Greater Chicago P2 Alliance

Introduction

Following the 1990 United States Pollution Prevention Act and the 1992 Illinois Pollution Prevention Act, federal, state and local environmental agencies in the Chicago area have been meeting regularly to share information on their pollution prevention (P2) activities and investigate opportunities to pool resources and work collaboratively. Shortly thereafter, these agencies were joined by community development groups, environmental organizations and businesses interested in linking P2 to local economic development and environmental improvement initiatives. Over the last few years, several projects have been launched, including the creation of a technical assistance program and development of compliance assistance resources for businesses. Known as the Greater Chicago Pollution Prevention Alliance (GCP2A), the group is now focusing its work on particular industry sectors and geographic areas within the metropolitan area.

Mission

The mission of the GCP2A is to create cooperative partnerships between businesses, government and communities to promote P2 as the preferred strategy for environmental protection in Chicago and surrounding communities. By eliminating or reducing pollutants at the source and increasing efficiency in the use of energy, raw materials and other resources, we can:

• progress towards sustainability
• enhance environmental quality,
• increase production efficiency,
• improve workplace safety,
• enhance community well-being,
• make compliance with regulatory requirements easier.

Alliance Goals

1. Promote P2 through technical assistance, voluntary programs and special incentives.
2. Foster collaborations between different levels of government, businesses, environmental organizations, community development groups and technical assistance providers.
3. Foster transfer of cleaner technologies, particularly to critical industry sectors (e.g., printers and metal finishers).
4. Consider community concerns, environmental data and ongoing initiatives in setting program priorities and developing new projects.

Members

The members of the GCP2A currently include the following organizations:

• Delta Institute
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
• Illinois Waste Management and Research Center, Department of Natural Resources
• Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
• NORBIC
• Small Business Environmental Assistance Program, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• Southeast Chicago Development Commission
• Southeast Environmental Taskforce
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Meetings

During bimonthly alliance meetings members provide updates on their organization projects and discuss opportunities to work collaboratively to promote pollution prevention on future projects.

Contact: Riyaz Shipchandler, phone: 630-472-5336, Email: riyaz@wmrc.uiuc.edu