Premium
POLLUTION PREVENTION AS PUBLIC POLICY: AN ASSESSMENT
Author(s) -
HELFAND GLORIA E.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
contemporary economic policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.454
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1465-7287
pISSN - 1074-3529
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-7287.1994.tb00449.x
Subject(s) - pollution , nonpoint source pollution , pollution prevention , environmental planning , business , pollutant , natural resource economics , discretion , environmental economics , economics , environmental science , engineering , political science , waste management , ecology , chemistry , organic chemistry , law , biology
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 .