The Kitsap County Health District (KCHD) has introduced a new program to help businesses offset costs associated with implementing pollution prevention and proper hazardous waste management. The KCHDs new Voucher Incentive Program pays businesses for fifty percent of approved pollution control costs up to a maximum of $350. Expenses can be reimbursed for waste analysis, new pollution control or waste management equipment, or hazardous waste disposal.

For example, a dentist who purchases an amalgam wastewater separator for $700, can get $350 reimbursed through the program.

“If a business owner or manager is already considering a new piece of equipment, this is a great way to get a 50 percent rebate,” says Ryan Kellogg, Business Pollution Prevention Coordinator for the KCHD.

To qualify for the rebate, a business must first have a pollution prevention assistance visit with the KCHD. Assistance visits typically last for one hour and are designed to help identify pollution prevention opportunities. The KCHD will make recommendations on how to reduce wastes or to prevent pollution. If a business owner or manager chooses to implement a recommendation and there is an associated cost, a voucher can be used to reimburse fifty percent of that cost (up to the $350 maximum).

With assistance from a pollution prevention specialist, business owners and managers frequently find additional ways to save on hazardous waste management. These savings can add up to much more than the $350 offered by the Voucher Incentive Program. Kellogg added, “It’s a win-win situation for the environment and business.

To find out more information or request a voucher from the Health District’s Voucher Incentive Program, contact Ryan Kellogg, Business Prevention Coordinator at (360) 337-5604 or email kellor@health.co.kitsap.wa.us.