Everyone knows we need to reduce pollution and keep good-paying manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania.

But what everyone doesn’t know is we can do both.

Take the PR Finishing Company, a 44-year old small business in Folcroft, Delaware County that puts protective coatings on steel and aluminum products.

They need to continually find new ways of cutting costs -- raw materials, labor and overhead -- just to stay competitive and keep their six employees working.

By installing a closed loop water recycling system, the company not only eliminated thousands of gallons of wastewater, it saves over $138,000 a year cutting treatment costs, water use and sludge disposal.

They made their company more environment-friendly and kept their six employees working in Pennsylvania at the same time.

Since 1997 the 295 winners of the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award reduced solid waste by 187 million tons, air pollution by 173 million tons, cut electricity use by 197 million kilowatt hours and wastewater by 9.1 billion gallons.

At the same time, they reduced their costs by over $1.1 billion. (That’s billion with a “b”.)

This is a good start.  But these results need to be repeated thousands of times over, and that’s the idea behind legislation recently introduced called the Pollution Reduction and Prevention Act.

Senate Bill 1042 would make reducing pollution just as much of a priority within the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as giving companies permits to allow discharges to the air or water.

A permanent office would be responsible for teaching companies how to reduce pollution and cut energy and water use, working in partnership with private consultants and groups like the Small Business Development Centers, PennTAP and Industrial Resource Centers.

A new small business grant program would fund up to $5,000 in pollution reduction equipment and processes.

DEP would be required to send an annual Environmental Report Card and a Pollution Reduction Index to the General Assembly showing how much pollution was reduced and how businesses are complying with our environmental laws.

To reward businesses and individuals setting good examples for others, a permanent Rachel Carson Environmental Excellence Award would be created, named for the Pennsylvania native who helped found the modern environmental movement.

Funding for the new programs would come from setting aside some of the fines and penalties collected by DEP.

Environmental costs are often the last place companies look to save money. It should be the first place instead of cutting work hours or employees.

Reducing pollution, saving jobs. Senate Bill 1042 can help us do both.

David Hess served as Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection from 2001 to 2003.  He is now Director of the Senate Republican Policy Development and Research Office.