| ACHMM |
Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Management |
| ACM |
asbestos containing material |
| ADF |
advance disposal fee (see Life cycle assessments) |
| AHERA |
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (US) |
| AQ |
air quality |
| AST |
aboveground storage tank |
| AWEP |
Association of Women in Environmental Professions |
| BACM |
best available control method |
| BACT |
best available control technology |
| BAS |
best available science |
| BDAT |
best demonstrated available technology |
| Bioenergy |
renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources |
| Biofuel |
renewable solid, liquid or gas fuel derived from biological matter |
| Biomass |
plant and animal material, especially agricultural waste products, used as a source of fuel |
| BMP |
best management practice |
| Brownfield programs |
restoration of contaminated commercial or industrial properties, often idle or abandoned, to productive use |
| CAA |
Clean Air Act (US) |
| CAAA |
Clean Air Act Amendments (US) |
| Carbon footprint |
measure of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels |
| CAWA |
Clean Air Washington Act |
| CDL |
construction, demolition & land clearing |
| CEI |
certified environmental inspector |
| CERCLA |
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (US); also known as "Superfund" |
| CERCLIS |
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Information System (US) |
| CES |
certified environmental specialist |
| CFC |
chlorofluorcarbon |
| CFR |
Code of Federal Regulations |
| CHMM |
certified hazardous materials manager |
| CIH |
certified industrial hygienist |
| CLP |
Contract Laboratory Program (US) |
| CMPM |
construction management/project management |
| CSO |
combined sewer overflow |
| CWA |
Clean Water Act (US)[= Federal Water Pollution Control Act] |
| DBE |
disadvantaged business enterprise |
| Decon |
decontamination |
| DEIS |
draft environmental impact statement |
| Dioxin |
highly toxic chemical byproduct of combustion & certain chemical & industrial processess involving chlorine |
| DNS |
determination of non-significance |
| DOE |
Department of Energy (US); see WDOE for Department of Ecology |
| EIR |
environmental impact report |
| EIS |
environmental impact statement |
| EMS |
environmental management system |
| EPA |
Environmental Protection Agency (US) |
| EPCRA |
Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (US) |
| ESA |
Endangered Species Act (US); environmental site assessment |
| ETM |
environmental tracking methods |
| ETV |
environmental technology verification |
| FEIS |
final environmental impact statement |
| FIFRA |
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act |
| FNMA |
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) |
| FWPCA |
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) |
| Generator |
the producer of hazardous waste; legally has ultimate & on-going responsibility; also see LQG, RG & SQG |
| GIS |
geographic information system; global indexing system |
| GMA |
Growth Management Act (WA) |
| GPS |
global positioning system |
| Green Chemistry |
Design, development & implementation of chemical products & processes to reduce or eliminate the use & generation of substances hazardous to human health & the environment |
| Greenhouse effect |
warming of the earth's surface attributed to carbon dioxide or other gases in the atmosphere |
| Greenhouse gases (GHG) |
a gas that contributes to the warming of the earth's atmosphere by reflecting radiation from the earth's surface, such as carbon dioxide, ozone or water vapor |
| Hazardous waste |
solids, liquids or gases considered dangerous or destructive to the environment & therefore subject to special handling, shipping, storage & disposal according to applicable laws |
| HazMat |
hazardous material |
| HAZWOPER |
Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response |
| HCP |
habitat conservation plan |
| HCS |
hazardous communications standard |
| Heavy metals |
Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Mercury, Selenium & Silver; considered hazardous at low concentration & tend to accumulate in the food chain |
| HMM |
hazardous materials management |
| HMTA |
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (US) |
| HMTUSA |
Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act (US) |
| HPA |
hydraulic project approval |
| HWRA |
Hazardous Waste Reduction Act (WA) |
| IAP |
indoor air pollution |
| IAQ |
indoor air quality |
| IH |
industrial hygiene/hygienist |
| ISO 14000 |
Voluntary international standards for environmental disciplines developed through the International Organization for Standardization |
| Land farming |
disposal process using microbes to naturally degrade hazardous waste in or on soil |
| LDR |
land disposal restrictions |
| LEED |
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (a US Green Building Council program) |
| LFG |
landfill gas |
| LID |
local improvement district; low impact development |
| Life cycle assessments |
inclusion of projected disposal costs in the selling price of an item or commodity |
| LLRW |
low level radioactive waste |
| LQG |
