Mid-Atlantic Region: Technical Assistance

Compliance Assistance -- U.S. EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) links to Small Business Compliance Assistance Centers. Specific industry sectors made up of many small businesses are included: agriculture, automotive, chemical, dry cleaning, electronics/computers, federal facilities, food & kindred products, furniture, hazardous waste management, lumber and wood products, metals, mining, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, printing, pulp and paper, real estate, local government services/operations, clay and glass, textiles, transportation, and utilities.

Mid-Atlantic Region Business Assistance Center -- U.S. EPA Region 3 web site that assists owners of small- to medium-sized businesses to comply with the confusing array of environmental requirements. Provides services in the areas of compliance assistance, small business advocacy, pollution prevention, and environmental technology development.

National Compliance Assistance Centers -- This web site provides quick access to the National Compliance Assistance Centers. Links to the following Centers are included: Agriculture, Auto Recycling, Auto Repair, Border Compliance, Colleges/Universities, Healthcare, Paints & Coatings, Printing, Transportation, Local Government, Federal Facilities, Tribal Governments, Chemical, Construction, Food Processing, Metal Finishing, Printed Wiring Boards, and Gateway to Resource Locators.

U.S. EPA Hotlines and Clearinghouses -- U.S. EPA list of hotlines for environmental technical assistance.

U.S. EPA Small Business Gateway -- U.S. EPA gateway to environmental information and contacts for small businesses.

U.S. EPA Small Business Ombudsman--Serves as a liaison between small businesses and EPA to promote understanding of EPA policy and small business needs and concerns. Provides regulatory and technical assistance information through a hotline and distribution of environmental information.

U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) -- Independent federal agency that helps American companies develop commercial opportunities in emerging markets overseas. Provides funding of feasibility studies, orientation visits, specialized training grants, business workshops, and various forms of technical assistance.

State

Delaware - District of Columbia - Maryland - Pennsylvania - Virginia - West Virginia

Delaware

Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control -- Provides information on Delaware's environmental protection programs, including pollution prevention assistance, permitting, and environmental compliance information.

Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership (DE MEP) -- Assists smaller manufacturers to become globally competitive by teaming up with state and local organizations to address specific needs of Delaware manufacturers. Service areas are: quality, workforce development, health and safety, human resources, environmental services, finance, information systems, manufacturing operations, technology transfer and acquisition, and marketing.

District of Columbia

District Department of the Environment (DDOE) -- Focuses on administration and oversight of environmental and energy programs, services, laws, and regulations. DDOE is a one-stop shop for programs and services that protect human health and the environment and address energy efficiency issues.

The Official Home Page of the District of Columbia -- Provides information on Washington, D.C., including rules and regulations, and government agencies.

Maryland

The Corporate Center at the College of Southern Maryland-Training Programs -- Provides business development and training services to companies and organizations to help them grow, compete, and succeed in tomorrow's marketplace. Located at the College of Southern Maryland.

Maryland Center for Environmental Training (MCET) -- Provides training for environmental professionals, including water and wastewater operators, superintendents, sanitarians, local government officials, and industry representatives. Also provides onsite technical assistance at low or no cost. Services include onsite technical assistance, classroom training, pollution prevention training, clean vessel program, energy conservation, training, publications, and videos.

Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development -- Offers the following services/assistance: regional office business resource network, Brownfields, workforce resources, business facilities and location assistance, financial resources, technology resources, utility resources, environmental resources, legal resources, small business assistance, and international trade resources.

Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) -- Provides information on Maryland's environmental protection programs including permitting and regulatory compliance.

Maryland Department of the Environment-Business Information Center -- Assists businesses who need environmental permits for a combination of air, water, and waste issues.

Maryland Environmental Service (MES) -- Provides water supply, waste purification, and disposal services in compliance with state laws, regulations, and policies governing air, land, and water pollution. MES has a unique structure that allows it to operate as both an agency of government and as a non-profit utility.

Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH) -- Gateway to research, technical assistance, and resources for industry at the University of Maryland. Includes information on Technology Extension Service, Technology Advancement Program, Maryland Industrial Partnerships, Technology Initiatives, and Bioprocess Scale-up Facility.

Pennsylvania

Allegheny County Health Department-Rules and Regulations -- Links to online Allegheny County rules and regulations, including air pollution, sewage, and waste disposal and recycling requirements.

Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation -- Assists successful commercialization of ideas created at Carnegie Mellon by licensing and facilitating the start-up of new companies, to benefit Carnegie Mellon and it's units, scientists, engineers and other innovators, participating licensees and investors, the Pittsburgh community, and society in general.

Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) -- Helps businesses in Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, and Carbon Counties with growth plans, exposure to lean manufacturing, and developing products with an efficient process.

Mid-Pennsylvania Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MANTEC) -- Provides technical and business assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses. MANTEC is an Industrial Resource Center supported by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Department of Community and Economic Development.

