A memo at a conference here urges participants to ask their hotel housekeepers not to change linens, soap and other packaged amenities.
It may sound like a small thing to ask, but the participants must "practice what we preach,' the memo says.This is, after all, a conference on pollution prevention.
"There are a lot of things as a consumer that you can do to prevent pollution," said Stephanie Bernkopf, of the state Department of Environmental Quality, which is sponsoring a three-day symposium on reducing environmental problems through education.
Called "Pollution Prevention Across the Curriculum," the conference, which began Thursday, has brought together scientists, educators, and business and government leaders to discuss ways of reducing waste and cutting back on harmful emissions to the environment.
The first-of-its-kind conference, funded largely by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is in response to the 1990 Pollution Prevention Act, in which Congress formally declared its national policy to stop pollution at the source, rather than simply control and manage it once it's produced.
"Control costs too much," said Bernkopf. "We're at a point where we need more prevention than (regulation)."
That's especially true in Utah, which is plagued by lingering air pollution despite maximum controls on industry.
Unless people and industries along the Wasatch Front can reduce air pollution, the state faces severe federal sanctions, such as loss of millions in highway funds and the imposition of pollution-control measures that state officials say could drastically alter Utah's lifestyle and economy.
The conference - co-sponsored by Kennecott Utah Copper Corp., Huntsman Chemical Corp. and Zions First National Bank - is focusing on how to incorporate the pollution-prevention doctrine into college curricula, businesses' in-house training and community outreach programs.
Friday's keynote speaker was Bill Yellowtail, director of the EPA's Region 8, which has budgeted $60 million for pollution prevention.
Yellowtail, a strong advocate of prevention, discussed the advantages of reducing pollution and waste.
One of the biggest advantages is cost savings, according to EPA literature on pollution prevention.
As a case in point, Tennessee state officials started a comprehensive technical-assistance program in 1989 to help businesses reduce waste.
The program has helped businesses save an average of $42,000 per year.
But the environment has also benefited. Without cutting back on production, the Tennessee businesses realized reductions of:
- 1.3 million pounds of hazardous waste;
- 8.8 million pounds of solid waste;
- 450,000 pounds in air emissions;
- 91,000 gallons per day in waste water; and
- 87,000 gallons per day in consumption of fresh water.