How are pollution prevention alternatives evaluated?
Pollution prevention opportunities should be evaluated at all stages of the design of DOE projects to help minimize the life-cycle cost of these facilities. Assessing the potential benefits of pollution prevention projects often requires estimating the cost savings from specific types of wastes, such as low-level radioactive waste or mixed radioactive and hazardous waste. DOE facility designers often are not familiar with the cost savings attributable to reductions of each of the many potential categories of waste that can be produced. To help disseminate information about waste management cost savings through pollution prevention, DOE assembled a multi-site team to quantify actual costs incurred in the DOE Complex. The results of this study were published in the report Avoidable Waste Management Costs (INEL-94/0250). Copies of this report can be obtained by contacting Chris Ischay at 208-526-4382.