P2 News

P2 in Under 2 Videos

P2 in Under 2 Video Series

Need some inspiration for P2 projects? Watch these short videos for ideas to jumpstart your P2 efforts. Subjects include: 


EPA Improves Calculators to Measure Impact of Pollution Prevention Activities 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released three improved pollution prevention (P2) calculator tools.

These tools — the P2 Cost Calculator, the P2 Greenhouse Gas Calculator, and the P2 Calculator for Reductions in Hazardous Substances, Pollutants and Contaminants — convert information on P2 activities at a business, such as reductions in energy use, into information on cost savings and pollution reductions. They help P2 grantees, technical assistance providers, and others measure environmental outcomes and economic performance related to P2 activities.

The updates to the Cost Calculator and the Greenhouse Gas Calculator include:

The updates to the Reductions Calculator include expanded categories of pollutants and releases — including hazardous materials used, hazardous wastes, air emissions, water pollutants, and solvent remanufacturing — that EPA tracks and measures.

The calculators use Microsoft Excel and perform best when used with the most current Excel version.

For help with the calculators, please visit the P2 Hub or email p2hub@epa.gov.

Learn More


Air permit annual and semi-annual compliance certification reports due dates change

Attention! If you have a Class I/Title V operating permit subject to permit conditions that require annual and/or semiannual compliance certification reports, please note the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has changed the due dates for these reports. Beginning 2023, all facilities will have two months, instead of one month, to get reports in.

Report Due date Reporting period
Annual compliance
certification report
March 1 January 1 – December 31
of previous year
Semi-annual compliance
certification report
August 31 January 1 – June 30
Semi-annual compliance
certification report
March 1 July 1 – December 31

Beginning 2023, annual compliance certification reports will be due on March 1 for reporting period from January 1 to December 31 of previous year and semi-annual reports will be due on August 31 and March 1 for the reporting period from January 1 to June 30 and July 1 to December 31 respectively.

For example, if you are currently required to submit an annual compliance certification report by Jan 31, with the changes in the due date mentioned above, your new due date will be March 1. KDHE is in the process of updating these changes in KEIMS. Although KEIMS will typically send an email notifying you when the reports are due, in some instances, the change may not reflect in KEIMS notifications.

Please note these changes are only for the annual (sent to KDHE and EPA) and semi-annual (sent to KDHE) compliance certification reports. In other words, this reporting timeline change does NOT apply to any federally scheduled reporting requirements under 40 CFR Parts 60 NSPS, 40 CFR Parts 61 NESHAP or 40 CFR Parts 63 MACT St’ds.

In addition, for the facilities that have reporting periods other than the calendar year, KDHE is changing their reporting periods to calendar year. The calendar year reporting period will be from January 1 to December 31 of each year. KDHE is in a process to address the changes mentioned above through Administrative Amendment to Class I Air Emission Source Operating Permit. For any questions related to these changes please contact Air Compliance and Enforcement staff at 785-296-1542.


EPA 2023-24 National Emphasis Areas

The EPA's Pollution Prevention Program periodically prioritizes different types of businesses and industries, which are called National Emphasis Areas or NEAs. The NEAs are industry sectors that have significant opportunities to reduce emissions, so EPA asks their grantees, such as PPI, to target pollution prevention outreach to these sectors. 

In calendar years 2023-24, EPA has identified six NEAs: 

1: Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing

2: Chemical Manufacturing, Processing and Formulation

3: Automotive Manufacturing and Maintenance

4: Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing and Maintenance

5: Metal Manufacturing and Fabrication

6: Supporting Pollution Prevention in Indian Country and for Alaska Native Villages

PPI is currently working with grant projects focused on NEAs one through five, and will pair host companies with trained engineering or environmental science interns that work on P2 projects.


Host companies-- apply now for a Summer 2023 PPI Intern!

The PPI Intern Program is a nonregulatory, technical program designed to link Kansas business and industry with Kansas engineering and environmental sciences students. Any company located in Kansas, regardless of employee numbers, can apply for an intern who will work with your company for 10 weeks on projects you identify as priority sustainability projects. Watch this short video to learn more about the program.

The online application is open through Jan. 31, 2023. For questions, or to speak with the P2 Intern Coordinator about the program, please contact us at 800-578-8898 or email us at KSU-PPI@KSU.EDU.


EPA P2 Resources for Business

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Proposed Rulemaking on Climate-related Disclosures

On May 9, 2022. the Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC, announced it has extended the public comment period on the proposed rulemaking to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures for investors until June 17, 2022. The extended comment period applies to three proposed rules. To read the proposed rules and supporting documentation please see the links below. 

"The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors," Federal Register Vol. 87, No. 69, Monday, April 11, 2022

"Private Fund Advisers; Documentation of Registered Investment Adviser Compliance Reviews," Federal Register Vol. 87, No. 57,  Thursday, March 24, 2022

"Amendments Regarding the Definition of 'Exchange' and Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) That Trade U.S. Treasury and Agency Securities, National Market System (NMS) Stocks, and Other Securities" Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 53, Friday, March 18, 2022

EPA's New Guidance on Reporting Renewable Electricity Purchases

EPA’s Center for Corporate Climate Leadership and Green Power Partnership announce the release of a new U.S. practice paper, Renewable Electricity Procurement on Behalf of Others: A Corporate Reporting Guide (epa.gov). This document outlines guidance for reporting renewable electricity purchased and can be used in several situations related to value chain relationships.

Highlights include:

  • Guiding principles for applying renewable electricity claims and GHG emission benefits across scopes for use in corporate GHG accounting aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.
  • Approaches to REC retirement, allocation, and documentation.
  • Examples of REC procurement scenarios including purchasing for tenants, suppliers, and customers.
  • Case studies from Google and Iron Mountain.

To contact EPA regarding this document, please email James Critchfield (critchfield.james@epa.gov).

EPA technical guidance for financing P2 projects

For small and medium-sized enterprises, pollution prevention projects often compete for limited resources with other internal business priorities that are essential for revenue generation. Small businesses may not be used to borrowing money from external sources or may not realize that it’s possible to do so at affordable terms. EPA has a new resource page on financing P2 projects that includes a P2 financing tip sheet for small and mid-sized businesses. 

EPA adds a new hazardous air pollutant to the CAA list

On Dec. 22, 2021, EPA finalized the rule to add 1-bromopropane (1-BP) is also known as nPB, CAS 106-94-5, to the Clean Air Act list of hazardous air pollutants or HAPs. If your materials contain 1-BP, now is the time to evaluate if you can find alternative, non-HAP containing materials to replace your use of this material. EPA has developed a question and answer document to answer some general questions about what the addition of this new HAP means to air compliance and permitting. If you have questions or need assistance evaluating your chemical use of this product and alternatives, please contact us. 

Support or Lead Actions in EPA's Recycling Strategy 

Although recycling is not pollution prevention or source reduction by definition under the Pollution Prevention Act, it is an important aspect of sustainable material management for all industries. Beginning on Nov. 15, you can sign up on the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/americarecycles to support or lead actions in EPA's National Recycling Strategy.  EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery within the Office of Land and Emergency Management has created a guidance document with strategic recycling actions your organization can implement.  

Environmental and sustainable business strategies

Check out EPA"s P2 Resources for Business webpage to learn more about environmental and sustainable business strategies. A new two-page flyer has examples of how your company can be environmentally friendly and save money!