The chemical industry is a "huge, complex, and highly diverse industry," producing more than 70,000 products utilizing some of the most advanced processes found anywhere in the manufacturing sector.  On an annual basis, the industry produces almost 375 million tons of product, utilizes an estimated 6.5 quadrillion British thermal units of energy, invests nearly $25 billion in plant infrastructure and equipment, and spends close to $20 billion on research and development. 

Region 5 of the U.S. EPA is the location of the country's largest number of chemical plants (21%).  Michigan ranks ninth among all the states, with nearly 400 chemical plants.  Although a number of these Michigan plants employ several thousand workers, nearly 85% of the state's chemical manufacturing facilities are considered small businesses with less than 100 employees.  Like most small businesses, resources for identifying, developing, and implementing pollution prevention (P2) at these smaller chemical plants is limited. 

The Small Chemical Manufacturers Pollution Prevention Initiative is committed to working with the chemical manufacturing industry to encourage greater adoption of P2 practices among the state's small chemical manufacturers.  The initiative is based on a cooperative approach with guidance from representative companies and the chemical industry's traditional technical assistance providers, associations, and other established programs to achieve the following objectives:

• Promote P2 technology transfer

• Build P2 awareness through education and outreach

• Encourage participation in established recognition and incentive programs

• Foster greater cooperation among the sector's technical assistance providers

Pollution Prevention technical assistance and technology transfer is provided through a multi-tiered approach involving P2 resource awareness, waste and energy reduction assessments, demonstration project implementation, and case study development.  Financial assistance is provided through a limited grant program and the Small Business Pollution Prevention Loan Program.