ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 25, 2002) -- Governor Parris N. Glendening and environmental officials signed a partnership agreement today with representatives of the Department of Defense and federal installations in Maryland to promote pollution prevention measures at federal facilities. The principal goal of the partnership is to protect the environmental resources in Maryland by using pollution prevention techniques and by pooling resources to identify and implement solutions to environmental problems.
“Preventing pollution before it starts is by far a much better strategy for environmental protection and resource conservation than the traditional methods of treating discharges,” said Governor Parris N. Glendening. “This partnership will jointly strengthen the abilities of each individual partner facility to take positive steps that can improve the quality of Maryland’s environment and preserve our precious natural resources.”
“Department of Defense installations always have been, and always will be, integral parts of the communities that surround them,” said Rear Admiral David Architzel, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and Department of Defense Regional Environmental Coordinator for EPA Region 3. “We take pride in our relationships with local communities and view this partnership as a further indication of our commitment to the citizens and environment of Maryland.”
The basic approach of pollution prevention environmental management strategies is to identify opportunities where the amount of pollutants entering the environment can be reduced or eliminated entirely. The use of non-harmful materials and environmentally sensitive work practices are emphasized.
Members of the partnership will meet regularly to provide a forum to share ideas and discuss regulatory and technological developments in the area of pollution prevention, which is known as P2. Participating in the exchange will be environmental managers from defense installations, and state and federal regulators who are committed to achieving measurable environmental improvements by improving communications between themselves, providing training and educational opportunities and undertaking innovative and cooperative P2 projects.
Representatives from 20 federal facilities in Maryland signed the partnership charter along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Department of the Environment.
“EPA is glad to partner in preventing pollution prevention at military bases in Maryland. In Benjamin Franklin's words -- an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said Donald S. Welsh, EPA mid-Atlantic regional administrator.
“We anticipate seeing significantly measurable and sustainable environmental improvements,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Richard F. Pecora. “No one agency or facility can work on its own and expect to achieve wide-spread results. It is only through partnerships like this one, where everyone is working together toward the same environmental goal - sharing resources and knowledge with each other -- that we can hope to achieve these improvements.”
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