Preventing Pollution at Northern Virginia’s Auto Repair and Maintenance Shops

Auto shops generate a range of pollutants through their use of cleaning and degreasing products and other shop activities, yet many businesses in the Northern Virginia area lack clear, accessible guidance on Virginia's applicable environmental regulations and pollution prevention (P2) opportunities. To address this issue, the Office of Pollution Prevention (OPP) in the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality wanted to develop targeted, practical resources to help shops understand compliance requirements and identify safer, healthier product alternatives. OPP contracted with ERG to provide support.

Working in partnership with OPP, ERG is developing a comprehensive P2 program tailored to auto shops in the Northern Virginia area. Our work includes developing a Virginia-specific, user-friendly manual that documents applicable state regulations alongside P2 best practices for auto shops (such as the use of safer cleaning and degreasing products), and an accompanying checklist shops can use to document their compliance status and assess their P2 practices. ERG will use the manual and checklist to conduct 20 on-site assessments to evaluate current practices and will provide participating shops with alternative products to try out. Our work will culminate in the development of case studies and success stories that highlight outcomes and encourage broader adoption across the sector.