Small Businesses can expand services with Water Pollution Prevention Programs
Published on 01/27/2009
In today's society, there is an increasing awareness and concern regarding the consequences of human progress on the environment. For years, the federal and state governments have been trying to find a balance between the need for economic growth and environmental stewardship. One of the most prominent economic sectors this tension effects is the construction industry. With the passage of environmental legislation in the 1970's, such as the Clean Water Act among many others, contractors have been bound by state and federal laws to partake in the quest for environmental conservation. While this may be a burden for some businesses, it provides others with an opportunity to enter the marketplace with a new service. The construction industry needs businesses that specialize in environmental consulting on issues such as the state and federally mandated Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) or Water Pollution Control Plan (WPCP).
While similar in their purpose, the SWPPP and WPCP are applied in different contexts. Primarily, they both address the issue of water pollution control on construction sites. The function of the SWPPP is to identify the causes of pollution that affect the quality of storm water run-off from a construction site and describe the mechanisms through which pollutants produced by sites can be reduced in storm water. By law, construction activity that disturbs at least one acre of land must develop and implement an effective SWPPP. Also, in instances when the California Department of Transportation determines that project, including those disrupting less than an acre of land, poses a significant water quality risk, will require a SWPPP. On the other hand, a WPCP is used on smaller projects. They are required on work sites that disrupt less than one acre of land.
Often, it is assumed that the term pollutant refers solely to the release of harmful chemicals in a natural environment. However, pollutants can be organic substances that are transferred into an area where they produce detrimental effects to the ecosystem. The list of common pollutants found on a construction site include natural materials such as wood products, green waste, sanitary waste, and topsoil, but also vehicle fluids, concrete materials, paints and solvents, metals, fertilizers and pesticides, sandblasting, and waste water from concrete washout operations. When it rains or snow melts, these harmful materials are carried to bodies of water, ground water and fields from which humans receive their drinking water and food. A SWPPP or WPCP is supposed to keep this run-off to a minimum.
The State of California requires a SWPPP or WPCP on almost all construction projects. Yet, despite the high demand for firms that make custom SWPPP and WPCP plans in the marketplace, few businesses actually provide these services. Hence, any business with the means and desire to expand its enterprise would be wise to examine the possibility of becoming a SWPPP and WPCP provider. Additionally, with its relatively inexpensive start-up costs and a short start-up time, entering the market as supplier of these plans would be especially ideal for a business with disadvantaged status.
For some contractors, a SWPPP or WPCP is just another bothersome formality conceived of by the state and federal bureaucracies. Nevertheless, others can capitalize on the government's attempt to regulate the environmental impact of human actions and play a direct role in protecting natural habitats essential to all life.
