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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 |
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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:
Ø
Agriculture Metal Fabrication
Ø
Aircraft
Metal Finishing
Ø
Automotive Mining
Ø
Chemicals
Painting and Coating
Ø
Construction Pesticides
Ø
Die
Casting Petroleum Refining
Ø
Dry
Cleaning Pharmaceuticals
Ø
Electric/Power/Energy Plastics
Ø
Electronics/Computer Printing and Photoprocessing
Ø
Electroplating Pulp and Paper
Ø
Fiberglass Operations Recreation
Ø
Foods
Recycling
Ø
Furniture
Retail
Ø
Hospitals/Medical Rubber and Plastics
Ø
Iron and
Steel Solvents/Cleaning
Ø
Laboratories/Schools Stone/Clay/Glass/Concrete
Ø
Lubricants Textiles/Textile Services
Ø
Lumber
and Wood Transportation
Ø
Machining
Used Oil
Ø
Marine/Shipyard
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.
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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.
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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
4/05,
updated 10/05, 05/08
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