Industry has several techniques available to prevent ground water
contamination. The techniques range from low-cost organizational
controls to more sophisticated technology-based source reduction and
recycling. Companies implementing a pollution prevention program will
benefit from more efficient operations, decreased usage of raw materials,
and decreased amount of waste generated, released, and disposed.
Other benefits include long-term liability reduction, better regulatory
compliance, improved worker health and safety, improved public image,
and increased market competitiveness.
Management Controls
- Conduct environmental reviews of property history. Have soil
and ground water tested prior to all real estate transactions.
- Train personnel and document procedures for quick emergency and
spill response action.
Loss Prevention and Good Housekeeping
- Store materials in covered areas.
- Clearly label, inventory, and monitor use of all raw materials
and waste.
- Place drip pans or catchment basins under machinery or material
storage areas. Released materials captured in this way should be
reused, recycled, or properly contained followed by off-site disposal
or recycling.
- BMPs and standardized operating procedures are important elements
in the goal to reduce or better manage business waste products. BMPs
can be as simple as using dry absorbents to clean up small spills of
petroleum products and solvents, rather than washing the liquid down the drain.
- Segregate wastes by type for recovery.
- Cap all abandoned wells to prevent the entry of any contaminants.
Testing and Maintenance
- Prevent leakage from underground storage tanks and pipelines
by closely monitoring the inventory in the tanks to determine
whether product is lost through leaks.
- Conduct regular environmental audits to assess potential
environmental hazards.
- Conduct regular pressure leak testing on tanks and pipe fittings.
- Storm water catchment basins need maintenance and cleaning, as
do oil/water separators and grease traps.
Technology and Process Changes
- Install cathodic corrosion protection systems, especially in
highly corrosive environments.
- Install systems to prevent overfilling of tanks, such as feed
cut-off systems and by-pass systems to stand-by tanks.
- Change process parameters, equipment or the process itself, to
reduce the amount of waste generated.
- Redesign or reformulate end products to be less hazardous.
- Optimize reactions and raw material use.
- Minimize the intensive use or overuse of materials such as
road salts and agricultural or lawn chemicals. Prevent or limit
the use of these materials in areas of high ground water vulnerability
or switch to other methods of road and right of way maintenance to
minimize ground water contamination. For example, abrasive or other
road deicers such as potassium chloride have been substituted for
sodium chloride.
- Substitute existing raw materials with raw material that will
result in the generation of less waste.
Recycling and Reuse
- Do not discharge wastewater to shallow and dry wells or
septic systems. Wastewater containing metals and organic solvents
should be recycled.
- Use a small on-site still to recover degreasing solvents.
- Exchange wastes; one company's waste may be another
company's feedstock.
For further information, see the Pollution Prevention software program, available at http://www.epa.gov/seahome/prevent.html
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