seemed to enjoy participating in the hands-on activities that we had prepared for them. Our involvement in the fair is demanding yet rewarding for all of us. 4

5 Another way that we reach the community is through cash donations made to local charities from the money collected from the recycling of Aluminum Beverage Cans (ABCs). Since the initiation of the program, approximately 95,000 pounds of ABCs have been recycled, netting us nearly $30,000 that we have donated to about 140 local charities. Other methods of involving employees include larger, more concentrated efforts, such as campaigns and programs. Examples include the Save Our Planet Campaign, the Recycling Program, and the Affirmative Procurement Team. The Save Our Planet Campaign encouraged everyone on the Y-12 Site to reduce, reuse, and recycle items, hence minimizing, preventing, and eliminating waste at work, home, and in the community. This campaign documented the involvement of employees in activities that were already ongoing and encouraged employees to seek out new opportunities. For example, hazardous waste streams were eliminated, employees began recycling at work and at home, and groups visited local schools to share environmental messages. This comprehensive effort captured national attention when it won the DOE Pollution Prevention National Award for Commitment and Participation. We have been quite successful at Y-12 in promoting awareness, but we are always striving to develop new methods for communicating. Some of the things planned include creating a P2 training video for general employees, writing a P2 handbook for general employees, benchmarking with other companies on how they increase P2 awareness, and establishing a P2 hotline. In conclusion, we propose that an active PPAP provides the foundation for a successful P2 Program, which can (1) reduce operating costs, (2) reduce the risk of criminal 5

6 and civil liability, (3) protect public health and the environment, (4) improve the morale and participation of employees, and (5) enhance the company s image in the community. Besides being good business, conducting P2 Awareness can be great fun! 6