Idaho Small Business Environmental Assistance Program MPC Profile

Go to general contact information (#20)

Do you have a state statute, policy, MOU, or other written document that established your multimedia *small business environmental assistance program (SBEAP)? If yes, please explain and provide a link to the document if possible.

The State of Idaho is officially a multimedia program because the Director of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality stated that the SBAP will provide multimedia assistance. However, the statute requiring the program has not been changed to reflect this.

How and when did your SBEAP begin offering multimedia compliance assistance?

The Idaho SBAP has been providing multimedia assistance for close to six years. It was a simple decision by the Director of DEQ to provide a “one-stop shop” for environmental assistance.

Does your SBEAP provide confidential services? Explain.

The Idaho SBAP is located at the Idaho Small Business Development Center. Idaho DEQ contracts the SBAP program to the ISBDC. As such, the SBAP operates under the SBDC policies which mandate that client information be kept confidential. (This was not the case prior to relocating at the SBDC; when housed at DEQ, program services, including client information, was not confidential).

What role does the Ombudsman play? Does the office address multimedia issues or is it strictly strictly an air ombudsman? What agency or organization does the ombudsman work in? Please provide contact information.

Idaho only funds one position. As such, that position has a dual role of both Ombudsman and assistance provider and these services are provided through the ISBDC. As Ombudsman, I represent businesses during rulemaking meetings (air, waste and water) that affect small businesses and I work with focus groups to determine the environmental assistance needs of small businesses.

Contact information: Joan M. Meitl, 208-426-1839; joanmeitl@boisestate.edu.
What types of multimedia assistance does your SBEAP provide (air, hazardous waste, solid waste, water quality, air, other)? Describe.

The Environmental Assistance Program provides the following types of multimedia assistance:
Water quality, air, hazardous waste, solid waste, energy efficiency, brownfields.

Is your SBEAP’s work prioritized? If yes, explain (e.g., by media, rule, industry sector).

Businesses that contact me directly for assistance are given priority. Otherwise, I am working on projects that I have identified in a Scope of Work that prioritizes and outlines multimedia projects to complete throughout the year. The work I do each year is pre-planned, but there is a great amount of flexibility in what projects I chose to do each year.

What percent of your total multimedia assistance effort is delivered through each of the following methods:
-Direct referrals to appropriate regulatory staff (___%)
-Personal contact with appropriate media staff (e.g., arranging meetings with regulatory staff from different media, having each program outline their respective rule requirements, following up as needed) (___%)
-Internal SBEAP expertise (e.g., gathering all information, walking client through requirements) (___%).

When possible, I answer client questions and requests for assistance. Otherwise, I direct the client to the appropriate agency program staff. My background is in water quality regulations and issues and I have worked for at all levels of government (federal, state and local) and as a consultant for over 25 years.

Describe who actually provides the assistance. Is the primary role of the SBEAP staff to refer assistance requests to the appropriate regulatory staff or do the SBEAP staff possess the knowledge and experience to provide direct assistance? Explain the educational background and experience level of SBEAP staff.

When possible, I answer client questions and requests for assistance. Otherwise, I direct the client to the appropriate agency program staff. My background is in water quality regulations and issues.

Please identify the compliance assistance tools your SBEAP provides by completing the table below. In addition, please elaborate on any of the tools and include information about compliance assistance tools not included in the table.

Regulatory Program

Hotline

Publications

Onsite Visits

Workshops

Permit Assistance

Air
X X

Waste
X X

Water
X X X

Remediation

Storage Tanks

Emergency Planning

Wetlands, Land/Water Interface
X X

Do you have SBEAP staff members with expertise in pollution prevention/EMS, as well as regulatory compliance?

I am somewhat familiar with P2 and I can refer businesses to DEQ’s P2 coordinator.
Are there any industry sectors for which you cannot provide assistance or can provide only limited assistance? Explain.

Yes, my background is primarily in water quality and waste issues. I function primarily as a facilitator for clients.
Where is the technical assistance component of your SBEAP housed (state environmental regulatory agency, Small Business Development Center [SBDC], college or university [not SBDC], other state agency)?

The Idaho SBAP is housed at the Idaho Small Business Development Center located at Boise State University.

Where does funding come from for your multimedia SBEAP (air permit fees only, air permit fees plus other sources, task-specific funding, other)? What are the funding criteria? Please note that since this could be sensitive information, this is an optional question.

DEQ contracts the program to Boise State University. The money comes from each of the three media programs (air, waste, and water divisions) equally, all of which are general fund (state) monies.

How many staff does your SBEAP have (using FTE equivalents)? Does your SBEAP have a documented performance measurement system (system to track data on activities such as web site hits, hotline/telephone assistance calls, mailings, onsite visits, publications, seminars/workshops/trainings, teleconferences/videoconferences, other)? Describe.

One FTE. I track assistance information to meet the requirements of the 507 Annual reporting requirements. Additionally, I track more in depth information for the Idaho SBDC database. However, only basic information is documented (type of business, name, information, type of assistance provided, time spent on providing assistance). I also develop and process evaluations on all workshops held, as well as input those data into a database.

What have been the benefits of providing multimedia versus air only assistance? Have you performed any cost benefit analyses? Describe your successes.

The businesses I work with appreciate having one point of contact to answer their questions or direct them to the appropriate resources. I have not performed any cost benefit analyses.

Provide an overall link or links to your online multimedia assistance web page(s), checklists, calculation spreadsheets, guidance, factsheets, publications, and contacts.

www.IdahoSBDC.org

What kind of peer assistance (for other SBO/SBEAP programs) is your program willing to contribute at this time (information provided here only, telephone/email assistance, program visits, training, other)?

My program is small and my resources are limited but I would be willing to help anyone in any way I could.

Please list the industry sectors that you assist/have assisted most, and feel you have "expert" knowledge about. If possible, use the provided list of industry sector examples to categorize. You may also be more specific, include additional details, or write in a category that is not listed. In addition, please provide contact information for each industry sector "expert."

INDUSTRY SECTOR EXAMPLES:

Aircraft Metal Fabrication

Automotive Metal Finishing

Chemicals Mining

Construction Painting and Coating

Die Casting Pesticides

Dry Cleaning Petroleum Refining

Electric/Power/Energy Pharmaceuticals

Electronics/Computers Plastics

Electroplating Printing/Photoprocessing

Fiberglass Operations Pulp and Paper

Foods Recreation

Furniture Recycling

Hospital/Medical Retail

Iron and Steel Rubber and Plastics

Laboratories/Schools Solvents/Cleaning

Lubricants Stone/Glass/Clay/Concrete

Lumber and Wood Textiles/Textile Services

Machining Transportation

Marine/Shipyard Used Oil

In the short time that I have been with the ISBDC, I have helped businesses in the areas of construction stormwater, wetlands regulation, land application of wastewater, recycling, used oil and solvents, machining, and energy efficiency. I do not consider myself an “expert” in a particular sector. My primary expertise in water quality issues and regulations and I am acquiring expertise with regard to specific sectors. Most of my experience is working with industry on water quality issues.

What is your advice to other SBEAPs who want to become multimedia programs? What particular challenges did you face evolving into a multimedia program and how did you overcome them?

Broad expertise, adequate funding, and agency support are essential.

Provide contact information for peer assistance with your SBEAP.

Joan M. Meitl
Idaho Small Business Development Center
1910 University Drive
Boise, Idaho 83725-1655
208-426-1839
joanmeitl@boisestate.edu

*Small Business Environmental Assistance Program, or SBEAP, refers to the Small Business Ombudsman and/or the technical assistance program (SBEAP) in each state.

4/05, updated 10/05, 5/08