large quantity generator (WA); generates or accumulates more than 2,220 pounds of dangerous waste per month or per batch |
| LUST |
leaking underground storage tank |
| Market failure |
inability of markets to allocate resources efficiently |
| MBE |
minority business enterprise |
| MRF |
material recovery facility |
| MSDS |
material safety data sheet |
| MSW |
municipal solid waste |
| MTBE |
methyl tertiary butyl ether, a gasoline additive designed to reduce air pollution, which has contaminated water supplies in at least 28 states |
| MTCA |
Model Toxic Control Act (WA) |
| MWP |
mixed waste paper |
| MWPF |
mixed waste processing facility |
| MWRF |
mixed waste recovery facility |
| NARM |
naturally occurring & accelerator produced radioactive material |
| NEBC |
Northwest Environmental Business Council (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon & Washington) |
| NEPA |
National Environmental Policy Act |
| NESHAPS |
national emissions standards for hazardous pollutants |
| NFMA |
National Forest Management Act |
| NIOSH |
National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health |
| NIST |
National Institute of Standards & Technology |
| NOI |
notice of intent |
| NORM |
naturally occurring radioactive material |
| NPAA |
Noise Pollution & Abatement Act (US) |
| NPDES |
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System |
| NRC |
National Research Council, National Response Center, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or non-reusable container |
| NRDA |
natural resource damage assessment |
| NTIS |
National Technical Information Service |
| NVLAP |
National Voluntary Laboratory Accredition Program |
| NWAEP |
Northwest Association of Environmental Professionals |
| OCC |
old corrugated cardboard |
| OMG |
old magazines |
| ONP |
old newspaper |
| OPA |
Oil Pollution Act (US) |
| ORA |
Office of Regulatory Assistance (WA) |
| OSHA |
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (US) |
| OTED |
Office of Trade & Economic Development (WA) |
| P2 |
pollution prevention |
| PCB |
polychlorinated biphenyls; manufactured chemicals which persist & accumulate in food chains |
| PCS |
petroleum contaminated soil |
| PE |
professional engineer |
| PEL |
permissable exposure limit |
| Phytoremediation |
Use of trees, grasses & plants to remove hazardous materials from water, soil & air |
| PLIA |
Pollution Liability Insurance Agency (WA) |
| PLP |
potentially liable party(s) |
| PM |
particulate matter |
| PNW |
Pacific Northwest |
| PPE |
personal protective equipment |
| Primary treatment |
wastewater treatment using settling, skimming & chlorination (vs. secondary treatment) |
| PRP |
potentially responsible party(s) |
| QA/QC |
quality assurance/quality control |
| R&D |
research & development |
| RCRA |
Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (US) |
| RCW |
Revised Code of Washington |
| RG |
regulated generator (WA); generates or accumulates between 220 pounds or 2,220 pounds of dangerous waste per month or batch; also registered geologist |
| RI/FS |
remedial investigation/feasibility study |
| RP |
responsible party(s) |
| SARA |
Superfund Amendments & Reauthorization Act (US) |
| SBE |
small business enterprise |
| Secondary treatment |
wastewater treatment employing biological treatment in addition to primary wastewater treatment |
| SEPA |
State Environmental Policy Act |
| SERC |
State Emergency Response Commission |
| SIC |
Standard Industrial Classification (US) |
| SINES |
Society of Inland Northwest Environmental Scientists |
| Sludge |
semi-solid matter resulting from wastewater treatment |
| SPCC |
Spill prevention control & countermeasures |
| SQG |
small quantity generator (WA); generates or accumulates less than 220 pounds of dangerous waste or less than than 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste per month or batch |
| Superfund |
see CERCLA |
| Sustainable development |
process of change in which resource use, business & government policies, & technological development are compatible with both current & future needs & wants |
| SWDA |
Safe Drinking Water Act (US) |
| TAPs |
Technical Assistance Programs (US) |
| TSCA |
Toxic Substances Control Act (US) |
| TSDF |
treatment, storage & disposal facility |
| TSDR |
treatment, storage, disposal & recycling |
| UMO |
used motor oil |
| UST |
underground storage tank |
| VCP |
voluntary cleanup program |
| Vitrification |
changing or making into glass or a similar substance, especially through heat fusion |
| VOC |
volatile organic compound |
| WA |
Washington State |
| WAC |
Washington Administrative Code |
| WBE |
womens business enterprise |
| WDOE |
Washington State Department of Ecology, also known as Ecology |
| WEIA |
Washington Environmental Industry Association; formed in 1990 and merged into NEBC in 1996 |
| Wetlands |
tidal flats, shallow subtidal areas, swamps, marshes, wet meadows & bogs; Shoreline Management Act (WA) includes all land within 200 feet of ordinary highwater mark, floodways & floodplains; federal definition differs & is subject to change |
| WIN |
Waste Information Network; Washington Information Network |
| WISHA |
Washington Industry Safety & Health Act |
| WMBE |
womens & minority business enterprise |
