Pollution Prevention As Public Policy: An Assessment

In recent years, both the public and private sectors have become increasingly interested in pollution prevention—avoiding creation of pollution—as an alternative to treatment or disposal. Observers cite a number of advantages for this approach, such as eliminating the problem of switching pollution from one medium to another and reducing environmental problems by avoiding pollutants in the first place. This paper assesses the advantages of pollution prevention and contrasts them with a performance standard that restricts pollution but gives businesses maximum discretion in how to meet the restriction. In most situations, a performance standard can be less costly and equally effective. However, pollution prevention may be more desirable in the case of nonpoint source pollution or when a pollutant affects a number of media.