NewPA.com -- The mission of NewPA.com is to foster opportunities for businesses and communities to succeed and thrive in a global economy. They provide financial and technical assistance opportunities and funding programs.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) -- Helps small to mid-sized companies increase productivity, productivity, and profitability.

Northwest Pennsylvania Resource Center, Inc. (NWIRC) -- Source for manufacturing consulting and support in the 13 counties of northwest Pennsylvania. Provides help with business growth and manufacturing excellence.

Office of Energy and Technology Deployment -- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's pollution prevention site. Includes contacts, pollution prevention and energy efficiency strategies, leadership examples, partnerships, outreach, education, environmental technology projects, industry-specific information, clearinghouses, technical assistance providers, energy conservation, electronic deregulation, waste minimization, sustainable development, news, publications, and links.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) -- Provides information on Pennsylvania's environmental protection programs including permitting and regulatory compliance information.

Pennsylvania Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) -- This program assists small businesses with regulatory compliance, provides information about cost saving pollution prevention practices, and ensures that small businesses are considered when new regulations are developed.

Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (Pennsylvania SBDC Online) -- Through the Environmental Management Assistance Program, the Pennsylvania SBDCs provide easy to understand answers on regulatory compliance and technical assistance questions through a confidential, no-cost program that small business owners can turn to for practical help in managing the environmental aspects of their business. The web site provides links to the 17 SBDCs located throughout the state.

Pennsylvania Small Business Ombudsman -- The DEP Small Business Ombudsman's office is a component of the Pennsylvania SBAP. The Ombudsman provides confidential assistance to small businesses for regulatory compliance, provides information about cost saving pollution prevention practices, and ensures that small businesses are considered when new regulations are developed.

Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP) -- PENNTAP helps Pennsylvania businesses improve their competitiveness by providing free technical assistance and information to help resolve specific technical questions or needs that can be addressed within a limited amount of time. The program focuses on helping smaller businesses that normally do not have the in-house expertise or time to resolve specific technical questions or needs. PENNTAP technical specialists assist small businesses with technical information, short-term technical counseling, and referrals to other expertise, resources, or programs.

Virginia

GENEDGE ALLIANCE -- Creates and maintains industrial and manufacturing jobs by helping Virginia industries compete.

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) -- Provides information on Virginia's environmental protection programs, including permitting and environmental compliance information.

Virginia Department of Labor and Industry -- Helps Virginia businesses become more productive by promoting safe and healthy workplaces, excellence in employment practices, and job training opportunities. Provides programs such as apprenticeship, workplace safety and health, boiler safety, and labor and employment law.

Virginia Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) (VA DEQ) -- A non-regulatory, voluntary program that provides resources to help small businesses comply with the Clean Air Act and Virginia's air regulations.

West Virginia

Marshall University Center for Environmental, Geotechnical, and Applied Sciences -- Environmental Center established as a cooperative effort between Marshall University and West Virginia Graduate College. Provides access to Economic Development Administration-funded environmental industrial/business incubator "without walls" information and training programs, coordinates several degree programs, collaborates with businesses and agencies, provides services and training, and helps industries understand and comply with regulations.

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection -- Provides information on West Virginia's environmental protection programs, including permitting and environmental compliance information.

West Virginia Small Business Assistance Program -- Helps small businesses meet air quality requirements. Provides technical assistance and information on federal/state requirements, air permit requirements, qualified air quality consultants, and other environmental assistance.

Non-Profit/Other

ECOLOGIA (ECOlogists Linked for Organizing Grassroots Initiatives and Action) -- Independent international environmental organization that assists independent environmental organizations with technical assistance and information to non-governmental organizations and local government officials in Eurasia and the U.S. (as well as across the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe). Provides training, professional quality technical information, consultation, and environmental monitoring capability.

Edward Lowe Foundation -- Provides information, research, and education experiences that support small business people. Includes a collection of online publications for small businesses.

Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) -- Nationwide network of not-for-profit centers that provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with the help they need to succeed. Services include: assessing where your company stands, providing technical and business solutions, helping create successful partnerships, and providing seminars and training programs.

Technology Commercialization Center, Inc. -- Helps U.S. firms improve their competitiveness by assisting them in the location, assessment, acquisition, and utilization of technologies and scientific and engineering expertise within the federal government. Offers a technology marketing service for federal, university, and corporate laboratories.

Small Business Environmental Home Page -- Web site providing access to environmental compliance and pollution prevention information for small businesses, small business assistance programs (SBAPs), trade associations, and other technical assistance programs. Some features include: publications, upcoming events, and videos databases; links to environmental/SBAP/trade association web sites; contact information for the U.S. EPA, SBAPs, Small Business Ombudsmen, and trade associations; funding information; compliance updates and tools; links by industry sector; Compliance Advisory Panel (CAP) contacts and meeting information; performance measurement tools and success stories; summaries and links to new small business initiatives and policies, pollution prevention and ISO 14000 information and links, and other links, news, and information. Funded by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA Small Business Ombudsman.